NL MVP Race should go to the wire!!!!

[rj_lucas]

Oh I hear you, believe me. Nobody knows better than Albert's fans that two of Bonds' MVP awards (2002, 2003) should have gone to Pujols.

So you'll have to forgive us if we can't accept 'he is a boring pick' as a reason not to give him the MVP

Rick
rickjlucas@gmail.com

[lakeerie92]

Oh I hear you, believe me. Nobody knows better than Albert's fans that two of Bonds' MVP awards (2002, 2003) should have gone to Pujols.

So you'll have to forgive us if we can't accept 'he is a boring pick' as a reason not to give him the MVP

Rick
rickjlucas@gmail.com

I am unbiased either way because I don't have a dog in the race. I am only making my prediction as to what will happen. I would like a Votto bat at some point and winning the MVP will only cause me to pay more so I should probably be rooting for Pujols in that sense.

[xpress34]

FINAL NUMBERS:


Cargo

BA - .336 - BATTING CHAMP
HR - 34
RBI - 117

Votto

BA - .324
HR - 37
RBI - 113

Pujols

BA - .312
HR - 42 - HOME RUN CHAMP
RBI - 118 - RBI CHAMP

Infante

BA - .321 (Qualified but couldn't keep up the pace)
HR - 8
RBI - 47

Tulowitzki (Not bad numbers for a guy who missed 40 games!)

BA - .312
HR - 28
RBI - 103

That said, I think VOTTO is MVP - Right in the pack and his team is going to the Post Season. Infante's team is going too, but his number's don't bear out MVP consideration.

[lakeerie92]

That said, I think VOTTO is MVP - Right in the pack and his team is going to the Post Season. Infante's team is going too, but his number's don't bear out MVP consideration.

I was hoping Omar could pull out the batting title, but his slump coincided with the Braves slump over the past few weeks. He definately wasn't an MVP candidate, but I am glad to see him prove to many of the nay sayers that complained about his All-Star selection wrong.

[Manram]

Not trying to start any controversy but how would votto win it over Cargo?? Cargo beat him in average, rbi's, and not to mention sb

[kellsox]

Votto led his team that was supposed to do nothing to the playoffs. Votto has less help in the lineup than Gonzalez. Its not a head to head comparison of stats- especially when they are basically identical- and most voters don't put much weight in sb's(juan pierre doesn't garner much mvp talk) . Votto put up great #s and was far more valuable to his team.

[rj_lucas]

Well, the votes have been cast so it is what it is, but if Votto wins it will only prove (yet again) that sportswriters can no longer be entrusted to preserve the integrity of the game.

People are quick to dismiss the numbers, but the numbers are facts. Everything else is subjective, which is why the 'playoff factor' is a minor consideration. A-Rod won the MVP on a last place team for crying out loud (2003).

Here are the facts. Albert Pujols led the NL in HR and RBIs, had more hits, extra base hits, and scored more runs than Joey Votto. Pujols had more walks, more intentional walks, and more total bases than Votto. Pujols had 76 strike outs, Votto 125 (!).

Votto did not lead in a single triple crown category. Can anyone name the last player to win the MVP without leading in at least one category? Has it ever happened?

Keep all these things in mind when Votto is announced as the winner, which I fully expect, and watch as baseball's long and glorious history takes another body blow.

Rick
rickjlucas@gmail.com

[rdeversole]

Seems like you have something against Votto. MVP = most valuable player. He led his team to a enormously successful winning season and into the post season. He's responsible for so many Reds wins. If you take him out of the picture, then the Reds wouldn't have achieved either. Does the MVP award actually have any formal correlation to leading in the triple crown categories? Being in the top 5 in numerous categories is usually a good thing. The rest of the candidates didn't even make the playoffs, which is a pretty good measure of success. The playoff factor would be minor, except Votto is the main reason why this was accomplished. He led the team to a division title, into the post season, and with phenomenal, balanced, and big numbers. None of the other guys in the NL did this. He was more valuable to his team than any of the other contenders. My opinion, but I see nothing wrong with Votto winning the award. He earned it.

[rj_lucas]

Seems like you have something against Votto.

I like Joey Votto. He's a great player, and (more important to me) a great guy. He gets my vote as the 2010 Cincinnati Reds MVP.

But not as the the 2010 National League MVP, for the reasons I've stated.

Rick
rickjlucas@gmail.com

[lakeerie92]

Votto did not lead in a single triple crown category. Can anyone name the last player to win the MVP without leading in at least one category? Has it ever happened?

Dustin Pedroia in 2008 was second in BA. He had 17 HR and 83 RBIs.