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Keith Law's Top 5 AL MVP candidates

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I'm curious about the reasoning behind Austin Jackson. Verlander's a bit questionable too, even though he has some good stats he's not untouchable like in the past.
 

RogerMarisCollector61

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Jan 26, 2010
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Agreed, no way you can have an MVP conversation without mentioning Cabrera....He should have won it last year IMO. What are the chances he gets shafted 2 years in a row...

He already was shafted 2 years in a row. You could argue he should have won in 2010.
 

HPC

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Aug 12, 2008
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Keith Law stated the other day that Cabrera isnt even the 3rd most valuable player on the Tigers

My theory on him is that he writes stupid XXXX like that to create controversy
 

MOFNY

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Aug 9, 2008
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East Greenwich, RI
Number one makes sense. The rest, not so much! Cano is behind Cabrera in every important offensive category, and how exactly is Austin Jackson more valuable than a power hitter like Cabrera? Verlander is having another amazing season, but they need to stop throwing in starting pitchers.
 
Last edited:

markakis8

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Oct 31, 2008
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It really is a neck and neck race at this point between Trout and Cabrera. I could see Hamilton swooping in if he has a September like he did April.
 

hail2thevictors

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Jan 20, 2010
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Keith Law stated the other day that Cabrera isnt even the 3rd most valuable player on the Tigers

My theory on him is that he writes stupid XXXX like that to create controversy

Exactly my thoughts.

Law relies on ridiculous columns, like this, to get attention. It is an absolute JOKE to not have Cabrera in the top 5-and then he tries to explain why. What an epic fail.

I am a Tigers fan, and Austin Jackson has been great, but to tell me he is more valuable than Cabrera is just plain silly. And, I'm sorry, but Verlander is not in the top 5 for the MVP this year-he just isn't. The more I read stuff like this, the less stock I put into anything Law writes.
 

craftysouthpaw

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Jan 8, 2010
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Defense, position, and baserunning matter. Jackson and Cano are defensible picks ahead of Cabrera when you consider they play superb defense at positions further along the defensive spectrum than Miggy. And Cabrera is one of the worst defenders in baseball at any position. It is certainly reasonable their excellence at those other aspects can more than make up for Cabrera's better offensive numbers. And both versions of WAR put them all in the same range as well so there is certainly some independent metrics out there that lend some credence to his opinions.

Law has stated he still doesn't place a ton of stock in the defensive aspects of WAR - especially over a sample size of less than two or three years - and he uses them as just one data set including his eyes and constant conversations with scouts. But WAR does seem to match up with the scout's opinions on Cano's and Jackson's defense.

He is also very adamant that he doesn't take contrarian positions just to stir the pot and will gladly back up any opinion he has. He might go with the more controversial pick in a toss-up situation but he isn't just spewing garbage either. Of all the writers out here - especially at a mainstream site - I would argue he is more factual and logical than anyone.

I have a harder time putting the pitchers ahead of him and generally don't support pitchers for MVP unless their numbers are dramatically better than position players. If the metrics put a pitcher and a position player in the same range, I would push for the position player almost every time.

I would love to see Cabrera take home the hardware as he is just an amazing hitter and has a chance to end up with a historic offensive career when it is all said and done. And he has always been criminally underrated IMO. But I also think Law's list is reasonable even if I don't agree with it.
 

Ian Stewart

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Aug 7, 2008
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Keith Law has to be one of the biggest morons around. Between some of his prospect rankings and this, you'd have to think he just does this to stir the pot.
 

markakis8

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Oct 31, 2008
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Defense, position, and baserunning matter. Jackson and Cano are defensible picks ahead of Cabrera when you consider they play superb defense at positions further along the defensive spectrum than Miggy. And Cabrera is one of the worst defenders in baseball at any position. It is certainly reasonable their excellence at those other aspects can more than make up for Cabrera's better offensive numbers. And both versions of WAR put them all in the same range as well so there is certainly some independent metrics out there that lend some credence to his opinions.

Law has stated he still doesn't place a ton of stock in the defensive aspects of WAR - especially over a sample size of less than two or three years - and he uses them as just one data set including his eyes and constant conversations with scouts. But WAR does seem to match up with the scout's opinions on Cano's and Jackson's defense.

He is also very adamant that he doesn't take contrarian positions just to stir the pot and will gladly back up any opinion he has. He might go with the more controversial pick in a toss-up situation but he isn't just spewing garbage either. Of all the writers out here - especially at a mainstream site - I would argue he is more factual and logical than anyone.

I have a harder time putting the pitchers ahead of him and generally don't support pitchers for MVP unless their numbers are dramatically better than position players. If the metrics put a pitcher and a position player in the same range, I would push for the position player almost every time.

I would love to see Cabrera take home the hardware as he is just an amazing hitter and has a chance to end up with a historic offensive career when it is all said and done. And he has always been criminally underrated IMO. But I also think Law's list is reasonable even if I don't agree with it.

I don't think it's who he has on his top 5 as much as the omission of Miguel Cabrera. Even if you don't think he's a top 3 candidate, putting Verlander and Felix ahead of him is just flat out silly.
 

KOBEARODLT

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Sep 29, 2008
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i have watched every tigers game this year and anyone else who has watched them knows cabrera is the best player on the team and its not even close, by the way i think verlander is awesome but he doesnt play everyday like cabrera...and im sorry but you must not have watched many tigers games this year if you think cabrera is a terrible defender...does he get to balls that elite fielders get to..no, but if a ball is hit near him he fields it cleanly and he has an extremely good arm to make the out...as i said before to people that rip on his defense, tigers have yet to lose a game this year because of his play in the field...also keith law looks like he is going in the skip bayless direction, has to get recognition by going in the opposite direction of everybody else even when he knows its stupid...austin jackson and verlander over cabrera..right :p

Defense, position, and baserunning matter. Jackson and Cano are defensible picks ahead of Cabrera when you consider they play superb defense at positions further along the defensive spectrum than Miggy. And Cabrera is one of the worst defenders in baseball at any position. It is certainly reasonable their excellence at those other aspects can more than make up for Cabrera's better offensive numbers. And both versions of WAR put them all in the same range as well so there is certainly some independent metrics out there that lend some credence to his opinions.

Law has stated he still doesn't place a ton of stock in the defensive aspects of WAR - especially over a sample size of less than two or three years - and he uses them as just one data set including his eyes and constant conversations with scouts. But WAR does seem to match up with the scout's opinions on Cano's and Jackson's defense.

He is also very adamant that he doesn't take contrarian positions just to stir the pot and will gladly back up any opinion he has. He might go with the more controversial pick in a toss-up situation but he isn't just spewing garbage either. Of all the writers out here - especially at a mainstream site - I would argue he is more factual and logical than anyone.

I have a harder time putting the pitchers ahead of him and generally don't support pitchers for MVP unless their numbers are dramatically better than position players. If the metrics put a pitcher and a position player in the same range, I would push for the position player almost every time.

I would love to see Cabrera take home the hardware as he is just an amazing hitter and has a chance to end up with a historic offensive career when it is all said and done. And he has always been criminally underrated IMO. But I also think Law's list is reasonable even if I don't agree with it.
 

hail2thevictors

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Jan 20, 2010
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i have watched every tigers game this year and anyone else who has watched them knows cabrera is the best player on the team and its not even close, by the way i think verlander is awesome but he doesnt play everyday like cabrera...and im sorry but you must not have watched many tigers games this year if you think cabrera is a terrible defender...does he get to balls that elite fielders get to..no, but if a ball is hit near him he fields it cleanly and he has an extremely good arm to make the out...as i said before to people that rip on his defense, tigers have yet to lose a game this year because of his play in the field...also keith law looks like he is going in the skip bayless direction, has to get recognition by going in the opposite direction of everybody else even when he knows its stupid...austin jackson and verlander over cabrera..right :p

You are right on. Cabrera has not looked nearly as bad defensively as the perception people have of him. From the point of him being moved to 3B, some people never gave him a fair shot-and just assumed he would be awful. He has been average, IMO, which is a big step up from what some folks are giving him credit for.
 

Zambrano38

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Aug 11, 2008
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Top 6 AL Leaders in WAR:
Mike Trout 7.4
Miguel Cabrera 5.4
Robinson Cano 5.3
Justin Verlander 5.2
Felix Hernandez 5.0
Austin Jackson 4.7

Cabrera should be in the top 5 at least, even though they are all very close.
 

ugafan247

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Jul 15, 2011
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Does anyone else think that Felix isn't even one if the top 2 pitchers in the AL? I mean, I personally would put Price ahead of Felix in my CY race, much less my MVP race.
To go with that, I myself have Miggy actually winning the MVP, so imo, to have him not even on the list is insane
 

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