In a very crowded list of National League MVP candidates with players such as Nolan Arenado and JD Martinez being omitted, the final possible MVP candidate race is very tight. Marlins’ right fielder Giancarlo Stanton fell just one home run shy of the immortal 60 home run club, also picking up a league leading 132 RBIs along the way. Rockies center fielder Charlie Blackmon lead MLB in runs (137), hits (213), and triples (14) to go along with 37 home runs and 104 RBIs. Joey Votto completed the rare feat of playing every game of the 162 game season, collecting 147 walks and posting an insane .454 on base percentage. Paul Goldschmidt put up yet another consistently great season posting 36 home runs, 120 RBIs, 117 runs, and swiping 18 bags. The two main contenders are Joey Votto and Charlie Blackmon. Despite Blackmon leading the league in traditional categories, Votto’s dependability and outrageous ability to get on base makes him a lethal weapon for the Cincinatti Reds. Overall, Charlie Blackmon looks like the MVP front runner as his stats are a can’t miss with most traditional baseball fans.
2017 NL MVP Breakdown
| Stats | Giancarlo Stanton | Paul Goldschmidt | Joey Votto | Charlie Blackmon |
| Games | 159 | 155 | 162 | 159 |
| At Bats | 597 | 558 | 559 | 644 |
| Hits | 168 | 166 | 179 | 213 |
| Doubles | 32 | 34 | 34 | 35 |
| Triples | 0 | 3 | 1 | 14 |
| Home Runs | 59 | 36 | 36 | 37 |
| RBIs | 132 | 120 | 100 | 104 |
| Runs | 123 | 117 | 106 | 137 |
| Stolen Bases | 2 | 18 | 5 | 14 |
| Walks | 85 | 94 | 134 | 65 |
| Strikeouts | 163 | 147 | 83 | 135 |
| Batting Average | .281 | .297 | .320 | .331 |
| OBP | .376 | .404 | .454 | .399 |
| Slugging | .631 | .563 | .578 | .601 |
| OPS | 1.007 | .967 | 1.032 | 1.000 |
| WAR | 8.8 | 6.9 | 9.6 | 6.3 |
| All Star | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Francisco Lindor 2017
Francisco Lindor put up career high numbers in 2017. Lindor studied launched angle and developed power. He smacked 33 home runs, 44 doubles, 89 RBIs, and posted a .505 slugging percentage, all career highs. Despite the power numbers, Lindor’s average dropped from .301 to .273. He also collected four less hits (178) than 2016 even though he played one more game in 2017 (159). Lindor has not lost any stolen base skills as he stole 15 bases in 18 attempts. He also sustained his stellar defense by posting a .984 fielding percentage and turning 111 double plays. Lindor reinvented himself as a player, but continues to put up great numbers.
What Joe Girardi Did Wrong in Game 2 of the ALDS
In second game of the 2017 American League Division series, Yankees manager Joe Girardi made some questionable mistakes. It looked like it was supposed to be a pitching duel with Cy Young front runner Corey Kluber against postseason veteran CC Sabathia. Kluber fell apart giving up six earned runs. By the sixth inning, the Yankees were up 8-3. With two runners on and one out, Girardi brings in Chad Green to face Lonnie Chisenhall. CC was over 70 pitches, but clearly still had gas in the tank and wanted to stay in the game. Green, with a two strike count, supposedly hit Chisenhall. The ball clearly hit the bat and went into catcher Gary Sanchez’s glove. Sanchez and Chase Headley were yelling at their skipper to challenge the play, but he did not. If he did, the pitch would be void and redone. Because of Girardi’s hesitance, Chisenhall was awarded first base. Now, Lindor comes up, hits a grand slam, and now it’s a one run game.David Robertson comes in, who pitched 3.1 innings in the Wild Card game, a career most. He gives up the game tying home run to Jay Bruce. Girardi later brings in Chapman, who pitchers 2+ innings, and Dellin Betances, who blows the game, with 2+ innings of work. Such use of relievers in the playoffs has been proved not good as shown in Aroldis Chapman’s arm discomfort in the 2016 World Series. If Girardi keeps on messing up these crucial games, his career as Yankees manager is in danger.
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
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 |
Bobby Crosby
Bobby Crosby, not to be confused with YouTuber Bobby Crosby from dodgerfilms, compiled a short career but steady career. After being born January 12, 1980 in Lakewood California, Crosby made his MLB debut in 2003 at the age of 23. He mostly played shortstop, but also spent some time in the corner infield at first and third base. In his eight year span in the bigs, Crosby hit 62 home runs with 146 doubles, 329 runs, 276 RBIs, with 605 hits in 747 career games. In his career, he spent time with the Athletics, Pirates, and Diamondbacks. He won the 2004 American League Rookie of the Year after hitting 22 home runs with 34 doubles and 130 hits over 151 games. Despite not playing up to his potential, Bobby Crosby made it into the show, a feat any person would savor.
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Amusing or Confusing?: Wilson A500 Defender Baseball Glove
Before baseball season, I purchased a Wilson A500 baseball glove. It is the same model Mariners’ second baseman Robinson Cano uses but has a Yasiel Puig color scheme. I wanted this glove to see if the colored leather myth was true. For those of you who don’t know, many former players and analysts believed gloves with colors aren’t as durable and stiff as the traditional leather and black gloves. This was speculated on after Yasiel Puig dropped a routine fly ball. So far, I haven’t noticed any troubles. One problem with the glove is that the strings come lose more often than my previous Mizuno model. I like the finger pocket as I can partially see through it. This glove is definitely more padded and comfortable than my previous one. One problem I do have with the colors is that the powder blue coloring tends to get more dirty and worn down, which is not a pleasant thing at all. At least with black ones you don’t see this discoloration. At $60 MSRP, I would say the Wilson A500 glove is amusing.
Scott Rolen
Scott Rolen was known as a great teammate but also put up great career numbers. From his rookie debut with the Phillies in 1996 to his farewell season with the Reds in 2012, along with stints with the Cardinals and Blue Jays, Rolen was a sought after third basemen. This is proven as from 1997 to 2004 Scott compiled 20 or more home runs each season. During this span, he also collected four straight 100 or more RBIs. By far his best season was in 2004 after putting up career highs in homers with 34, RBIs with 124, and batting average with .314. As for Sabermetrics, Rolen posted an 8.9 wins above replacement, a truly amazing number. As if the offense wasn’t enough, Rolen won his fifth consecutive Gold Glove in ’04. He would finish his career with eight Gold Gloves, one Silver Slugger, and the National League Rookie of the Year award in 1997. He piled up 316 home runs to go long along with 1,287 RBIs and 517 doubles, all of which are decent power numbers. He would also have 2,077 hits, 1,211 runs, and 118 stolen bases. Scott Rolen’s name will appear on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time in 2017, but it is hard to tell whether or not he will get in as another legendary third baseman, Chipper Jones, is also on the ballot for the first time. But Scott was not only a numbers leader, but a clubhouse leader. Mat Latos requested to leave the Reds after their clubhouse issues. He gave credit to Scott Rolen for keeping everybody together. This is shown in Latos quote from the 2012 trade from the Reds, “You look at it after we lost Scott Rolen. Everything went to s***. When Scott was there, we had guys doing exactly what they were supposed to do. After Scott left, we had guys with two years in the big leagues, in the clubhouse, on their phones, laying down in the video room, just hanging out during games, not in the dugout, not cheering their teammates on. Our dugout looked like a ghost town.” This shows that Scott cared about his teammates and team as a whole. Overall, Scott Rolen, both a decent player and great teammate, lived a career with the right moral.
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This Week in MLB: Judge Breaks Streak
On Tuesday, Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge was pinched hit for Jacoby Ellsbury during the game against the Tigers. Judge went 1-1 with a single and three walks. This move broke his Major League record of 37 straight games with a strikeout. He has 167 strikeouts in 120 games this season.