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Atlanta Braves Morning Chop: Big Hitters, Big Traffic, and MVPs

By Alan Carpenter

Sep 19, 2016; New York City, NY, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Aaron Blair (36) New York Mets pitches in the first inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 19, 2016; New York City, NY, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Aaron Blair (36) New York Mets pitches in the first inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 19, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout (27) smiles to the bench after hitting a triple and driving in a run during the sixth inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 19, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout (27) smiles to the bench after hitting a triple and driving in a run during the sixth inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

This season could re-ignite an on-going and unresolvable debate:  does the Most Valuable Player have to be on a winning/playoff-contending team?

More from Tomahawk Take

The National League’s debate about the Most Valuable Player should actually be fairly cut-and-dried at this point:  Kris Bryant:

  • 37 homers
  • 115 runs scored
  • 96 RBI – will easily best 100 in the next 2 weeks
  • Hitting .293 and OPS’ing .945

With the Cubs flying high, he should be the MVP.  At least, that’s what the voters will likely say.

Oddly enough, the Cubs themselves may be muddying the waters a bit, by touting 1st baseman Anthony Rizzo for the award.

That not only opens the door for the Nationals to say “Hey! Daniel Murphy is better!” (5.6 fWAR vs. Rizzo’s 4.9), but it also brings someone else into the conversation.

Freddie Freeman.

Freeman has quietly (since no one is paying attention to the Braves) burst onto the scene with a break-out year of his own:  31 homers, 93 runs scored, 83 RBI on a (previously) bad offensive team, .302 and .963 OPS… better than Bryant, better than Rizzo (.940), within 3 points of Joey Votto, and within shouting distance of Murphy (.989).

Freeman won’t win, because voters will choose one of the Nationals (Murphy or Scherzer – probably Murphy), plus one of the Cubs (Bryant or Rizzo), and then relegate a 5th or 6th place vote to Freeman or Votto.

But it does beg the question (again) about what it means to be a “Most Valuable” player.

Mike Trout is easily the best player in baseball again:  .990 OPS and 8.6 fWAR.  But the Angels are in last place and there are a bunch of Northeastern-based baseball writers who will be chomping at the bit to give Big Papi the crown with his 4.2 fWAR… and 1.034 OPS.  For a DH.

Would Boston be in first place without him?  Interesting question, that.  Probably not, but they’d still be in the race.  Meanwhile, where would the Angels be without Trout?  Pushing 110 losses, probably.

Imagine this:  if Daniel Murphy was still a Met, how would that have changed the NL East this year?  Right.  He’s been the one piece for the Nationals that picked up the slack from Bryce Harper‘s Spring and Summer malaise.

Is it the best player or the most valuable?  Is it the most valuable or the best player on a really good team?

Next: Reviewing the Pearls from Pearl

The voting will probably be close in both leagues.  I expect it will be David Ortiz and Kris Bryant – the latter barely edging Daniel Murphy (who should win it, IMHO).

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