Top MVP candidates for 2015 NL

Ranked by probability of actually winning the award, not by who is objectively the best player. IMO of course:


1. Stanton RF Mia
2. McCutcheon Cf Pitt
3. Harper Rf Was
4. Rizzo 1b Chi
5. Posey C Sf
6. Upton Lf SD
7. Goldschmidt 1b Az
8. Tulowitzki Ss Col
9. Puig Rf LA
10 Votto 1b Cin

Ranked by probability of actually winning the award, not by who is objectively the best player. IMO of course:


1. Stanton RF Mia
2. McCutcheon Cf Pitt
3. Harper Rf Was
4. Rizzo 1b Chi
5. Posey C Sf
6. Upton Lf SD
7. Goldschmidt 1b Az
8. Tulowitzki Ss Col
9. Puig Rf LA
10 Votto 1b Cin

Don't think Kershaw will repeat huh?
BTW I don't think Harper is MVP on his team let alone the whole league

Ugh very good point Niners. I'm so biased against pitchers winning the award that I considered hitters only, but the voters don't think that way. Throwing pitchers in to the mix, I'd put Kershaw at 7th most likely to win and bump Votto off the list.

Re: Harper, Rendon could wind up being the better player per WARP, but the MVP voters are historically biased in favor of homer/rbi guys vs. players with a better mix of defense or run-scoring skills. So again, it's my prediction not of the 10 best players, but of the 10 players most likely to win the award

definitely NOT a fan, but I'd move Puig up much higher. He should be a big rbi guy now and bat more middle of the order with Kemp/Ramirez bats out of the middle. and the Dodgers will be good, so better chance of getting an MVP from a contender.

hope I'm wrong and Dodgers suck though

I love Puig but I have discounted him slightly because I think many of the voters view him as an undisciplined punk. I don't, but I think the perception is real and hurts him at the margins.

And this is a popularity contest at some level.

Here's my AL list:

1. Trout Cf Ana
2. Abreu 1b Chi
3. Brantley Lf Cle
4. Cabrera 1b Det
5. Cano 2b Sea
6. Donaldson 3b Tor
7. Jones Cf Bal
8. H.Ramirez Lf Bos
9. F.Hernandez SP Sea
10. Longoria 3b TB

Bonus: Altuve 2b Hou

1. Stanton RF Mia
2. McCutcheon Cf Pitt
3. Harper Rf Was
4. Rizzo 1b Chi
5. Posey C Sf
6. Upton Lf SD
7. Goldschmidt 1b Az
8. Tulowitzki Ss Col
9. Puig Rf LA
10 Votto 1b Cin

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.

1. Trout Cf Ana
2. Abreu 1b Chi
3. Brantley Lf Cle
4. Cabrera 1b Det
5. Cano 2b Sea
6. Donaldson 3b Tor
7. Jones Cf Bal
8. H.Ramirez Lf Bos
9. F.Hernandez SP Sea
10. Longoria 3b TB

Bonus: Altuve 2b Hou

This is another solid list, but HanRam at 8 is a reach. In his last 4 years, he has only played 100 games once, and that was only 128 last year when his offense substantially declined. Considering he already has just a career .300 OBP, I don's see dramatic improvements. Also, he has always been an inferior, disinterested defensive player, so his experience learning Fenway's left field will be an adventure at best, a disaster at worse.