How great is Yoenis Cespedes? Let the players decide!

By foxsports
Published

I have to admit that I'm a little surprised that Yoenis Cespedes, MVP Candidate has become a thing. Although I suppose this might be one of those "deserves to be in the conversation" things rather than one of those "hey this guy actually deserves to win" things.

Anyway, my friend Matt Kory wrote about all this and here's his big finish:

At one point, it made a lot of sense to have separate awards for both leagues. Back then, the leagues were distinctly different in various ways, plus everybody within the league played the same schedule. Mickey Mantle didn't have to face Yankee pitching, but otherwise Mantle vs. Jackie Jensen was essentially a fair fight.

Today, with unbalanced schedules and interleague games, there aren't any fair fights. Not completely fair, anyway. Unless you're fighting somebody on your own team. Which you shouldn't do because chemistry.

But these are the awards we have. It says right there on the plaque, MOST VALUABLE PLAYER NATIONAL LEAGUE, which would seem to suggest that what you did in the American League really doesn't matter. Not for this one.

Voters were put to the test seven years ago, when Manny Ramirez crushed National League pitching for a couple of months. But as great as he was, Ramirez finished fourth in the MVP balloting. Now, I would argue that he shouldn't have finished nearly that high. You know, considering his "fielding" and considering that Hanley Ramirez and Chase Utley and Chipper Jones and various others were in the league all season and also played brilliantly.

But it's clear that the voters wanted to acknowledge Ramirez's contribution, even while not a single voter thought he was THE most valuable player, since he didn't garner any first-place votes.

One thing that's different this season: Cespedes's team is going to the playoffs and Bryce Harper's team isn't. Back in 2008, Ramirez's team finished in first place. Albert Pujols, who actually won the award, did not play for a first-place team or even a playoff team. But Pujols' Cardinals did finish with a better record than Ramirez's Dodgers. Which might have meant something to some of the voters. Ryan Howard's first-place team certainly meant something to the voters, as he finished right behind Pujols despite a WAR that wasn't among the league's top 15.

Are the awards structured perfectly? Of course not. But they're not going anywhere. The awards are immensely valuable to the Baseball Writers' Association of America, and they're immensely valuable to the players and their agents.

Also, there's an award for the best player. Since 1998, the Players Association has been giving out league-specific awards and an overall Player of the Year award. And of course they've made a hash of it, showing even less analytical acumen than the writers. But it's there. 

Hey, doesn't everyone always want to be judged by their peers?