The 2008 National League MVP of the MLB
Here is my take on the MVP award for the 2008 season. Compare it to yours.
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It always a debate every year over the Most Valuable Player Award. Aside from people voting for a player on their favorite team, you have confusion as to what this award means.
To me the MVP is not just the player who had the best year. There should be a significant impact felt by the team due to this player’s production. So below I have the prime candidates that I would consider.
It should also be noted that I do not believe a pitcher should get this award. So while their is no doubt a pitcher can have a vital influence on the team winning or losing they do not appear in enough games. If you are going to count a pitcher than you can’t discount someone like Alfonso Soriano who had a great year and helped the Chicago Cubs to one of their best seasons ever. But he was limited to 109 games this year and as a result the Cubs had to rely on other players just as much as they needed Soriano when he was in the line up. Other than Soriano the Cubs got equal value from guys liek Derek Lee, Jim Edmonds and Aramis Ramirez. And the pitching staff was stellar.
Consider the impact that C.C Sabathia had on the Milwaukee Brewers. It was huge. He was traded to the Brewers from Cleveland in early July. His pitching stats since coming to the Brewers is remarkable. His wins were enormous especially over the final 2 weeks of the season. In the end though they needed a lot more contribution than that to sneak into the playoffs. But if you are one that thinks pitchers can be MVP’s then Sabathia should be up near the top. The Brewers stumbled in September but won in the games that Sabathia pitched. In fact he accomplished a rare feet of winning 3 games pitching on only 3 days rest. Most of the time doing this once is unsuccessful and he did it 3 times in a row. You need to add the fact that this helped Milwaukee get into the playoffs as the Wild Card team.
Brad Lidge, the closer for Philadelphia would also get some love if you are going to include pitchers. Now with a closer it is even more specialized than a starter. But when you consider that the Phillies had 70+ wins when leading after 8 innings and Lidge had 41 of those wins chalked up as saves you have to say wow. Then add the fact that Lidge has 0 blown saves for the entire year. Then add the fact that the Phillies won the NL East.
But here are my leading candidates for the National League MVP of 2008:
Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies, NL East Champions
- SPLITS G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG OPS
- Season 162 610 105 153 26 4 48 146 81 199 1 1 .251 .339 .543 .881
Albert Pujols, St Louis Cardinals
- Season 148 524 100 187 44 0 37 116 104 54 7 3 .357 .462 .653 1.114
Carlos Delgado, New York Mets
- Season 159 598 96 162 32 1 38 115 72 124 1 1 .271 .353 .518 .871
Hanley Ramirez, Florida Marlins
- Season 153 589 125 177 34 4 33 67 92 122 35 12 .301 .400 .540 .940
Manny Ramirez, Los Angeles Dodgers, NL West Champions
- Season 153 552 102 183 36 1 37 121 87 124 3 0 .332 .430 .601 1.031
Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers, Wild Card in Playoffs
- Season 151 611 92 174 39 7 37 106 42 129 14 4 .285 .335 .553 .888
#1 Ryan Howard
Howard carried this team as a whole. Yes the Phillies had siginificant contributions for Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino and even Jayson Werth in the second half. But Howard was the catalyst all year. This despite his struggles with hitting for a high average and striking out 199 times. Ryan Howard hits when it is important. And in the end that is where value should be measured. Now if he hit the same .251 and hit porrly with men in scoring position and had more moderate Home Run and RBI numbers then you could say he doesn’t belong. The fact is when it counted he was as clutch as any one has ever been. Casey Stengel the great Yankee manager used to say “give me a guy who hits .250 when the bases are empty but hits when people are on base”. Ryan Howard was the biggest reason why the Phillies stayed in the hunt and won the NL EAST. The September outburst was the icing on the cake. He hit over .350 with 11 Home Runs and 32 RBI’s just in September! Just look at their pitching numbers as a staff. It is quality from starters to relievers but take out Howard and you have a .500 ball club at best. And he played all 162 games!
#2 Manny Ramirez
But he only played half a season in LA. True but irrelevant in this case. His season is right there for an MVP candidate. Plus prior to coming to LA, he was crucial to helping the Red Sox remain a power in the AL. But the impact he had coming to LA is unprecedented. The Dodgers were sputtering through the year and were only an honorable mention as to their chances of post season. Manny put them over the top. No Manny , no playoffs for the Dodgers. And if he had been there all season? Well come on, use your common sense. Take his first half in Boston and put it in LA. The Dodgers would have clinched their Division by Labor Day.
#3 Albert Pujols
Albert is the man. He won the batting title this season and had another monster year. He didn’t play as many games as Howard though. And he did not effect his team the way Howard or Manny Ramirez did. You certainly can’t blame Albert for the Cardinals fading down the stretch but I do not see he was a valuable to his team when it was all said and done. But I can’t ignore or imagine what St Louis would have been without him.
So at this point I would like to say this is my order but I would have no problem with any of the 3 above winning the National League MVP. The following players I do not think had the impact of the above 3.
#4 Ryan Braun
Well the fact he is somewhat unknown gives him the same problem Matt Holliday had last year when he was considered for his contribution to the Rockies World Series run. But Milwaukee rode this horse all year. Other than the help of C C Sabathia’s pitching, Braun was the go to guy of this team. And his numbers are pretty darn good. This guy was smooth and consistent all year.
#5 Carlos Delgado
Okay he started out a little slow. But so did Ryan Howard. But with all the ups and downs the New York Mets experienced this year they wouldn’t have even flirted with the NL East Division and the Playoffs if not for Delgado. Yes they failed but not because of Carlos. Although unlike Howard who raised his game in September Delgado failed to come up clutch over the last weekend. In game 161 for example the Mets only scored 2 runs in a must win game against Florida. Delgado was invisible like the rest of the Mets were.
#6 Hanley Ramirez
The Florida Marlins quietly put up a big year. Ramirez was the main reason for that. Remember to he is a shortstop so the numbers have to be considered from that standpoint. He had the Marlins play out their hearts until the last out even though they fell short of a post season opportunity.
38 Comments
Hey, Andy, nice breakdown. I tend to think that the MVP is the best player. I know that is a big debate. I prefer this designation because if we say the MVP is the player who most enabled his team to win, or even carried his team to the playoffs, the number of candidates would me many more than the 6-7 you listed. You make a great case for each one, and we could add dozens more. In this light, I have to take Pujols: he brought it all season long, not just during the second half (Manny) or stretch run (Howard).
I am not taking anything away from Howard. He is clutch in September and a true power hitter. I happen to be of the opinion that the MVP should be from a playoff team. The Hank Aaron award is for the best hitter. That being said, the one thing the voters tend not to take into consideration is fielding. In 2006 Howard(313-58-149, 181 K’s) beat out Pujols(331-40-137 only 50 K’s). Close stats and Pujols won the Gold Glove. This year I feel Ryan Braun should get serious consideration but unfortunately Howard’s 48 HR’s 146 RBI will get more votes even with 19 errors at first base and the fact that Braun was errorless the whole season in Left.
BTW Andy. Love the picture of Hunter in a Twins uni. I’m a big Twins fan. Have been since the days of Kirby, Hrbek, Brunansky, etc. 1991 best WS of all time.
Andy, your analysis is weak and you’ve even got several things wrong. Pujols did not win the NL batting title - Chipper Jones did. Also, Manny’s performance in approximately 60 games for LA is not unprecedented. Berkman, Pujols, and Chipper all had a 60 game stretch this season where they put up better numbers than what Manny did in LA. Also, you say Howard was there for his team all year. Okay, sure if you mean he played every game but in April, June, and August he was terrible or very near it. It’s a 162 game season and games in April count the same in the standings as games in September. If it weren’t for Chase Utley having an amazing first half Ryan Howard’s huge September would not have mattered. Pujols is the true MVP this year. The definition of the word valuable says nothing about being in the playoffs and he cannot be faulted for the team around him not being good enough to win 5 more games and get them to the wild card.
i think that the MVP for this years is albert pujol follow by R howard.
My bad on the batting title I forgot Chipper won.
As I stated I am fine with Pujols as MVP. But Howard meant more to his team despite a slow start.
And you are wrong about Howard. Yes his average was lame especially early on. But look again at the stats. HE had 5 HR’s 12 RBI’s in April. 10 HR’s and 30 RBI’s in MAY, 5 HR’s and 26 RBI’s in June! He had 84 RBI’s and 28 HR’s before the All-Star break!
Utley and Burrell started out red hot but that doesn’t discount Howard’s production even a little bit.
And you didn’t read my Manny comments close enough. I was counting his 60 days with the Dodgers and his contribution to the Red Sox who he also helped stay near the top and was missed in the Playoffs. He was the Most valuable to both teams during his stay with either team.
That blows Berkman,and Chipper and Hamilton for that matter out of the water.
1) If Casey Stengal were alive he probably would choose Pujols because he hits when the bases are empty and when there are people on.
2) Giving someone with .251 batting average and 199 strikeouts the MVP award when you have someone with Pujols stats would be an embarrassment to the game. Plus his fielding sucks while Pujols’ fielding is gold glove caliber.
3) If you give it to Howard then you give it to Utley and Burrell because they set up the Phillies in the 1st half. This award is for a whole season.
4) Your argument seems to support that Pujols should have gotten the award in 2006. St. Louis made the post season because of Pujols and the Phillies didn’t.
5) “There should be a significant impact felt by the team due to this player’s production”…If that’s the case and since Howard’s impact was really towards the end of the season then you give it to Manny cause his impact was greater towards the end of the season.
Okay you obviously didn’t read the article or my comments.
If you think Howard’s contribution was only in September than you haven’t looked at the stats. Which I provided in my comments.
And MVP is not just stats anyhow.
AND PEOPLE I HAVE ALREADY SAID PUJOLS IS DESERVING! I would just give Howard the nod.
AND FOR THE MILLIONTH TIME MANNY IS NOT ON MY LIST JUST FOR HIS DODGER IMPACT. HE HAD A GREAT YEAR PERIOD TO HELP BOTH TEAMS!
Without a doubt, Albert Pujols MVP
Great points all the way around. However, the icing on the cake is that Howard helped his team reach the postseason and ultimately the Phillies did win the World Series for 2008. Hands down Howard is the MVP. Nuff said.
How can it NOT be Howard…even when he was in a funk, he kept his head in the entire game and always was there greeting his team mates when they pushed them( the team) over the top. Power hitting; RBIs’ and homers, how about his humility and determination. A bonafide team player and the fact that he made pitchers pitch their best stuff.
I never saw AP (St. Louis) or CD (Mets) bring their team mates together or through a funk like this young player. Just think, he may have chance of having 250 homers before 2009.
LC
“I never saw AP(St.Louis) or CD(Mets)bring their team mates together or through a funk like this young player. Just think, he may have chance of having 250 homers before 2009.”
-Obviously you weren’t paying attention then. Albert is basically a second hitting coach for the Cardinals. Ask any player on the Cardinal’s how Albert has helped them with their hitting approach and you’ll get a enthusiastic response. Watch this guy on the bench. He’s alway the first to high five one of his teamates after a big play. This guy is the ULTIMATE team player. His work ethic is unmatched (watch him before the game). He leads by example. It’s amazing how he carried this team to 86 wins through a rebuilding year! He didn’t have a Rollins and Utley around him. Take Albert out of the lineup in St. Louis and you’ll see a much bigger difference than if you take Howard out of Philly. Pujols is better in all areas of the game except for HR’s. He hits when runners are on AND when runners are not on. The only problem for Albert is that he does it every year so it’s not that big of a deal to the voters. Here’s what sets Pujols apart from Howard: Howard does a couple of things well… Pujols does EVERYTHING well. He has the highest slugging percentage the last five years. He has the most total bases, the most extra base hits, the most times on base. He’s doing the same this year! His consistant dominance is what could hurt him in the MVP race. The way I see it, Pujols is the MVP… hands down.
I have to say, Pujols great all season, but I think the MVP should definitely go to any player who takes their team to the postseason. I didn’t agree with it when A-Rod won with the Rangers, and I didn’t agree with it when Howard did in 2006; although he almost hit 60 HRs like A-Rod led in 2003. I think Utley should get the MVP, because he was overall the best player and most important player on the Phillies in 2008.
Love Chase Utley but he clearly struggled in the second half. But no one doubts his contribution here in Philly.
Post Season? MVP? Did Bonds make the playoffs when he won the MVP? Pujols was and is the MVP for the Cardinals!!! As some of you say he does everything great. Look at strike outs Howard has 4 to 1 more strike outs. DOes he get lucky or does he have a whole in his bat. This was a rebuilding season for the Cardinals and they had 86 wins, without pujols maybe 60, and yes his defense is gold glove potential. Getting to the playoffs is a team goal not for and individual to do by himself. I live in St louis and pujols is hands down consistantly great and that should not hurt his chances. Who would you want on your team. Thanks for letting voice my opinion
If you look at the stats again… If Howard batted .251 over all, and was better with runners on, then he couldn’t have come close to .250 with no one on.
Also, you can’t consider Manny’s stats in Boston because that was in the AL.
I can consider Manny’s stats from Boston because it shows his contribution and value as a player. It shows his numbers in LA were not just a half season.
Howard’s numbers with men on were better just look it up. How do you think he got 146 RBI’S?
Pujols or Howard on my team? I’d take either.
For the millionth time Pujols is deserving of MVP I would just vote for Howard first. But then again I see Howard on a daily basis.
I believe Pujols should win the most valuable player. If you take Pujols off the Cardinals and take Howard off the Phillies and put Pujols on Philly and Howard on STL you’d see how much Pujols means to the Cardinals. Pujols was playing hurt the whole year and played constant. He could have sat out and gotten surgery and screwed his team over but no, he’s a team player who loves America’s past time and played his heart out all year. If Sir Albert was healthy those numbers would be even better, hard to believe with his incredible stats and gold glove play at first. Not taking anything away from Howard he had a great year and I like howard he’s from St. Louis, but i believe that you can’t just hit for power and win the most valuable player. He had a team around him in Utley, Burrell, Victorino, and Jimmy Rollins. Pujols yes had Ryan Ludwick who should be considered for this award but that’s just one player. By most sports writers who called off the Cardinals for winning a game in the 2006 playoffs also thought we’d finish dead last in the Central. Pujols brought us up on his shoulders and carried us all year long. Pujols should win the M.V.P. for what it’s really worth.
howard or lidge
here to rip you retards one more time PUJOLS is the greatest hitter in the last few years, the guys rookie year he hit well over .300 batted in 115 rbi…….. over 400 obp over 100 walks….. the guy never had more than 100K in a year and his walks always account for more than his strikeouts.Howard had a good fall but thats about it….. let me share a secret with ya…….. Ortiz and Howard’s right fields in their home parks aren’t even 320 in Boston and Philly has to be 330 at most. any fat guy with power can pull a ball to that side. why do you think teams shift? you think they shift cause it looks cool…. hey look at us we want to shift to look cool…. you idiots they cant hit opposite. Alex Rodriguez hits over 40% of his homers to opposite field…. now thats power. power in baseball is in the swings chemistry not how hard and dumb you look when you swing for the stars. its called “level swing” for a reason. watch Howard the next time he swings for stars. A’rod and pujols swing Level. you guys argue retarded facts like RBI’s….. you know how an RBI occurs? your teammate gets on base and you drive them in. nobody on the cardinals even reach base. with the phillies lineup if you’re a power hitting 1st baseman that doesn’t hit 100 rbi’s than theres a problem.
hey LANCE C im talkin to you asschode….. howards always in a hitting funk. you are the same idiot that said and i quote” bring their teammates together”. In philly it runs itself you retard. You think howard could be in the world series with victorino all over the field, without lidge’s perfect season, without rollins stellar play at short, the additional power of burrell and utley? i sure don’t! and neither does anyone with a half brain. i was only naming some of philly’s great attributes. look at what happened to dave ortiz when manny left. you didnt hear about him. WHY was that? maybe its because it makes him a lesser threat. now instead of two monsters theres one. pitchers aren’t scared to pitch when nobody else is a threat. if we gave Howard the mvp with these pujols numbers so stellar than thats bad for the sport bottom line……… now with that said why would u give a guy who has 4 times the strikouts and hitts under 100 points lower in average and has a below average glove the MVP? and remember playoffs dont matter cuz howard in 06′ won without making the playoffs. tell me than LANCE C……… why? now every1 take a minute and really laugh at lance cause he doesn’t know baseball
Okay 410 ‘tard when you pull yourself out of Pujols butt and take your hand off his stick than maybe you will calm down. Howard has hit just as many opposite field homers than anyone.
And by the way your A-Rod to right field argument is an argument against yourself you idiot. Yankee stadium has the notorious right field short porch.
And again no one is going to complain if Pujols is MVP you jack off. But let’s stop with the Babe Ruth like comparison’s. He also gets hurt a lot which hurts his team.
And strike outs are an over used stat. Yes making contact is always better but in the end an out is an out. Hitting into double plays is 10x worse.
andy-n? look douche i’m pissed because people ARE complaining about his probable mvp victory. strikeouts are a great stat actually, And I’m glad to see lincecum get his first nl cy young……. maybe cause he struck out 265 batters>? Oh thats right strikeouts are overrated i forgot.. he was still 18-5, but b-webb had way more wins, it was the strikeouts, andy-k. so i just want to say that strikeouts do matter, it means your over-aggressive, or you try to make up for a bad eye.I agree about the double play thing. And i agree that yankees stadium is good for the righty.And your argument against his injuries is against…….. andy n hahahahahaha even when the guys hurt(he was this year retard look it up) he still produces over 100 rbi and a .300 avg. Andy you made two great points…… and two terrible ones too. i’m not a stubborn critic andy, i’m just saying you can’t argue his year or any of his other ones for that matter. and you aren’t but others are i’m just letting em know how great this guy is.
especially agree with ya andy on the double play thing…. i talk good on a-rod but he grounds into as many or more dp’s than anyone. but don’t be sour andy admit whats right, every good critic does. and if your not a critic wtf are you doing on here>? don’t just pull for howard cuz “i see him everyday” i see brian roberts from the o’s everyday and i’m not jocking him, even though he’s one of the most under rated leadoff men, yeah the orioles blow! I know. but hes a stellar guy that the cubs wanted to pay good $ for. my point is look at the big picture You philly fans can’t admit pujols is a far better player.
410 tard shut the hell up, we understand! I admit, pujols should win mvp but calm down already. Good call about howards strikouts but pujols grounds into double plays as much and an outs an out. But i agree Howard K’s up way to much. You can’t give a guy MVP that hit 250
Again I am fine with AL for King of the NL. And actually it is true even hurt he played 148 games.
You are still wrong about strikeouts. Look I played Double A ball so I understand the game. I said it is an over used stat. Of course it is important not to strike out but it is not the worst thing you can do as a hitter.
As a hitter contact means you improve the chance of getting a hit,potential error or advancing a hitter. It also means you can hit into DP. Howard’s RBI’s show that he didn’t hurt his team with his strikeouts.
As a pitcher strikeouts are huge because you lessen the possibility of a runner advancing. Also avoid hit or potential error. However a sign of a good pitcher is not just the K’s it is the Strikeouts to walk ratio. And ERA.
Webb 183 K’s 65 Walks 3.30 ERA (83 ER’s)
Lincecum 265 K’s 85 Walks 2.62 ERA (66 ER’s)= Cy Young
Oh and my sympathy for having to watch the Orioles!LOL
points taken and i know them orioles are terrible…………
251 AVERAGE, CLOSE TO 200 STRIKEOUTS- BASEBALL IS A TEAM SPORT, ONE GUY CAN’T TAKE ANYONE TO THE POST SEASON. PLAYOFF CONTENDERS MAY GET NOTICED MORE BECAUSE THE TEAM IS BEING WATCHED MORE BUT MVP. IF YOU ASKED EVERY MANAGER IN BASEBALL WHAT ONE PLAYER THEY WOULD RATHER HAVE ON THEIR TEAM- PUJOLS OR HOWARD (LOVE THEM BOTH- SINCE THEY ARE BOTH FROM ST LOUIS)THE ANSWER WOULD OVERWHELMINGLY BE …… PUJOLS. HE HAS GOTTEN CHEATES TOO MANY TIMES TO COUNT. MVP SHOULD BE ALL AROUND NOT ONE AREA- HR’S. PUJOLS HAS IT ALL, FIELDING, RBI’S, AVERAGE, HR, ON BASE PERCENTAGE. THIS GUY IS A FUTURE HALL OF FAMER AND SHOULD GET THE RESPECT HE HAS EARNED. 2008 (SHOULD HAVE WON 2006 TOO) MVP!!!!!
I KNOW YOU ARE GOING TO COME BACK WITH, “I’M FINE WITH THAT”, BUT FINE WITH THAT ISN’T GOOD ENOUGH. IF YOU ARE ANYWHERE CLOSE TO PROFESSIONAL THAN OPEN YOUR EYES AND CHANGE #1 TO ALBERT PUJOLS. I GIVE NO DISRESPECT TO HOWARD BUT WITH NUMBERS LIKE 251 AVERAGE AND 199 STRIKEOUTS- HE SHOULDN’T EVEN BE IN THE TOP 5.
No I am professionally voting on Value to team. MVP of their team! If you asked me who is he best player in the league is I would say Pujols. Frankly A-Rod is the best player in baseball but so what.
The stats are an indicator of course but there is more and if you played the game you would see the other tangibles. No question Pujols is the MVP of his team so thus he should be a candidate for MVP of the NL. But my vote is that Howard was more important to HIS team. His teammates and his coach agree and so will many voters.
If you asked Charlie Manuel to choose, he would choose Howard end of story.
And there are other managers that would agree depending on their team.
And voting an MVP is not even remotely suggesting that 1 player made all the difference in the world. That is why it is the MOST valuable player not THE ONLY valuable player.
dont matter pujols is the man he won shut up
Congrats to AL!
And Todd of the 410th power I already conceded that being from Philly gave me more exposure to Howard. Which by the way voters lean toward who they see more. Of course stats are important I said they are not the only thing you consider. Geez if stats were the only thing that matter than A-Rod would have about 10 MVP AWARDS. You have to consider the player in relation to his team.
So your point about inserting some flunky in ST Louis is more valid and I agree but in my opinion Howard was more important to the Phillies. Others though so also.
haha i gotta give it to you andy your funny man, you don’t just dish it you can take it too man……. i predicted 3 of 4 of the MVP’s and cy youngs which was real predictable, but the Al mvp is wide open. I will say a red sox player hasn’t won in over 10+ years. So i’ll say pedroia, but Youk could get it too. I can’t stand them bastards but one of them will get it. If they don’t than a twins player….. you know who….. Moreno….. I think hamilton slowed too much later in the season. any imput?
dude you might laugh but a-rod probably deserves more MVP’s, hands down. He plays HARDER THAN ANYONE…….. yeah i said it. He runs out every ground ball real hard, and when he knocked that ball out of the glove……. thats true passion for the game and a willingness to win. He wants to win so bad he’ll do anything.
AL MVP was interesting. Pedroia earned consideration. The other big guns on that team struggled. The Rays had players negate the others. Who stands out on the Angels? Hamilton fizzled as you said. Morneau also is right there.
CONGRATS to DUSTIN
Todd, knocking the ball outta the glove is also cheating. If you think cheating is a way to win then more power to ya.
Andy are u serious? If charlie manuel voted he’d choose Howard? Yeah no duh man. If you asked LaRussa he’d say the same about Pujols going along with all his teammates. Ask anyone who the best player in baseball is and it’d be a toss up between A Rod who didn’t have as great of a season as he did last year and Pujols who is consistant while playin hurt. You’ve gotta be kidding me man, this is some kind of cruel joke.
Andy I just tell everyone to agree to disagree and thats that dude! you can rip a-rod all you want its a free country
lets move on and talk offseason pickups……….. i regret speaking so good about lowe. LOL! and i’m not a fan of “A.J. i sit on the bench cause i’m hurt too much” with that said i predicted CC to nyc as stated above, i’ll pull burnett even though we’ll get him. I like sheets. And we also WILL grab an OF guy. I like cameron or dunn. both Ny teams will be having a good offseason. I say the dodgers will grab a pitcher or two and manny. The market isnt there for a 36 year old who demands a 6 year deal worth your life, that cant even field or run basses because….. he quite frankly just doesn’t feel like it. LOL . Mark texiera has to sign with angels…….. if he doesnt hes a loser… I dont care if he gets 150 or 200 million, your a blockbuster guy, so goto a good team man! 100 mil is enough for your grandkids to eat steak every day forever, don’t be greedy, anyone will give him 100 mil to play there, eat some pay and goto a winning team.