Thursday, October 20, 2011

MLB AWARDS: AL PREDICTIONS

AL AWARDS


Gold Glove
P – Mark Buehrle, CWS
C – Matt Wieters, BAL
1B – Adrian Gonzalez, BOS
2B – Dustin Pedroia, BOS
SS – Alexei Ramirez, CWS
3B – Evan Longoria, TB
LF – Brett Gardner, NYY
CF – Jacoby Ellsbury, BOS
RF – David DeJesus, OAK


Rookie of the Year

8) 1B Mark Trumbo, LAA
.254/.291/.477, OPS: .768, wOBA: .327, wRC+: 105, fWAR = 2.3, rWAR = 2.1
Trumbo proved to be a solid replacement for Kendry Morales.  He played solid defense and showed great power.  However, if wants to have a spot on a future lineup, he will have to get his walk rate up.  His power, even if he is 25, was the best of the rookie class.

7) LF Desmond Jennings, TB
.259/.351/.440, OPS: .791, wOBA: .353, fWAR = 2.4, rWAR = 2.3
Jennings had an up and down season, but he cranked it up in the second half.  His speed is a weapon on defense and on the bases.  His OPS is excellent and he is on the verge of stardom.  However, he only played in just over 60 games, so it is tough to rank him higher.

6) RHP Jeremy Hellickson, TB
13-10, ERA: 2.95, xFIP: 4.72, K/BB: 1.63, fWAR = 1.4, rWAR = 4.2
Hellickson was a top prospect who did not disappoint with a sub-3 ERA.  However, he out-pitched his peripherals by a lot.  Like…a whoooole lot.  It is tough to personally rate him higher when the difference is that significant.

5) RHP Ivan Nova, NYY
16-4, ERA: 3.70, xFIP: 4.16, K/BB: 1.72, fWAR = 2.7, rWAR = 3.5
Nova out-pitched his peripherals, but not nearly as badly as Hellickson did.  The K/BB was a little better, and the fWAR was significantly better.

4) 3B Brett Lawrie, TOR
.293/.373/.580, OPS: .953, wOBA: .413, wRC+: 163, fWAR = 2.7, rWAR = 2.8
He played in 43 games.  If he had played in 100 with these numbers, he would run away with the award.  In a small sample size, it could be a fluke.  But if it isn’t, great googily boogily, that could be close to a 10 WAR season.  As a rookie.  If he is for real, he is fast-tracking to the Hall of Fame.  Which is why I say “heed the small sample size.” That said, he will probably be a monster.  Toronto robbed Milwaukee blind on this one.

3) 2B Dustin Ackley, SEA
.273/.348/.417, OPS: .765, wOBA: .340, wRC+: 117, fWAR = 2.7, rWAR = 2.5
Solid defender, steady bat with decent pop.  At age 23, he is only improving.  A good first year, and he will surely be better next season.

2) RHP Michael Pineda, SEA
9-10, ERA: 3.73, xFIP: 3.53, K/BB: 3.15, fWAR: 3.4, rWAR = 2.8
The most impressive rookie pitcher had to be Pineda.  His K/BB rate shames the other rookies, and he has done it age 22.  The other rookies look like top of the rotation guys, but Pineda is a pure ace and future All-Star on a consistent basis.

1) Winner: 1B Eric Hosmer, KC
.293/.334/.465, OPS: .799, wOBA: .342, wRC+: 114, fWAR = 1.6, rWAR = 1.3
The NLBA’s AL ROY.  The lowest WAR on the list, and yet he takes the award?  Well, the 21 year old played in 128 games, and as a result, is at or around the top of every category, even SBs.  The reason his WAR is so low is an atrocious defensive record.  Despite his high offensive numbers (he needs to improve his walk rate to become a superstar), his defense is apparently Prince Fielder bad.  He is lauded for his agility, picks at first, and size at first base…yet his UZR was enough to cost a full win.  Somehow, I haven’t seen that costly play.  This is the next all-around superstar.


Cy Young
5) James Shields, TB
16-12, ERA: 2.82, xFIP: 3.25, K/BB: 3.46, fWAR = 4.9, rWAR = 6.1
Shields had a terrible time with BABIP in 2010, but this year, the pendulum swung the other way, and Big Game James had all sorts of luck.  His BABIP was .258 this season!  That helped out the ERA quite a bit.  Better lucky than good, I include Shields to remind us all that pitchers are nothing more than pawns in the BABIP dragon’s sinister game.  Then again, the addition of a cutter may have helped.

4) Dan Haren, LAA
16-10, ERA: 3.17, xFIP: 3.29, K/BB: 5.82 fWAR = 6.4, rWAR = 4.0
One could argue that this Angel had the better season.  Fangraphs WAR certainly says so, but a .76 ERA difference on the same team leads me to the conclusion that Danny Haren was the #2.  Haren didn’t dominate hitters, but he did make them walk.  He made them walk a whole hell of a lot.  Cliff Lee type K/BB…just outstanding—and league leading.

3) Jered Weaver, LAA
18-8, ERA: 2.41, xFIP: 3.81, K/BB: 3.54, fWAR = 5.6, rWAR = 6.6
The glamour numbers are fantastic.  The BABIP was .250 even, which suggests regression next season.  However, it isn’t unusual for pitchers with Weaver’s pure stuff to generate lower BABIPs.  Weaver is an excellent pitcher, but he was not an elite K guy this season, or an elite control guy—not to mention all the peripherals indicate serious luck: low GB rate, low HR rate, high LOB %.  Obviously an amazing year, though. 

2) C.C. Sabathia, NYY
19-8, ERA: 3.00, xFIP: 3.02, K/BB: 3.77, fWAR = 7.1, rWAR = 6.9
The highest fWAR among AL pitchers, which tends to point out the flaw in fWAR, which is based entirely on peripheral stats.  Still, C.C. was phenomenal this year, and the peripherals tell me that he is basically due for another Cy Young.  The luck will go his way, the Yankees will generate the necessary offense, and it will happen.

1) Justin Verlander, DET
24-5, ERA: 2.40, xFIP: 3.12, K/B: 4.39, fWAR = 7.0, rWAR = 8.5
Wow.  I know wins are pure glamour, but…wow.  24 is special.  That ERA, aided by a .236 BABIP, is special.  Verlander dominated guys this year in a way that seemed new.  I think he may have benefited from the AL Central competition, but the results of the year are undeniable.  He may have been the most valuable player in the game.

Honorable Mentions: C.J. Wilson, Doug Fister, Josh Beckett

 


MVP

5) 2B Dustin Pedroia, BOS
.307/.387/.474, OPS: .861, wOBA: .377, wRC+: 134, fWAR = 8.0, rWAR = 6.8
Great play out of the 2B for yet another season.  Given that Ian Kinsler wasn’t far behind despite a terrible BABIP, he may overtake Pedroia next year.  And Cano is still playing.  But even in Boston’s fall-apart year, Dustin was the man this year.  Defense, hitting, total bases, he was great.

4) Curtis Granderson, NYY
.262/.364/.552, OPS: .916, wOBA: .394, wRC+: 146, fWAR = 7.0, rWAR = 5.2
Granderson was one of only two guys to top 40 HRs this season, and in the Yankees lineup, that makes you plenty productive.  119 RBI leads the league.  I’m not entirely sure why he is in CF and Gardner is in LF given the fact that Brett covers more ground, but Curtis has that going for his value.  It doesn’t hurt that he was part of a team in the playoffs, and his wins were exceptionally valuable.

3) CF Jacoby Ellsbury, BOS
.321/.376/.552, OPS: .928, wOBA: .402, wRC+: 150, fWAR = 9.4, rWAR = 7.2
Ellsbury EXPLODED this season.  Not only are his offensive numbers extraordinary (32 HRs???  DAMN!) for a man his size, but his defense was extraordinary, and he totaled bases like there was no tomorrow.  I figured he was an MVP shoe-in, but given the Boston fall-off, I can’t give the award to a Red Sox player.

2) Jose Bautista, TOR
.302/.447/.608, OPS: 1.055, wOBA: .441, wRC+: 181, fWAR = 8.3, rWAR = 8.5
Highest WAR in the AL, and I give him second place.  It is the accumulated value vs. team with value argument, and I keep letting the latter win.  Still, Joey Bats went proved the “one year wonder” talk to be wrong.  He led the league in HRs with 43, and his walk rate (20.2%) was absurd.  The next closest guy in the AL was at 15.7%, and he is next on the list.  If you are going to score runs, you have to get on base, and slug.  Joey did that the best this year.  His down-side was his defense, which kept him from being so elite I HAVE TO give him the award.

1) Winner: Miguel Cabrera, DET
.344/.448/.586, OPS: 1.034, wOBA: .436, wRC+: 177, fWAR = 7.3, rWAR = 7.1
You’ll notice the WAR is lower.  You’ll also notice the offensive numbers are better than anyone except Bautista, and that is a close race.  You’ll also note that the next closest 1B in WAR is Adrian Gonzalez—because 1B drains your WAR.  The actual production was the best season an elite player has totaled in his career.  While his defense was sub-par, like Bautista, the numbers are close enough to consider the playoff factor.  He deserves the award, and this is the season to give it to him.  The efforts of Verlander and Cabrera led this team.

Honorable Mention: SP Justin Verlander, 3B Evan Longoria, 2B Ian Kinsler, 1B Adrian Gonzalez, LF Alex Gordon

Monday, October 17, 2011

MLB AWARDS: NL PREDICTIONS

These are the awards as I see them going.  Of course, this is one fictional ballot, so…ugh.  When evaluating, I tended to go with everyone’s favorite evaluative measure: the gut.  But, I mostly looked at UZR for Gold Gloves, a combination of stats for pitchers, and mostly 2 things for MVP: (1) how much value did you give your team, and (2) what would your team have done without you?  That seems like pretty good criteria for the “most valuable” player.

NL AWARDS


Gold Glove
P – Hiroki Kuroda, LAD
C – Chris Ianetta, COL
1B – Joey Votto, CIN
2B – Brandon Phillips, CIN
SS – Troy Tulowitzki, COL
3B – Pablo Sandoval, SFG
LF – Gerardo Parra, ARI
CF – Chris Young, ARI
RF – Jason Heyward, ATL


Rookie of the Year

5) RHP Brandon Beachy, ATL
7-3, ERA: 3.68, xFIP: 3.16, K/BB: 3.67, fWAR = 2.8, rWAR = 2.0
Draft watchers have to look at the first 2 ROY guys and think “where did he come from?” Beachy just plain wasn't drafted.  Great K rate, good peripherals.  If he gets the walks down, Beachy could go from fringe #5 to potential ace.

4) RHP Vance Worley, PHI
11-3, ERA: 3.01, xFIP: 3.66, K/BB: 2.59, fWAR = 2.5, rWAR = 2.8
If there is one thing the Phillies needed, it was starting pitching—oh wait, the have 3 Cy Young contenders and Roy Oswalt.  Well, Blanton wasn’t too great, so why not throw a ROY candidate in the mix.  He pitched above his peripherals, but he progressively got better as the year went on.  Originally thought to have a #3 ceiling, he might be even more than that.

3) 2B Danny Espinosa, WSN
.236/.323/.414, OPS: .737, wOBA: .325, wRC+: 104, fWAR = 3.5, rWAR = 2.5
Solid defense, a great approach at the plate, and some definite power make Espinosa a great player—not in the future—right now.  I think an easy comp is Kelly Johnson, but he is showing advanced ability at a young age.  I doubt his batting average ever takes off, but with that walk rate and power, I don’t think it needs to.  Fun fact: led the league in HBP.

2) 1B Freddie Freeman, ATL
.282/.346/.448, OPS: .794, wOBA: .345, wRC+: 118, fWAR = 1.0, rWAR = 1.1
The defensive numbers and positional value drag down his WAR, but there is little doubt that Freeman is the real deal—not to mention that his defense isn’t that bad at all.  UZR has some work to do on first basemen.  Freeman was supposed to be good, but his power was surprising.  21 HRs is a great sign for the future.

1) Winner: RHP Craig Kimbrel, ATL
4-3, 46 SVs, ERA: 2.10, xFIP: 1.94, K/BB: 3.97, fWAR = 3.2, rWAR = 3.0
Closers tend to be overvalued.  Not this time.  These K numbers are off-the-charts insane.  If he decreased his walk rate, he will be the best in the game.  Today’s game is one of high K relievers, and considering age and stuff, Kimbrel is the best young reliever today.


Cy Young
5) LHP Cole Hamels, PHI
14-9, ERA: 2.79, xFIP: 3.02, K/BB: 4.41, fWAR = 4.9, rWAR = 5.4
Great year for the ace/#3 starter.  Was unlikely with fly balls and his HR ratio, and still was fantastic.  Cain didn’t have his K rate, Garza  didn’t have his control, and neither quite got his results.

4) Ian Kennedy, ARI
21-4, ERA: 2.88, xFIP: 3.50, K/BB: 3.60, fWAR = 5.0, rWAR = 5.5
It is the old school part of me that loves his actual results, and that is how I tend to feel about pitchers.  Sure, next season he may not be as good—and yes, his defensive helped him out much more than the average defense—but the award for best pitcher does well to include sometimes include a team defensive performance.  Now, if his xFIP was 4, that is different.  But it wasn’t all luck.  I know wins are a terrible measure, but 21-4?  Damn.  Even if the year was lucky, he deserves to be mentioned THIS YEAR.

3) Cliff Lee, PHI
17-8, ERA: 2.40, xFIP: 2.60, K/BB: 5.67, fWAR = 6.7, rWAR = 6.8
Phenomenal numbers, amazing season, and if you had him #1, I wouldn’t blame you.  One of the best in the game with a great year.  Every stat was there, and even in his older age, he was the K man on the best rotation evah. 

2) Clayton Kershaw, LAD
21-5, ERA: 2.28, xFIP: 2.84, K/BB: 4.59, fWAR = 6.8, rWAR = 6.9
If I were to go with Kershaw, the irony of selecting new blood is that Kershaw will only get better.  Still, the one thing I don’t like about him is his walk rate.  However, his WHIP is 0.98.  That would be the best among starters.  The higher Ks plus low WHIP, plus winning the other categories is pretty tough to decline, but Halladay is sick man.

1) Winner: Roy Halladay, PHI
19-6, ERA: 2.35, xFIP: 2.71, K/BB: 6.29, fWAR = 8.2, rWAR = 7.4
A part of me wants Kershaw to win.  Perhaps I am punishing Halladay for being too good.  Or maybe the kid who grew up without sabermetrics can’t get away from the higher win total, the ERA, and the strikeouts.  Either way, Halladay is consistently amazing every season, and I can see him taking this.  The WAR and K/BB pretty much proves it. 

Honorable Mentions: Matt Garza, Matt Cain, Zack Greinke, Chris Carpenter, Madison Bumgartner, Daniel Hudson, Tim Lincecum

 


MVP

5) 1B Joey Votto, CIN
.309/.416/.531, OPS = .947, wOBA = .403, wRC+ = 155, fWAR = 6.9, rWAR = 6.5
The reigning MVP gets a nod on the list with another outstanding year--in fact, as he earned his defensive stripes, his WAR went UP!  His WAR was the 3rd highest among hitters in the NL, and if there is any reason to believe Cincinnati has a shot to contend next season, it is the situation of the 3 awesome first baseman of the NL Central.  Pujols = FA.  Fielder = FA.  Votto = Under control.  Also, peripheral stats look good for a team rebound.

4) 1B Prince Fielder, MIL
.299/.415/.566, OPS = .981, wOBA = .408, wRC+ = 162, fWAR = 5.5, rWAR = 5.2
Prince has some amazing offensive numbers, but he is kind of a chunker in the field.  His offensive contribution is undeniable, and he did it for one of the best NL teams.

3) RF Justin Upton, ARI
.289/.369/.529, OPS = .898, wOBA = .385, wRC+  = 140, fWAR = 6.4, rWAR = 4.1
Great defense, the heart of a playoff offense…truly the most valuable player to the D-backs, and I think he may have truly been worth more to his team than WAR indicates.  He is a budding, young superstar, and he will likely be among the top 5 in MVP voting many times.  Bball-ref has his defense as poor...and, like Fangraphs, I have to disagree.

2) CF Matt Kemp, LAD
.324/.399/.586, OPS = .986, wOBA = .419, wRC+ = 171, fWAR = 8.7, rWAR = 10.0
Highest WAR in the NL and the most productive player.  This comes down to positional value, and the “what would the team be without his performance?” In CF, he gets a WAR boost that, let’s say, a LF or 1B, would not get.  If he played plus CF…that might be one thing—but I can’t give him a bonus for defense that WAR automatically gives.  It is notable that BB-Ref loves his defense and UZR dislikes it.  As it stands, his offensive contribution is nearly the equal of #1 with just a tougher position.  If the Dodgers were even competitive, I would go with Kemp.  But with him, they are still a non-contender.  Still, I can hardly argue with it if he is given the award.  He had a terrific season and led the league in total bases.
1) Winner: LF Ryan Braun, MIL
.332/.397/.597, OPS = .994, wOBA = .433, wRC+ = 179, fWAR = 7.8, rWAR = 7.7
Braun is a sub-par defender at the easiest OF position--though BB-Ref likes him (surprise, surpise).  Then again, he rakes like some sort of monster sent from space to hit all baseballs.  His offensive output was the best in the NL, and without him, I don’t think the Brewers make the playoffs.  If he isn’t on the team, who plays LF?  Gomez?  Or Gomez in CF and T-Plush in LF?  I think a 6 WAR drop-off is a legitimate possibility.  Without Braun, the Brewers might make the playoffs, but I sincerely doubt it.

Honorable Mention: Any one of the big 3 for St. Louis.  Any one of Pujols, Berkman, and Holliday not swinging like they did, and that team is not the same.  It is tough to call any single one of them even the TEAM MVP.  A impressive balance.

A.L. tomorrow...