Which player would have the best 2011 card?

[supertyphoon]

Reading Joe Posnanski's blog today, and he mentioned this year's MVP race in the context of which player would have the best Strat-O-Matic card or the first one taken in a draft to build a team around:

[quote:6fc4ba4d98]Anyway, Tom (Verducci) has a little different take on the MVP. His feeling is that if you put everyone from 2011 into a draft, the No. 1 player selected should be the MVP. Now, we're talking about a real draft here -- not a fantasy league draft. I suspect many readers here have played Strat-o-Matic or APBA baseball or something like that. So imagine every season from 2011 was available in card form. But include all you want -- leadership, hustle, whatever qualities you want. You can't game the system -- can't start Justin Verlander more times than he started, can't put just Jose Bautista in center field, can't do any of that stuff. You only have their 2011 season. Who would you take first in the draft? Who would you build your team around.

This doesn't necessarily make the choice any easier, but it does give the choice a lot more context. For instance, Curtis Granderson leads the American League in runs scored and RBIs. He's having a fabulous year. BUT … if you took him first in the draft, could you count on him to lead the league in runs and RBIs for YOUR team with YOUR lineup around him? His on-base percentage is eighty points behind Bautista. His slugging percentage is almost 50 points behind. Would you take Granderson ahead of Bautista? I'm not saying that's the wrong answer. Maybe because of defense you would. Maybe you think Granderson would hold up under pressure better. Maybe you think Bautista's on-base percentage would drop since he has been intentionally walked a league-leading 24 times and that wouldn't happen with your team.[/quote:6fc4ba4d98]

So, now that the season's (nearly) over, which player will have the most-sought after SOM card next year?

[visick]

If Kemp gets the 1 in CF, gotta be him...

visick

[keyzick]

Kemp and Ellsbury in a dead heat...Ellsbury certain to get a 1 in CF this year

[artie4121]

Talk about a turnaround. Jeez. Ellsbury is 500k this year. Has to be a record.

Any other turnarounds as dramatic as his card probably will be?

Artie

[thisisdan26]

[quote:ac895b3f4c="Artie412"]Talk about a turnaround. Jeez. Ellsbury is 500k this year. Has to be a record.

Any other turnarounds as dramatic as his card probably will be?

Artie[/quote:ac895b3f4c]

And i traded him for pretty much nothing last year... :evil:

[Mr Baseball World]

I fortunately hung on to Ellsbury in the one keeper that I have him :D .........gave Beckett away though :x .

[george barnard]

You can be assured that Aubrey Huff will be in the price elevator going in the opposite direction of Ellsbury (and that 4 in the OF last year has got to be a 5 this year).

And we won't even mention Dunn....

[Knerrpool]

I was just thinking it had to be Ellsbury because of his speed, especially in this new era of less long balls. Then I realized that Kemp had [i:bc2a3c72f9]more [/i:bc2a3c72f9]stolen bases!! Wow. Plus, Kemp has a much better L/R balance.

[chasenally]

This thread makes me so happy with the second overall pick that I made in the league I just signed up for. :D

[SteadyEddie33]

[quote:ff1a352e83="george barnard"]You can be assured that Aubrey Huff will be in the price elevator going in the opposite direction of Ellsbury (and that 4 in the OF last year has got to be a 5 this year).

And we won't even mention Dunn....[/quote:ff1a352e83]

LOL, seriously... Aubrey Huff has been on the alternating year plan for how long now?