Top MVP candidates for 2015 NL

MLB really needs to get revamp its current "service time" rules and just start the service time clock on opening day, so teams don't have to struggle with the quandary, players can start their careers at the time they've earned, and fans can see their teams actually play the best possible team for which they are paying.

Bear with me while I try to follow.
What do you do with the guy who legitimately is not ready to begin a season?
What do you do with the guy who gets called up say midseason due to injury. Maybe he was even rushed because the team had no other choice. Example Roughned Odor of the Rangers. He was slated for AA from day one. They only brought him up after Profar's injury, and 2 different veteran pickups failed to handle the second base position.

Here is a thought I had. See what you think about this idea. Instead of making the cutoff for free agency be about how many days on the active roster make it how many spent on the 40 man roster. Then the free agent clock starts the day you place that player on 40 man roster to protect them from the rule 5 draft. Perhaps in order to get that concession the players allow one or even 2 more years of team control. Keep in mind with what I am describing Joey Gallo's clock would be ticking right now because he was sent to Frisco he is on the 40 man roster. In Bryant's case there would have been no motivation to send him to Iowa because he would still be on 40 man and the clock ticking.

Bear with me while I try to follow.
What do you do with the guy who legitimately is not ready to begin a season?
What do you do with the guy who gets called up say midseason due to injury. Maybe he was even rushed because the team had no other choice. Example Roughned Odor of the Rangers. He was slated for AA from day one. They only brought him up after Profar's injury, and 2 different veteran pickups failed to handle the second base position.

My proposal was only for the elimination of the Super 2 loophole allowing teams to bring players up weeks following opening day without affecting team control of the player; it was not a proposal for revamping all the rules on service time. This would not affect players not ready to begin a season, as the team would have kept him off the roster anyway. It also would not have altered the Odor service time situation in any way.

Here is a thought I had. See what you think about this idea. Instead of making the cutoff for free agency be about how many days on the active roster make it how many spent on the 40 man roster. Then the free agent clock starts the day you place that player on 40 man roster to protect them from the rule 5 draft.

Starting the clock when a player joins the 40 man roster would be way too soon. Many young players make the 40-man roster early in their careers before facing two or more years in the minors. So, teams would lose their players without their playing a substantial amount of major league games for them. This would be amplified even further for players who sign major league contracts out of high school or college, placing them immediately on the 40-man roster.

"Solid list, but Harper's hitting skills will have to take a major leap this year for him to make the top ten this year, much less third on the list. Rendon is definitely the Nats' best player and MVP candidate at this point with superior hitting, on-base, and base-running skills. As to Votto, he's just a shell of the hitter and player he used to be. He's gotten so hyper-selective at the plate that he's deteriorated as a run-producer. He'll need to return to older ways to make the top ten...Hanley at 8 is a reach"

As of today, Votto has a .462 obp, .688 slugging
Harper, .438 obp, .518 slugging
Hanley is top 5 in the AL in HR and RBI

Rendon...hasn't played a single game.

Firstly, TN, it's still April. It's a bit too early for satisfied gloating.

Secondly, as you noted, I did leave open the possibilities for Harper's hitting skills "to take a major leap" and for Votto to "return to older ways." As to Rendon, if you think I should have predicted his missing the first few weeks, your demands are simply too high.

Anyway, if these trends continue onto the end of the season, you will have been proven correct. You might want to save your crowing, however, for at least early June.

at this point, with the way he looks physically, I have to peg Adrian Gonzales for nl mvp. he led the the nl in rbis last year, and this team's lineup is much better from top to bottom. it's possible he is finally really feeling comfortable in LA. with kemp and hanley gone this is truly his team to lead now. if the increase in power is not an gross aberration he will be right in the voting mix, with the dodgers making another playoff run at st Louis.

My proposal was only for the elimination of the Super 2 loophole allowing teams to bring players up weeks following opening day without affecting team control of the player

But I do not think the super 2 is the real issue. Super 2 covers players who posted great first 2 years. Take that away and you are back to 3 years for everyone prior to arbitration. The only difference is teams will hold the player out long enough for them to not qualify for that first year. The real problem any solution should attempt to solve is that motivation to leave the player in minors until some cutoff point is reached.

Starting the clock when a player joins the 40 man roster would be way too soon.

Not necessarily. You could account for that year or two most players still need in the minors by increasing the number of years service time is required before they are arbitration or free agent eligible. Say instead of 3 years before arbitration eligible it becomes 5. This in effect for vast majority of players results in getting arbitration or free agent status the same as before.

But what it would do different is teams have to put a player on the 40 man before the season to protect them from the rule 5 draft. Adding say 2 years to the clock would allow teams to continue developing those players for an additional 2 years plus the 3 for active roster duty currently in use. You could even keep the super 2 by making it a super 4. The number of years could be whatever the parties agree is equivalent to current years. The motivation to leave a kid at AAA for 12 days or 2 months or whatever to start a season though would be eliminated.

But I do not think the super 2 is the real issue. Super 2 covers players who posted great first 2 years. Take that away and you are back to 3 years for everyone prior to arbitration. The only difference is teams will hold the player out long enough for them to not qualify for that first year.

Of course its not the issue; "Super 2" is just what I apparently misnamed the real loophole I was actually discussing. I was specifically addressing the loophole allowing teams to bring up players weeks following opening day without affecting team control of the player...whatever that loophole is actually called. And as I said in my last post, it was not a proposal for revamping all the rules on service time. So, it would not affect players not ready to begin a season, as the team would have kept him off the roster anyway. It also would not have altered the Odor service time situation in any way.

l.Strether wrote: Starting the clock when a player joins the 40 man roster would be way too soon.

Not necessarily. You could account for that year or two most players still need in the minors by increasing the number of years service time is required before they are arbitration or free agent eligible. Say instead of 3 years before arbitration eligible it becomes 5. This in effect for vast majority of players results in getting arbitration or free agent status the same as before.

Yes necessarily. If the clock starts when a player is put on the 40-man roster, the clock starts at that moment. If you're going to complicate the whole system by additionally altering free agent and arbitraton eligibility rules to compensate for that change, changing the starting date becomes pointless, and the system becomes radically changed and convoluted for nothing. I don't see MLB doing this, and they would be smart not to do so.

Closing out month 2 and Bryce Harper has been baseball's best player by a large margin.

Closing out month 2 and Bryce Harper has been baseball's best player by a large margin.

He has been the best player in the NL, and Shelby Miller--who just missed a no-hitter--has been the league's best pitcher.

I'll be posting my full two-month awards in June, but, as of now, the main awards would look like:

NL MVP--Bryce Harper, Nationals
NL Cy Young--Shelby Miller, Braves
NL ROTY--Kris Bryant, Cubs

AL MVP--Nelson Cruz, Mariners
AL Cy Young--Dallas Keuchel, Astros
AL ROTY--Devon Travis, Blue Jays