A crowded, wide-open NL MVP race
Posted: Thursday, September 13, 2007 7:56 PM
There are unsung heroes, highly publicized stars, and candidates who defy traditional thinking about the MVP award. It won’t be an easy choice in the NL, but my top six contenders are David Wright of the Mets, Chase Utley of the Phillies, Matt Holliday of the Rockies, Eric Byrnes of the Diamondbacks, and Russell Martin and Takashi Saito of the Dodgers. Let's take a closer look at this group.
DAVID WRIGHT: Interesting question -- should more emphasis be placed on a player's full-season body of work or on his work over the second half of the schedule when playoff races take shape and the pressure to win games intensifies?
I don‘t believe you can discount the early part of a season when measuring the contribution and value of a player to his team. After all, those games count just as much in the standings. But there is validity to raising one’s game when times are tough and teammates falter. There in lies the story of Wright's season.
While until the start of September the Mets pretty much stumbled through the second half, rarely threatened by a weak division, Wright excelled (.355 BA, 12 HR, 45 RBI) since the All-Star break. While he does not lead the league in any individual category, he ranks in the top 10 in seven offensive listings.
Jose Reyes was the first half MVP for the Mets and his play sparked the team, but the shortstop has hit just .266 post the All-Star break. When the Mets were swept in Philadelphia in late August, allowing the Phillies brief hope of stealing the division, Wright was the Met who stood strong. Keith Hernandez, my former colleague on Mets' telecasts, told me against the Phillies Wright played as fine a game as he had seen in his 17 years in the major leagues. That’s enough for me.
CHASE UTLEY: The opposite scenario to Wright’s. Utley kept the Phillies afloat as they wandered through the first half. Should he be penalized in the MVP voting for the injury that cost him the month of August? Well, he has over 500 plate appearances, just 30 shy of teammate Ryan Howard. By the way, Utley is hitting over .380 since the All-Star break, and he delivered a huge hit against standout closer Billy Wagner in the sweep of the Mets to close out last month.
MATT HOLLIDAY: Along with Utley, one the two best hitters in the NL this year. In a Philly showdown Tuesday night, Holliday was drilled after an early homer and responded with a second blast in a later at-bat. That’s MVP material. The most telling batch of numbers produced by Rockies' hitters is road performance stats and Holliday measures up there (.306 BA, 10 HR, 51 RBI). Holliday has kept his team quietly on the fringes of the wild-card race in a season where hope is revived in Denver.
ERIC BYRNES: Here’s another player whose MVP candidacy defies tradition, except in the opinion of my friend Mr. Hernandez. Byrnes doesn’t have the gaudiest numbers, although they are solid, and his career best, but his team is in first place.
And he has been their best player as well as their leader. On a team known as the “Baby Backs,” Byrnes sets the example for how the game should be played with constant hustle. How can a Justin Upton or Stephen Drew not run out a ball when Byrnes does so EVERY TIME? There are reasons for Arizona’s amazing season and Byrnes is at the top of the list.
RUSSELL MARTIN: Tradition says Martin's got the edge since he's proven the rock of the Dodgers. A young stud catcher who has played every day (too much in the opinions of some) and who has been the glue amidst a team blending fading veterans with emerging youth. His average has held steady in the second half, but his run production has tailed, perhaps a function of teams daring other hitters to beat them. Regardless, the Dodgers have no hope without Martin.
TAKASHI SAITO: The Dodger also have no hope without Saito. And here is the MVP candidate that defies traditional thinking. But a look at Saito’s numbers (.157 OBA, 0.72 WHIP) -- all compiled in the ninth inning, and how can one not form an argument that he has been the most important player on the Dodgers. I have never understood the mindset that maximizes a closer’s impact during the season and minimizes it in voting for awards and the Hall of Fame. It’s baseball hypocrisy.
