2012 NL MVP

[max venable]

Who's your pick?

Is Jay Bruce a dark horse candidate. 2nd in HR, 5th in RBI, for a division-winning team. Avg is not where it needs to be for him to win MVP but what if he goes on one of his patented terrors in the final month of the season and pushes the avg toward .280 and finishes near 40 HR and over 100 RBI. Really? Any chance of him winning MVP?

Who are the top candidates?

McCutchen has faded (as have the PieRats)
Matt Holliday anyone? Maybe.
Ryan Braun? Stats are better than last year but the Brewers aren't.
Buster Posey?

Nobody's running away with it, that's for sure. How cool would it be to see JB catch fire and make a run at it?

[Nathan]

I'd chalk it up as "doubtful." Unless he really goes on a historically crazy tear, the writers like their MVP batting at least .300. At the moment, I'd give McCutcheon the edge. Votto has a better shot than Bruce. (Didn't Hamilton win it a couple years ago despite missing considerable time?)

[RedsMan3203]

Bruce IS catching fire right now... But I think that fire gets put out with 10 games or so to go due to the Reds clinching up the Division...

Dark Horse could be Chappy.

[max venable]

There's no way Votto gets it given the amount of time he's lost--and his team hasn't really missed him. They've increased their lead without him. Voters are going to question how valuable he really was to the Reds this year.

[edabbs44]

I'd chalk it up as "doubtful." Unless he really goes on a historically crazy tear, the writers like their MVP batting at least .300. At the moment, I'd give McCutcheon the edge. Votto has a better shot than Bruce. (Didn't Hamilton win it a couple years ago despite missing considerable time?)

I think I'd vote Ludwick over Jay at this point.

[oneupper]

Posey would be it for me if SF wins the division. That kind of production from the catcher position is very valuable.

[max venable]

Dale Murphy won it in 1982 with this line:

.281 36 109

Stargell shared it with Hernandez in 1979:

.281 32 82

Kirk Gibson in 88:

.290 25 76


Just sayin' why not JBruce in a year where there are no clear-cut favorites?

If Ryan Braun were on a good team he'd be running away with it. Or...would he not be because he's "tainted?"

[Nathan]

Dale Murphy won it in 1982 with this line:

.281 36 109

Stargell shared it with Hernandez in 1979:

.281 32 82

Kirk Gibson in 88:

.290 25 76


Just sayin' why not JBruce in a year where there are no clear-cut favorites?

If Ryan Braun were on a good team he'd be running away with it. Or...would he not be because he's "tainted?"

The only position player MVP in either league to bat less than .300 since 1989 was A-Rod in 2003; he hit .298. I was going with the trend, not who I'd vote for. (You didn't ask that.) You answered your own question about Braun. Besides, he's not really on a contending team.

I think Votto has more of a shot at winning it than Bruce does....

[redsmetz]

If Ryan Braun were on a good team he'd be running away with it. Or...would he not be because he's "tainted?"

I think you're hitting on the reality that Braun will face - at the very least, there's doubt surrounding him and so I think he loses any potential votes he may have had.

[Tony Cloninger]

Dale Murphy won it in 1982 with this line:

.281 36 109

Stargell shared it with Hernandez in 1979:

.281 32 82

Kirk Gibson in 88:

.290 25 76


Just sayin' why not JBruce in a year where there are no clear-cut favorites?

If Ryan Braun were on a good team he'd be running away with it. Or...would he not be because he's "tainted?"

There was no one with the offensive numbers that Murphy had, besides Michael Jack Schmidt. They also won the division, for the 1st time since 1969. The Phillies did not.

You have to far exceed the numbers of someone else (Like Foster in 1977) when you win that thing or Dawson in 1987. The 1977 Reds at least won 88 games.
The Brewers have been an afterthought since the end of May.

1988 was a pitching year....and the Dodgers to a man....even Lasorda....said Gibson was the reason they had a winning attitude through that whole year. But I guess you could have made a case for Orel.

The 1979 vote was taking the "leadership" thing to the extreme, IMO.

[max venable]

There was no one with the offensive numbers that Murphy had, besides Michael Jack Schmidt. They also won the division, for the 1st time since 1969. The Phillies did not.

You have to far exceed the numbers of someone else (Like Foster in 1977) when you win that thing or Dawson in 1987. The 1977 Reds at least won 88 games.
The Brewers have been an afterthought since the end of May.

1988 was a pitching year....and the Dodgers to a man....even Lasorda....said Gibson was the reason they had a winning attitude through that whole year. But I guess you could have made a case for Orel.

The 1979 vote was taking the "leadership" thing to the extreme, IMO.

Agree with all that. Wishful thinking, perhaps, that JBruce would have an outside shot at it.

[Tom Servo]

Without looking too deeply at it, I'd go with David Wright.

[max venable]

Without looking too deeply at it, I'd go with David Wright.

Based on what? I don't see how Wright is even in the conversation.

[kaldaniels]

Today - no idea who I would choose.

But it reminds me of a bunched up leaderboard starting the back-nine in the final round of a golf tournament. More often than not, one guy will separate himself down the homestrech. We will have to wait and see who it is.

[Nathan]

Posey would be it for me if SF wins the division. That kind of production from the catcher position is very valuable.

Interesting choice. Now, if you were to do that, wouldn't you have to open the conversation up for Yadier Molina?