Is Bautista the AL MVP?

[bluejaysguys]

With the year Jose is having can he not be made the MVP even though the Jays won't make the playoffs.   He's got a real shot at 50 HR and 120+ RBI's.  7 HR's in 30 games is quite doable at the pace he is going.  Thoughts?

[Lime]

His batting average renders his chances nil, especially with the years that Cabrera and Hamilton are having - Hamilton will be chosen because he has everything the voters are looking for.

[bogeygolfer]

he should be top 3, but he wont win it. If the jays made the playoffs he'd be a shoe in though

[Blacksheep]

he should be top 3, but he wont win it. If the jays made the playoffs he'd be a shoe in though

With the bias toward Canadian teams in the US, he only might have more of a shot if we made the playoffs, but I'm not certain he would actually win it. Evidence of this bias recently, was a US article not to long ago about the greatest playoff/WS home runs of all time after Bobby Thompson died. The author placed him as hitting the greatest playoff home run ever, and he added in other notable home runs, Kirk Gibson, Kirby Puckett so forth and so on, however, he didn't even mention Joe Carter! How do you write an article like that and fail to mention the last time an entire World Series was won with a home run? How? Because it was a Canadian team and apparently most people down here don't even realize there is a team playing up in Canada :/

[Tom]

With the bias toward Canadian teams in the US, he only might have more of a shot if we made the playoffs, but I'm not certain he would actually win it. Evidence of this bias recently, was a US article not to long ago about the greatest playoff/WS home runs of all time after Bobby Thompson died. The author placed him as hitting the greatest playoff home run ever, and he added in other notable home runs, Kirk Gibson, Kirby Puckett so forth and so on, however, he didn't even mention Joe Carter! How do you write an article like that and fail to mention the last time an entire World Series was won with a home run? How? Because it was a Canadian team and apparently most people down here don't even realize there is a team playing up in Canada :/

One writer.  Halladay has won, Hentgen has won, Hinske has won, Griffin has won, Bell has won.  There is no anti-Canadian bias when it comes to major awards in baseball, just individual writers who hate Canada (and say so), and Blue Jays fans who play victim to something that for the most part doesn't exist.

[corpusse]

One writer.  Halladay has won, Hentgen has won, Hinske has won, Griffin has won, Bell has won.  There is no anti-Canadian bias when it comes to major awards in baseball, just individual writers who hate Canada (and say so), and Blue Jays fans who play victim to something that for the most part doesn't exist.

I would agree and go as far as to say there is just ONE writer who gets a vote who has some sort of vendetta against Canada.  That guy in chicago..  There may be some minor writers as well, but there is no Canadian or Blue Jay bias.  Bell basically robbed Trammel of the MVP in 87 so it can work the other way too.

[Krylian]

I think he'll be Top 5 but won't win.

Hamilton, Cabrera, and Cano will all finish ahead of him, deservedly or otherwise.

[priester]

I would agree and go as far as to say there is just ONE writer who gets a vote who has some sort of vendetta against Canada.  That guy in chicago..  There may be some minor writers as well, but there is no Canadian or Blue Jay bias.  Bell basically robbed Trammel of the MVP in 87 so it can work the other way too.

Yeah, I think it is maybe a few more than one, but I don't think there is any significant amount of anti-Canadian bias. There may be some spillover from the fact that we don't get the playtime on ESPN*, but that too should be minor as these guys are professionals and should know what is going on around the league. If it were a REALLY tight race it might hurt us, but generally speaking it isn't significant enough to matter.

*Which is because their audience is American and we have fewer fans down there. Not an intentional bias, they just show what their audience wants to see.

[Rounding 3rd]

I think he'll be Top 5 but won't win.

Hamilton, Cabrera, and Cano will all finish ahead of him, deservedly or otherwise.

I think Baustista beats out Cano and i don't think the Average thing matters because Jose could probably get his average around .300 if he didn't swing for the fences all the time.

I started a similar thread a month back and now i think he definately deserves to be a top3 in the voting, the guy has put up incredible power numbers during season which pitching has been dominant.

[trodge]

I agree with most people here saying that he'll finish in the top 5.

He's been a great story here, but I'm not so sure he's even getting noticed in the States. 

Plus Cabrera has put together one hell of a complete season. 

[Rounding 3rd]

I agree with most people here saying that he'll finish in the top 5.

He's been a great story here, but I'm not so sure he's even getting noticed in the States. 

Plus Cabrera has put together one hell of a complete season.

Bautista has been on a par with Miggy and consider the pitcher's Bautista's gotta face in the East compared to the the underwhelming lot in the Central.

Baustita needs serious consideration for the MVP now, he's top 3 easy...esp now Hamilton has missed like a month's worth of action.

[Grapefruit]

It's got to be between him and Cabrera, at this point.  I think he should win, but I don't think he will.

[corpusse]

Hamilton is a plus defender in the outfield +175 OPS
Cabrera plays 1st base and not exceptionally well +180 OPS
Bautista is not very good in right field, but has been fine at 3rd base + 166 OPS

I'd still have to say Hamilton is the MVP.  Mauer missed more time last year then Hamilton this year.  Hamilton beats both Bautista and Cabrera on defense and is the only one of the 3 that's an actual asset defensively.

Cabrera still has been better then Jose unfortunately I think the difference is probably enough to account for any gains made by Jose's defense.

The MVP isn't always given to the best player, but if Hamilton wins it I think they will have actually got this one right.

[London Knights]

Hamilton is a plus defender in the outfield +175 OPS
Cabrera plays 1st base and not exceptionally well +180 OPS
Bautista is not very good in right field, but has been fine at 3rd base + 166 OPS

I'd still have to say Hamilton is the MVP.  Mauer missed more time last year then Hamilton this year.  Hamilton beats both Bautista and Cabrera on defense and is the only one of the 3 that's an actual asset defensively.

Cabrera still has been better then Jose unfortunately I think the difference is probably enough to account for any gains made by Jose's defense.

The MVP isn't always given to the best player, but if Hamilton wins it I think they will have actually got this one right.

Just given what the AL Central is, and that the Tigers didn't really put up a huge fight for the playoffs beyond that, I have a hard time justifying Cabrera over Bautista simply because the Jays at the very least were playing "meaningful" games when they had an entire month against Boston, Tampa, and New York in August/early September.  I have no problem with Hamilton getting it.  He had (up unitl Tulowitski decided to destroy the NL in September) an insanely dominant stretch had has been strong all year both in the field and at the plate.

[Rounding 3rd]

Hamilton has had a fantastic season and if he does win the MVP i'm sure a chunk of votes will be sympathy votes still thinking about the great come back he made with Texas 3 seasons ago...even though people seem to ignore he made his biggest step with The Reds.

It's a great discussion though the MVP, is it Most Valuable player to his team? If so then Mauer or Hamilton deserve it or is it the best player of the season in their resective leagues? If so then Baustista i think should get it followed by Miggy.

I think it will probably end up Hamilton, Miggy, Bautista or Cano but if i had my vote i'd go Bautista, Miggy, Cano.

[Rounding 3rd]

....hang on a minute, 31 home runs, neither 100 run scored or batted in and only has such a high average because he's had a chunk of time off recently.

Hamilton doesn't deserve the MVP, if he gets it he can ring up Dustin Pedroia for some "undeserving MVP chat".

[Lime]

Bautista has been on a par with Miggy and consider the pitcher's Bautista's gotta face in the East compared to the the underwhelming lot in the Central.

You give the voters way too much credit. They'll consider 4 factors above all else: BAvg, HR, RBI, team standing. A .260 hitter on a non-playoff team has a 0% chance, justified or not (and in this case it's not).

[Blacksheep]

2 more homers tonight says Bautista is the AL MVP. However, the voters won't pick him, he'll finish in 3rd or something on votes. I think at this point, he has put on such an amazing show WITHOUT steroids, he has really earned it and it would make a point that skilled players get rewarded. But I also saw an analysis on ESPN of all the MVP candidates, Hamilton, Cano, Cabrera etc. Being lazy here and not looking up official stats, but they all did have 300ish batting averages, not that this means anything, but it does to idiot voters. Hamilton I believe also had the highest OPS, over 1.000 but Bautista wasn't far behind at 3rd and an OPS in the mid .900s.

I hope he gets it more than anything, but they will probably give it to Hamilton or something because Texas made the playoffs and he's hitting .360 something.

[corpusse]

2 more homers tonight says Bautista is the AL MVP. However, the voters won't pick him, he'll finish in 3rd or something on votes. I think at this point, he has put on such an amazing show WITHOUT steroids, he has really earned it and it would make a point that skilled players get rewarded. But I also saw an analysis on ESPN of all the MVP candidates, Hamilton, Cano, Cabrera etc. Being lazy here and not looking up official stats, but they all did have 300ish batting averages, not that this means anything, but it does to idiot voters. Hamilton I believe also had the highest OPS, over 1.000 but Bautista wasn't far behind at 3rd and an OPS in the mid .900s.

I hope he gets it more than anything, but they will probably give it to Hamilton or something because Texas made the playoffs and he's hitting .360 something.

How would this point not be made with Hamilton or Cabrera winning? 

Bautista now has a 1.005 OPS  If he can finish over 1.000 he'd be the first jay since Delgado in 2003 to do so.

Hamilton still has a higher slugging percentage and obp if you want to discount the batting average which you probably should.   I won't complain if Jose wins but the fact that Hamilton is a plus defender and his overall batting line is superior in 20 or so less games still makes him the right choice imo.  He is certainly narrowing the gap. 

[Jayzfan79]

ya Hamilton has missed some games this year, but Bautista has played 48 games at 3rd....Hamilton has played a few more in the OF than Jose.