Legitimate AL MVP contenders.

keets

I don't follow the NL enough to know who the premier players are in the Senior Circuit, but in the AL there would appear to be four players who could win it and most fans would not argue.
J.D. Martinez --- Red Sox.
Mookie Betts --- Red Sox.
Mike Trout --- Angels.
Jose Ramirez --- Indians.

Every time I look at the stats these four guys are all over the place. It is amazing in itself that there are four players, even more amazing to consider that two players are on the same Team. Personally, I feel the leader is probably Mike Trout who always seems to be in the talk but never wins it. This season may be another, he is up against some competition that is sure to be swayed towards the Red Sox who are playing .700 ball, are you kidding me!!??!!

Al H.

orioles93

I would add Lindor and Bregman to the conversation as well. These 2 plus the 4 you mentioned seem to be the front runners right now.

Darin

Trout never wins it? I would disagree.

This year I would lean towards Betts. Trout again has great numbers but again
the Angels are a huge disappointment.

keets

Darin, of course he has won it but it seems like he should almost win every year, the guy is a beast and all-around phenomenal player. I think he suffers, as you seem to hint, because his Team always falls short. I think a manager change out there would help but Mike Trout strikes me as a player who is only waiting for his 5-year grace period before he's enshrined.

I like Mike.

Darin

Keets, agreed. I also think he suffers because of the non-success of his team.
If the Angels were in first place or even in contention I might place him about even with
Betts because when you mentioned MVP in the thread title I immediately thought of how
great the Red Sox won-loss record is and Betts was the first player that came to mind.

Darin

Keets- I haven't been following baseball all that close since the Royals are so bad, I didn't realize
Ramirez was having such a great season. Looked up his stats, very impressive with 34 HR and only 55 strikeouts.
And it looks like he leads the league with 27 SB. I agree he deserves some consideration for MVP. Fantastic ballplayer.

bronco2078

Ill give it to Trout. I was thinking Mookie until he hit for the cycle last week . He did that for attention , next time hit 4 home runs buddy.

keets

another factor with MLB is the difference in ballpark dimensions. the two that standout are Yankee Stadium with the short right field porch and Fenway with the Green Monster. Cleveland is playing Cincinnatti right now in Cincy, a very "hitter friendly" park where the ball carries well. I have always thought that a lot of runs get scored in Arlington. hitters still have to hit but playing half of your games in certain places really helps.

it's sort of like kicking field goals in Pittsburgh --- anything over 40 yards at one end of the field is a challenge.

another good example is playing in Colorado where players tend to have much better stats at home than on the road. way back in the 70's and 80's the Cleveland Indians had their AAA Team in Colorado Springs and they really had trouble with player development, guys would tear things up but it never translated to the big leagues. when they moved from that thin air it became easier to evaluate what a player could really do.

I'm not trying to criticize any of the Yankees, but if a guy like Babe Ruth or the old Yankees didn't have that short porch it is a foregone conclusion that their numbers would be different. my dad tells me stories of the Indians playing in Boston and how a lead was never safe. I guess the only point in this rambling is that I wonder what it would be like if every MLB park hade the same dimensions like a football field??? I think the game would be more boring, the different parks really add something to the game. I have always thought one of the coolest things to do in retirement is to go around the Country and watch a game in every MLB park. what a summer it would be!!!

markj111

@keets said:
another factor with MLB is the difference in ballpark dimensions. the two that standout are Yankee Stadium with the short right field porch and Fenway with the Green Monster. Cleveland is playing Cincinnatti right now in Cincy, a very "hitter friendly" park where the ball carries well. I have always thought that a lot of runs get scored in Arlington. hitters still have to hit but playing half of your games in certain places really helps.

it's sort of like kicking field goals in Pittsburgh --- anything over 40 yards at one end of the field is a challenge.

another good example is playing in Colorado where players tend to have much better stats at home than on the road. way back in the 70's and 80's the Cleveland Indians had their AAA Team in Colorado Springs and they really had trouble with player development, guys would tear things up but it never translated to the big leagues. when they moved from that thin air it became easier to evaluate what a player could really do.

I'm not trying to criticize any of the Yankees, but if a guy like Babe Ruth or the old Yankees didn't have that short porch it is a foregone conclusion that their numbers would be different. my dad tells me stories of the Indians playing in Boston and how a lead was never safe. I guess the only point in this rambling is that I wonder what it would be like if every MLB park hade the same dimensions like a football field??? I think the game would be more boring, the different parks really add something to the game. I have always thought one of the coolest things to do in retirement is to go around the Country and watch a game in every MLB park. what a summer it would be!!!

Try again. Ruth hit more HRs on the road than he did at home.

keets

read into what I said whatever you want to. Babe Ruth was a legitimate power hitter who would have hit his home runs wherever he played --- BUT --- please argue with me that 281 in left and 295 in right aren't short dimensions and that they didn't help hitters.

I will wait.

erikthredd

I think Betts & Martinez might take votes from the other but I do think its gonna come down to one of these two winning the award. If I had to choose it's Betts.

keets

wasn't Mookie Betts out with an injury for awhile?? that's a key for many of these top players, being able to put together a complete season and only needing a day of rest every so often. the Indians just sat Jose Martinez Sunday, he looked tired, and he came back yesterday with an HR and a few RBI, the he had three hits and a few today. as for JD Martinez, how has he rejuvenated his career these past few years?? I saw him a lot because the Indians and Detroit play 18 games, he was solid but unspectacular --- something very, very dramatic changed for him when he left the Tigers for Arizona and this year proves was no fluke, the guy was reborn, hard!!!

of the four players I mentioned in the OP, I think Trout will have the hardest finish to his regular season. the Angels will be fighting while the Sox and Indians will be relaxed and waiting to see who they play.

keets

an interesting point --- both the Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians have a legitimate contender for MVP and Cy Young. we get to see them all next week four times in Fenway. win/lose with either Team these games will be nice.