Monday, Nov 17:
NL Most Valuable Player – Manny Ramirez, Los Angeles Dodgers
For the longest time, there has been a debate over what type of player should win baseball’s MVP award. Some believe that the term “most valuable player” means a player that is the most valuable to his team and its success. By that measure, Manny Ramirez should be the NL MVP because without him, the Los Angeles Dodgers likely wouldn’t have made the playoffs.
The other side of the debate is that the most valuable player refers to the league’s best player. In that case, Ryan Howard should be the NL MVP. Despite a low batting average (.251) and high strikeout total (199), Howard led the majors in both homeruns (48) and runs batted in (146).
With two very different explanations of the MVP award, which one is the more accurate one? According to Baseball-Reference.com, the MVP “is given to a player in each league who has contributed the most to the success of the player's team.”
In 53 games with LA, Ramirez batted .396 with 17 homeruns and 53 runs batted in. In eight playoff games, he batted .520 with four homeruns and 10 runs batted in. Though postseason stats aren't accounted for in the MVP voting, these numbers are still worth noting since they further drive home Ramirez's importance to the Dodgers' playoff run. Needless to say, the Dodgers owe a big chunk of their success this season to Ramirez, which, by the terms discussed earlier, makes him the rightful owner of the NL MVP award.
Runner-up: Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies
Tuesday, Nov 18:
AL Most Valuable Player – Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox
In keeping with the terminology that Baseball-Reference.com used to describe baseball’s MVP award, Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia seems to be the logical choice for AL MVP. The 5-foot-9-inch, 25-year-old from Woodland, Calif. was second in the American League in batting average (.326), behind only Joe Mauer’s .328 with the Minnesota Twins. As impressive as this is, Pedroia’s batting average won’t be the reason why he’s voted AL MVP.
Pedroia is credited by many as the player that kept Boston’s offense intact during rough injury periods, which included perennial MVP candidate David Ortiz, and the eventual trade of Manny Ramirez to Los Angeles. After that trade, Pedroia was shifted to various spots in Terry Francona’s lineup, including batting behind Ortiz, which was occupied by Ramirez for many seasons.
Numbers alone don’t give Pedroia the AL MVP. What gives him the MVP, however, is how valuable he was to Francona, his team and Red Sox Nation.
