Wednesday September 28, 2011 - 7:46 PM

Player Rankings: Men of the Year


Jose Bautista will finish the season with a major-league best 43 homers. (Getty Images)

Updated Sept. 28

It seems anticlimactic to lead this final Best o' the Best edition of the Player Rankings with award picks, as we've been debating them nonstop for the last month. Or maybe it's more accurate to say that we've been debating the precise definition of "valuable." Award-winning investimagative journamalist that I am, I decided to take a closer look.

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I started my inquest by employing the world's laziest rhetorical tactic: clicking over to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary. It alternately defines "valuable" as "having monetary value," "of great use or service" and "having desirable or esteemed characteristics or qualities." While that last one provides some small amount of clarity -- off the list you go, A.J. Burnett! -- it doesn't say anything about teammate caliber, placement in the standings, weight of September performance or impact of big home runs off surgical reclamation cases really, really late on the Sunday night before the season ends. Darn.

So for my picks, I decided to conflate "valuable" with "bestest" and "of the year" with "of the year and/or season." Thus for Most Valuable/Bestest Player, I've got Jose Bautista and Matt Kemp. For Cy Young, I've got Justin Verlander and Roy Halladay. For Rookie of the Year, I've got Jeremy Hellickson and Freddie Freeman.

That's all I've got. Thanks for reading.

Batters
1. Jose Bautista, RF - Toronto Blue Jays
Previous Rank: 1 \| By Position: 1
	Bautista led the universe in OBP and SLG and played solid defense at two positions. It's not his fault that he doesn't share lineup real estate with Dustin Pedroia. When he places fourth in the MVP voting, he should be all "value THIS" and grab his unmentionables. That'd learn 'em!
Key Stats: 510 AB, 43 HR, .304 AVG, 103 RBI, 105 R, 9 SB
2. Matt Kemp, CF - Los Angeles Dodgers
Previous Rank: 7 \| By Position: 2
	Not only did Kemp get the most out of his talent, but he started respecting his elders and treating the media with 32.5 percent less disdain than he did in 2010. There's nothing voters love more than a redemption song, especially if it's warbled by somebody who remembers their name.
Key Stats: 598 AB, 38 HR, .324 AVG, 124 RBI, 114 R, 40 SB
3. Ryan Braun, LF - Milwaukee Brewers
Previous Rank: 3 \| By Position: 1
	The question is how to distinguish Braun's case from Prince Fielder's. Same team, same on-base-iness, same cement-handed defense, etc. Braun slugged more and ran the bases better, but ultimately it will come down to "he has a higher batting average." This makes me sad.
Key Stats: 559 AB, 33 HR, .335 AVG, 111 RBI, 109 R, 32 SB
4. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF - Boston Red Sox
Previous Rank: 2 \| By Position: 1
	Some folks point to Sunday's game-winning dinger as the moment that won him the MVP trophy. Others point to Monday's drop of what became an inside-the-park homer as the moment that lost it. Me, I'm focusing on the 2 for 6 in a 16-4 drubbing of Toronto on June 11.
Key Stats: 655 AB, 32 HR, .322 AVG, 105 RBI, 119 R, 38 SB
5. Miguel Cabrera, 1B - Detroit Tigers
Previous Rank: 9 \| By Position: 2
	He gets overlooked because he always plays like this. Shame on us all for our inability to see the tree among the forest, or something. Entirely unrelated: if the Tigers get to the World Series, they have to play him some at third base, right?
Key Stats: 568 AB, 30 HR, .343 AVG, 105 RBI, 110 R, 2 SB
6. Curtis Granderson, CF - New York Yankees
Previous Rank: 5 \| By Position: 3
	He has the counting stats but also the grandest supporting cast, plus he reacts to line drives as if he's on a seven-second time delay. A defensive do-si-do with Brett Gardner would be in everybody's best interest.
Key Stats: 580 AB, 41 HR, .262 AVG, 119 RBI, 135 R, 24 SB
7. Prince Fielder, 1B - Milwaukee Brewers
Previous Rank: 4 \| By Position: 4
	Give him credit: In his free-agent year, he answered all the questions: Can he hit for power? Check. Can he serve as a wellspring of clubhouse mirth and bonhomie? Check. Can he reduce his torso jiggling to a Jell-O-like sway? Check.
Key Stats: 566 AB, 38 HR, .299 AVG, 120 RBI, 95 R, 1 SB
8. Joey Votto, 1B - Cincinnati Reds
Previous Rank: 10 \| By Position: 3
	Despite similar stats, last year's MVP golden boy is this year's afterthought. As far as dismissive arguments go, "he had his turn last year" is even dumber than "he only ranked 11th in the league in runs scored."
Key Stats: 596 AB, 29 HR, .310 AVG, 103 RBI, 101 R, 8 SB
9. Adrian Gonzalez, 1B - Boston Red Sox
Previous Rank: 12 \| By Position: 1
	If it weren't for that Bautista guy, lazy voters would be able to fill out a defensible 10-man AL MVP ballot consisting strictly of Boston, NY and Detroit players (say, Ellsbury, Gonzo, Pedroia, Ortiz, Granderson, Cano, Sabathia, Cabrera, Verlander, Avila). Lousy Bautista.
Key Stats: 628 AB, 27 HR, .338 AVG, 117 RBI, 108 R, 1 SB
10. Troy Tulowitzki, SS - Colorado Rockies
Previous Rank: 6 \| By Position: 1
	He added a 100-RBI season and all sorts of platitudes about "accountability" to his resume, neither of which renders him any more of a ballplayer than he already was. He remains No. 1 on the list of guys-to-build-a-team-around.
Key Stats: 537 AB, 30 HR, .302 AVG, 105 RBI, 81 R, 9 SB
11. Justin Upton, RF - Arizona Diamondbacks
Previous Rank: 8 \| By Position: 5
	Can't you picture some self-appointed keeper of the flame pondering his MVP ballot and thinking, "Not so fast, Mr. Upton. Your time will come"? This image would be more chucklesome if voters didn't routinely penalize players for youth or perceived arrogance. Democracy doesn't work.
Key Stats: 589 AB, 31 HR, .290 AVG, 88 RBI, 105 R, 21 SB
12. Albert Pujols, 1B - St. Louis Cardinals
Previous Rank: NR \| By Position: 5
	The difference between his 2011 season and his other ones is basically a middling six-week stretch at the start of the season. Go ahead -- try and make a case that a guy like Michael Young had more value this season. I dare you.
Key Stats: 574 AB, 37 HR, .300 AVG, 98 RBI, 104 R, 9 SB

Pitchers
1. Justin Verlander, SP - Detroit Tigers
Previous Rank: 1 \| By Position: 1
	But I don't get the MVP argument, voter-bait win total or no. The Tigers won their wretched division by 37 games; it's not like Verlander pushed them over the top. His achievement in the fields of no-hitterism and bullpen preservation will be justly acknowledged with the Cy trophy.
Key Stats: 251.0 IP, 24-5 W-L, 0 SV, 2.4 ERA, 250 Ks, 57 BB
2. Roy Halladay, SP - Philadelphia Phillies
Previous Rank: 3 \| By Position: 3
	He mocks your fancy metronomes and atomic clocks; their irregularity both appalls and amuses him. As for his Cy case, for me it comes down to the complete games and Eckstein-small walk and HR rates. You can't go wrong with any of the NL big three.
Key Stats: 233.2 IP, 19-6 W-L, 0 SV, 2.35 ERA, 220 Ks, 35 BB
3. Clayton Kershaw, SP - Los Angeles Dodgers
Previous Rank: 4 \| By Position: 2
	If you're making a Kershaw argument, ditch the "pitching triple crown" nonsense (Ws/ERA/Ks) for "I like him and want to vote for somebody other than Halladay this year." At least you'll sound genuine that way.
Key Stats: 233.1 IP, 21-5 W-L, 0 SV, 2.28 ERA, 248 Ks, 54 BB
4. Cliff Lee, SP - Philadelphia Phillies
Previous Rank: 8 \| By Position: 6
	Your imminent playoff meme: Who's the better big-game pitcher, Lee or Halladay? Me, I look to the physiological intangibles. Lee has wee beady eyes and a midgame heart rate of 25 beats per minute, but Halladay has stealthily menacing facial hair and an underrated gameday scowl. Tough call.
Key Stats: 232.2 IP, 17-8 W-L, 0 SV, 2.4 ERA, 238 Ks, 42 BB
5. Jered Weaver, SP - Los Angeles Angels
Previous Rank: 2 \| By Position: 4
	He faded a bit toward the end of the season, but threw well on three days' rest that one time. Such heroic feats of endurance shouldn't go overlooked.
Key Stats: 235.2 IP, 18-8 W-L, 0 SV, 2.41 ERA, 198 Ks, 56 BB
6. C.J. Wilson, SP - Texas Rangers
Previous Rank: 11 \| By Position: 9
	If you're Wilson's agent, and you know how much money he made you with a season like this on the cusp of free agency, how do you thank him? At the very least, I'd super-size the Harry & David gift basket.
Key Stats: 223.1 IP, 16-7 W-L, 0 SV, 2.94 ERA, 206 Ks, 74 BB
7. Tim Lincecum, SP - San Francisco Giants
Previous Rank: 5 \| By Position: 12
	He received almost no run support. True to reputation, he barely seemed to notice. What color is the sky in his world?
Key Stats: 217.0 IP, 13-14 W-L, 0 SV, 2.74 ERA, 220 Ks, 86 BB
8. Cole Hamels, SP - Philadelphia Phillies
Previous Rank: NR \| By Position: 10
	Here's how good Hamels was in 2011: Phillies fans no longer care that his daily self-maintenance routine makes liberal use of both moisturizer and a comb.
Key Stats: 213.0 IP, 14-9 W-L, 0 SV, 2.75 ERA, 193 Ks, 44 BB
9. CC Sabathia, SP - New York Yankees
Previous Rank: 12 \| By Position: 7
	Given the lack of reliable rotation depth behind him, one could argue that he's more "valuable" to the Yankees, under at least four of the definitions we're using this week, than Justin Verlander is to the Tigers. Discuss.
Key Stats: 237.1 IP, 19-8 W-L, 0 SV, 3.0 ERA, 230 Ks, 61 BB
10. James Shields, SP - Tampa Bay Rays
Previous Rank: 9 \| By Position: 8
	Forget the complete games -- it's not often that we see a righty pitcher pick off as many baserunners as Shields did this season. Don't let his dull-as-a-superhero-alias name fool you; he's got a little ninja in him.
Key Stats: 249.1 IP, 16-12 W-L, 0 SV, 2.82 ERA, 225 Ks, 65 BB
11. Josh Beckett, SP - Boston Red Sox
Previous Rank: 6 \| By Position: 16
	I'm demoting him due to aesthetic concerns: There was an inning in the next-to-last Yankee/Red Sox series where he threw 17 pitches in 12 minutes. That's not an exaggeration. It was like watching paint dry on turtle hair.
Key Stats: 193.0 IP, 13-7 W-L, 0 SV, 2.89 ERA, 175 Ks, 52 BB
12. Ian Kennedy, SP - Arizona Diamondbacks
Previous Rank: NR \| By Position: 5
	The numbers are impressive, but he accumulated them largely against the Giants, Dodgers and Padres. That doesn't make him a lesser competitive being -- you can only play the teams on the schedule -- but it renders moot the Cy arguments. Did he outpitch, say, Ricky Romero?
Key Stats: 222.0 IP, 21-4 W-L, 0 SV, 2.88 ERA, 198 Ks, 55 BB

All stats and rankings by position listed are as of 09/28/2011 22:17:13

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