Still to come, my top 10 players at each position for 2011, and my 2011 post season predictions.
I'll also update my all time San Francisco Giants posts to reflect the 2011 season, and I've got a rework of my 200 greatest major league baseball players of all time to begin rolling out. Offseason doesn't end baseball talk here at Basically Gherkins.
NL MVP: 1. Matt Kemp
2. Ryan Braun
3. Roy Halladay
NL Cy Young: 1. Roy Halladay
2. Clayton Kershaw
3. Cliff Lee
AL MVP: 1. Jose Bautista
2. Justin Verlander
3. Jacoby Ellsbury
AL Cy Young: 1. Justin Verlander
2. Jared Weaver
3. CC Sabathia
2 comments
Verlander and Bautista are so close in what they brought to the table that I don't see how you can deny the guy who was on a playoff team. I would never say an MVP has to be on a playoff team, but I do think there's something to be said for a team's 90th win being a hell of a lot more valuable than its 80th, and when it's this close I think that's worth taking into consideration.
They are close; both had MVP quality seasons (8 wins above replacement using the two value metrics I most like). I'd be fine with either of them.
Were it a literal tie, that's the only time I use team result as a tiebreaker. I am pretty doctrinaire about not penalizing a guy for having lesser teammates. I get that you're not saying all that matters is team play; we're not on opposite sides, it's just a matter of emphasis.
On the NL side, Kemp and Braun would both be deserving. And I'm going to reconsider one of the awards, switching the Cy from Kershaw to Halladay.
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