All Star season is here. More on that this Thursday. Today, I will focus on the Final Vote, breaking down the candidates from each league, before making my endorsements.
American League
1 – Giancarlo Stanton, New York Yankees – Stanton is hitting .272, with a .344 obp and a .520 slugging percentage. He has 22 home runs and 52 RBIs. Those numbers are good, but a bit of a disappointment when you consider all of the hoopla surrounding the Yankees at the outset of the season.
“How many Home Runs will Judge and Stanton hit this year! Will they each hit 70! Goo-goo-ga-ga!” said The Intelligentsia.
No pressure Giancarlo.
Stanton has bounced back after a rough start. Good for him.
His muscles are also astonishingly large. Also good for him.
Anyway, Stanton has been ok this season. But in a down season for him, is he the best choice to be the Final Vote Winner?
NO.
Moving on.
2 – Andrew Benintendi – Boston Red Sox
Benintendi has a .296 batting average. He has a .380 obp. And he has a .518 slugging percentage. About the same as Stanton’s and he does it with just 14 home runs. He’s getting a ton of extra base hits. Both players play in ridiculous gimmicky circus stadiums so whatever on the ballpark factor. Benintendi also has 55 RBIs, which obviously matter a lot. Old School Baseball FTW.
What Benintendi has that Stanton does not have? Great hair. Stanton has great muscles. Seriously great muscles.
Muscles Matter. True. But Hair Matters More Than Muscles. Benintendi has Next Level Hair. Elite Hair. Elite Handsomeness.
Due to Hair and Handsomeness – the two H’s of leadership – Benintendi is ahead of Stanton.
3 – Andrelton Simmons, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
This is a joke, right?
First, The Intelligentsia said “Simmons is an MVP candidate” !!! That was last season.
Why did they do that when Simmons hit just .278 with a .331 obp and a .421 slugging percentage and just 14 home runs?
Defense? Baserunning? Arm strength? Or is it because after Mike Trout missed six weeks with a thumb injury The Intelligentsia needed to find some way to explain the Angels continued success other than the patently obvious – that Albert Pujols is Legit and so is The Big Kahuna aka Mike Scioscia NOT their darling Jerry Dipoto who just got a contract extension from the Mariners who are about to totally fall apart lol – and so they said “it’s because Simmons is Super Valuable!” when the reality is that it is they who are Super Stupid Super Weak Super Feeble and Super Jealous of Albert Pujols and Mike Scioscia’s Awesomeness.
Andrelton Simmons is a good player. He’s clearly got a good makeup given that his performance hasn’t suffered despite the ridiculous expectations that have been placed upon him. But he isn’t an MVP candidate and he isn’t an All Star candidate. He’s a good defender. There’s a place for that on every team. But he’s a role player. Not a star player. And The Intelligentsia is not and will never be the star of baseball despite their best efforts.
Benintendi is ahead of Simmons as well, by a lot.
4 – Jean Segura – Seattle Mariners
People have called Segura “Jean Jean The Hit Machine.” Andrew Benintendi’s nickname is “Benny.” No creativity. WEAK!
Segura is ahead of Benintendi on the grounds of nicknames. But not much else.
Yes, Segura’s batting average is about 30 points higher. His is .330 to Benintendi’s .296. Benintendi’s obp is higher by about 20 points – .380 to Segura’s .358. Not that I care at all about obp. Or defense, or baserunning or arm strength.
As I have said time and time again, 8/10 of what makes a player great is slugging. 1/10 is hitting for average. The other 1/10 is everything else – obp, defense, other irrelevant things.
Segura’s slugging percentage is 48 points lower than Benintendi’s! And he only has 7 home runs!
NEXT.
5 – Eddie Rosario, Minnesota Twins
Rosario is having a tremendous all around season. And he is doing it while many of his teammates, of whom much was expected this season, are having huge down years – Buxton, Sano and Dozier, just to name a few. His performance has kept the Twins afloat this year, while Benintendi has had numerous teammates who are having Super Seasons.
Rosario has a .300 batting average, a .340 obp, a .531 slugging percentage, 18 home runs and 54 RBIs. All around, that is the best line of any of the players up for the final vote in the American League. He has the highest slugging percentage. That is The Big Number. The Big Metric. Stats Guy over here.
Plus, Rosario scored the winning run in a game in his native Puerto Rico. Great Moment.
Benintendi vs. Rosario is a good matchup. But I would give the nod to Rosario. He is my pick to be the AL Final Vote Winner.
Congratulations, Eddie Rosario.
National League
1 – Max Muncy – Los Angeles Dodgers
Muncy earns points on these grounds alone. He was once a captive of The Mad King of Oakland, aka Billy Beane. Muncy, however, escaped from The Mad King’s clutches. He was imprisoned in a dungeon below the O.Co coliseum until one day he escaped.
How? Here’s how.
A guard came to bring him his dinner. A paltry meal. But Max Muncy is a big dude. He had to escape and get some In and Out! So, here’s what he did.
“Hey guard,” he said. “Do you read Fan Graphs?”
The guard was like “yeah I’m so smart I’m so much smarter than all of those stupid old people who don’t know what OPS + is and what UZR is and Andrelton Simmons should be the MVP not Albert Pujols who reminds me of the Alpha Male from my high school who I was jealous of and who I hate and who” …
BAM. Max Muncy hit him with the tray of food, knocked him unconscious, grabbed his keys and made his escape.
“Bring me too!” shouted Jed Lowrie.
“Lol no” said Muncy.
The rest is history.
What a story.
2 – Jesus Aguilar – Milwaukee Brewers
Aguilar is having a tremendous season. He has a .305 batting average, a .368 obp, a .639 slugging percentage, he’s already hit 23 home runs AND he has 64 RBIs. WOW.
Case closed. Aguilar wins.
Matt Carpenter, Brandon Belt and Trea Turner are all great players, no question. But how did Aguilar not get selected to the team in the first place? Hello?
SABR Skeptic 