AL MVP....Donaldson or Trout???

[Jayzfan79]

yes there is still about 7.5 weeks to go until the season is officially done but this will be a hot topic.

 

http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/61606/al-mvp-race-heats-up-between-mike-trout-josh-donaldson

 

.....Since Tulowitzki played his first game for the Toronto Blue Jays, Donaldson -- batting behind Tulo in the lineup -- has been on fire, hitting .353/.480/.863 with seven home runs, five doubles and 15 RBIs in 13 games. This hot streak has suddenly turned the American League MVP race into a two-way battle between Donaldson and Mike Trout:

 

Donaldson: .294/.362/.572, 31 HR, 83 RBI, 82 R, +9 Defensive Runs Saved, 6.2 WAR

 

Trout: .301/.394/.605, 33 HR, 69 RBI, 78 R, +3 Defensive Runs Saved, 7.0 WAR

 

The WAR number is closer at FanGraphs, where Trout leads 6.5 to 6.2.....

[baubau]

Biased vote for Donaldson. Should be Trout. Hopefully the Angels miss the playoffs and that will auto-disqualify him.

[Captain Adama]

My vote is that Trout should win.

 

Buuuuuut I won't complain if Donaldson wins. They're both close enough that my slight homerism can be justified

[Deadpool]

I really WANT Donaldson to win, but Trout is the best baseball player currently baseballing. I'm going to vote Donaldson, because I'm a huge homer.

[LTR]

JD has a better clutch rating, so that solves that. Also you're using bWAR.

 

fWAR:

 

JD: 6.2

Trout: 6.5

[Maahfaace]

Everyone should be rooting for trout, not only because he probably deserves it more but because it will have an impact on Josh's arb years

[Billy Bats]

Donaldson is propelling the Jays, a team that hasn't made the post-season in 22 years, INTO the playoffs and he's the best player on the best team in baseball in my opinion, but then again I'm a Jays fan & season ticket holder. Trout is a beast, but Donaldson is playing better baseball right now when it counts. Angels might not even make the playoffs!

[Stangstag]

Mike Trout is the best baseball player on earth. In no way, shape, or form is Donaldson more deserving of the MVP title. Mike Trout is the MVP and its not even close.

[Stangstag]

People saying Donaldson over Trout should be ashamed of themselves.

[Maahfaace]

Mike Trout is the best baseball player on earth. In no way, shape, or form is Donaldson more deserving of the MVP title. Mike Trout is the MVP and its not even close.

 

I wouldn't go that far, but I agree with everything else you said.

[Farm]

people saying donaldson over trout should be ashamed of themselves.

 

donaldson over trout baby!!!

[flafson]

You guys need to quantify Donaldson's clubhouse chemistry, for sure that's worth more than 0.3 WAR.

 

The one other problem is going to be Donaldson's salary next season. It's going to jump to over 10M. And that's only the second arbitration. If we don't sign him long term, we are screwed.

[Angrioter]

f*** fWAR.... Donaldson is the man

[burlingtonbandit]

You guys need to quantify Donaldson's clubhouse chemistry, for sure that's worth more than 0.3 WAR.

 

The one other problem is going to be Donaldson's salary next season. It's going to jump to over 10M. And that's only the second arbitration. If we don't sign him long term, we are screwed.

 

What'd you mean we are screwed? He sure as hell isn't taking a discount to sign. If he were to sign now he'd prolly want something like 6/165 at the minimum and when you consider his style of play and age its probably best to just play it out.

 

As a Jays fan its honestly probably better if Trout wins cuz Donaldson will make less and Jays could spend more.

[HERPDERP]

Neither.

 

Nelson Cruz

[Brownie19]

I've giggled a couple of times when the casual baseball fan comes to me at work (knowing I'm a baseball guy) and tell me how Donaldson is the MVP and how they are on the bangwagon, etc. I'm like, well that Mike Trout guy is having a great year too and they give me the deer in the headlights look.

[Followthelight]

Mike Trout is the best baseball player on earth. In no way, shape, or form is Donaldson more deserving of the MVP title. Mike Trout is the MVP and its not even close.

 

The MVP is not a "Best player is baseball " award now is it? If it was other players would have won 8-10 times. If it is "Most valuable" then I don;t think trout is a shoe in.

[cusstown]

Who cares if he's the best player on earth? Who's the better player this year? I'm not about to suddenly anoint Trout as clearly better this year because of 0.2 WAR (FG says 6.5 to 6.3). Not to mention as a team the Jays success is bound to garner more attention than LA if the season continues like this. I guess we'll see in October.

[burlingtonbandit]

The MVP is not a "Best player is baseball " award now is it? If it was other players would have won 8-10 times. If it is "Most valuable" then I don;t think trout is a shoe in.

 

Well doesn't Mike Trout provide the most value of any player?

[Effit]

Obviously you can make arguments for both, to say it's not even close is just silly. But honestly I don't really care if he wins it or not, because JD has been the MVP for the Jays and that's what really counts.

[Followthelight]

Well doesn't Mike Trout provide the most value of any player?

 

Did I say he didn't? I am just saying the best player does not always win MVP, if the angels fall out of contention you could make a strong argument JD is more valuable, and it's not like trout is way ahead of JD, their WAR and pretty much every stat are close.

 

Anyone saying "It's trout and it's not even close" is being foolish...there is not much seperating JD and trout this season.

[Boxcar]

My vote is that Trout should win.

 

Buuuuuut I won't complain if Donaldson wins. They're both close enough that my slight homerism can be justified

 

How I feel as well. I won't be upset if Trout wins, he's incredible. I know a lot of fans will claim anti-Canadian bias if JD doesn't win, though.

[Boxcar]

You guys need to quantify Donaldson's clubhouse chemistry, for sure that's worth more than 0.3 WAR.

 

I'd assume this is a joke but given your posting history, it probably isn't.

[Statman]

Donaldson could easily surpass Trout in WAR by the end of the season.

[Stangstag]

How I feel as well. I won't be upset if Trout wins, he's incredible. I know a lot of casual fans will claim anti-Canadian bias if JD doesn't win, though.

 

ftfy

[Atothe]

How I feel as well. I won't be upset if Trout wins, he's incredible. I know a lot of fans will claim anti-Canadian bias if JD doesn't win, though.

 

Lets hope Trout goes on a slump while JD continues his hot streak

[Caper]

People saying Donaldson over Trout should be ashamed of themselves.

 

Not necessarily. Most Valuable player is different then best performing player. If the Angels miss the playoffs Trouts performance didn't really change the situation for the team. Donaldsons most certainly has.

[Boxcar]

Not necessarily. Most Valuable player is different then best performing player. If the Angels miss the playoffs Trouts performance didn't really change the situation for the team. Donaldsons most certainly has.

 

That logic is really quite dumb.

[dineke]

People saying Donaldson over Trout should be ashamed of themselves.

 

f*** off, I hope Donaldson wins it even if trout deserves it. I don't care.

[KingKat]

That logic is really quite dumb.

 

Yeah but the award is kind of dumb. We don't need a trophy to tell us who provides the most value. We have metrics to tell us that. If they just gave the trophy to the guy with the highest WAR the trophy would become redundant so to maintain some semblance of relevance the trophy has to reward narrative not just performance.