Justin Verlander Was the Best Choice for MVP
Kind of.
This is going to be a strict opinion piece. It’s not even something I entirely believe. It’s kind of embarrassing to even think this way. It’s like I’m saying Mean Girls is one of the best comedies in the past 15 years (which it is) it’s just hard to admit to the public.
I’ve harped on Verlander’s stats enough. I am not going to break them down again. I also don’t feel like going in depth with Ellsbury, Bautista, and Gradnerson’s numbers, and tell you why they should have won the MVP. Because you don’t care as a Tiger fan, and you shouldn’t. Justin Verlander should have been the 2011 Most Valuable Player.
There is only ONE thing I am baseball “old school” on. That is the MVP needs to go to a player on a team that matters. To me, that is the four playoff teams. Red Sox are completely irrelevant in my eyes. That September is proof enough no one is that valuable to that team. For the one time in my life, I don’t care about Ellsbury’s WAR, UZR, wOBA, and all that SABR jazz. His team choked harder than the Mets, and that’s saying something.
In Bautista’s case, I just don’t care. It’s still hard for me to care and believe Bautista. He put up a fantastic season. There is no question about that. I just have to ask Jays/Bautista fans this. What did Jose Bautista do to put the Jays over the hump? Don’t give me all the SABR stuff either, because I know it. It’s just if Jose Bautista hits a 3-run homer and no one sees it or cares. Does it happen?
Granderson was the MVP in my eyes. Only because I don’t really believe in giving it to the pitcher. Granderson seemed to carry the Yankees in the first few months of the season. He also played a good centerfield for a division champion. Instead of playing centerfield for a team that needed the Heimlich. The traditional stats like runs, HRs, RBI were also there for the Grandy man.
That leads to Verlander. All I have to say is this. If Justin Verlander was not on the Detroit Tigers they wouldn’t have won the American League Central. That’s it. That’s the only point I am making and really needs to be made.
Verlander is just the best “wrong” decision. I put “wrong” because there would have been issues with anyone winning the award; especially, if it was Ellsbury.
Congratulations Justin Verlander on a season for the ages.
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[...] being said, despite the argument made by my colleague Bryan Lutz, I don’t believe that Verlander was the best player in the league. In fact, I don’t [...]
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