Category: Who is Better?

Articles and graphs arguing the quality of each player based on statistical and Sabermetric evidence.

by Jacoby Nolnaho

2017 AL MVP Report

As the 2017 regular season came to an end, the American League MVP race has really tightened up. Mike Trout, who was down 48 games with a thumb injury, was still able to put up unbelievable numbers in a short amount of time. Jose Altuve once again impressed us with yet another 200 hit season and 30 stolen base season. Among the surprises include Aaron Judge who broke the rookie record for home runs and walks, and Jose Ramirez, Cleveland’s super utility man. Trout supplied the best percentage numbers by leading the AL in OPS, OBP, and slugging. He was also among Joey Votto and Anthony Rizzo as the only men in baseball with more walks than strikeouts (min. 100 games). Despite his final stats, Aaron Judge had a mid season streak that lasted 45 games with a sub .200 batting average and only 7 home runs. This greatly impacted his overall average which went from .329 at the All Star break to .284 at the end of the season. Jose Ramirez’s versatility makes him a valuable asset to the Indians, but his 29 home runs and league leading 56 doubles were only a bonus. His OBP and OPS were down compared to the others. Jose Altuve looks like the best bet for MVP as his hits, stolen bases, and consistency were on point for the entire length of the regular season.

Stats: ESPN and MLB.com

by Jacoby Nolnaho

2017 MVP Race Breakdown: Trout, Judge, Altuve, and Ramirez BREAKDOWN

Stats Mike Trout Aaron Judge Jose Altuve Jose Ramirez
Games 114 155 153 152
At Bats 402 542 590 585
Hits 123 154 204 186
Doubles 25 24 39 56
Triples 3 3 4 6
Home Runs 33 52 24 29
RBIs 72 114 81 83
Runs 92 128 112 107
Stolen Bases 22 9 32 17
OBP .442 .422 .410 0.374
OPS 1.071 1.049 .957 .957
Slugging .629 .627 .547 .583
WAR 6.4 8.8 7.9 6.3
Strikeouts 90 208 84 69
Walks 94 127 58 52
All Star Yes Yes Yes Yes
by Jacoby Nolnaho

Paul Goldschmidt vs. Joey Votto

Perhaps the most alike players in the game, Paul Goldschmidt and Joey Votto share similar numbers. 2016 was a battle between them. They were separated by only two walks for the National League and two RBIs separated them. The doubles are one off and there is a five run difference for runs category. Goldschmidt does have better stolen base numbers.  Goldschmidt has 32 stolen bases compared to Votto’s 8. Paul also is known for his defense. Votto had a -2.4 defensive WAR compared to Goldschmidt’s -0.6. Overall, I would say Goldy has the advantage over Votto.

by Jacoby Nolnaho

2016 AL MVP Candidate Breakdown

 Stats/Player Mike Trout Mookie Betts Jose Altuve Josh Donaldson
Team Angels Red Sox Astros Blue Jays
Games 159 158 161 155
Batting Average .315 .318 .338 .284
Hits 173 214 216 164
Doubles 32 42 42 32
Triples 5 5 5 5
Home runs 29 31 24 37
RBIs 100 113 96 99
Runs 123 122 108 122
Stolen Bases 30 26 30 7
Walks 116 49 60 109
Strikeouts 137 80 70 119
OBP .441 .363 .396 .404
Slugging .550 .534 .531 .549
OPS+ .991 .897 .927 .953
WAR 10.6 9.6 7.7 7.4
by Jacoby Nolnaho

Jake Arrieta, Zack Greinke, or Clayton Kershaw

During the 2015 baseball season, the National League saw many great pitchers like Gerrit Cole, Michael Wacha, and Max Scherzer. But Jake Arrieta, Zack Greinke, and Clayton Kershaw really stood out. Zack Greinke pitched 45.2 consecutive scoreless innings while posting a 1.66 ERA. Jake Arrieta led the Chicago Cubs to a playoff birth by winning 22 games and pitching a no-hitter. Clayton Kershaw had anothe monster year posting a 2.13 ERA and striking out 301 batters. All these pitchers have 2 things in common: they led their teams to the playoffs and are all fighting for the National League Cy Young award. As you can see, these pitchers have a great career in front of them and are capable of winning the Cy Young award.

by Jacoby Nolnaho

1961: Mickey Mantle or Roger Maris

Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle had one of the greatest season baseball history. They were both chasing Babe Ruth’s home run record. Roger Maris hit 61 home runs while Mickey Mantle hit 54. Roger Maris won the Most Valuable Player award that year. Even though Roger Maris had more home runs, Mickey Mantle had a slugging percentage of .687 while Roger Maris had a slugging percentage of .620. In the end, Mickey Mantle had a WAR of 10.2. As you can see, both Micke Mantle and Roger Maris had an incredible season in 1961.