MLB
So the 2018 MLB season is coming to a close. And while we will still have the playoffs, there is a tight MVP race going on in the AL and the NL. I think that the two best candidates are JD Martinez and Javier Baez. These two guys have led their teams to division leads, and they are looking to do damage in October. Today I will be making my case for each of these two guys and why they are worthy of the MVP award.
JD Martinez
So if you haven’t been looking at the stats for JD, here they are and be prepared to be impressed.
.330 AVG 124 RBI’s 181 H 106 R 41 HR
So to prove how impressive these stats are, JD leads the Al in RBI’s, he is 2ndn in average, (Mookie Betts has .334), and he is second in homers, (Kris Davis has 43). So if he goes three AVG points up and two more home runs, he can be the first player since Miguel Cabrera in 2012 to win the triple crown. If he can pull this off, he has to win the MVP. If he doesn’t, it is theft in clear daylight. But to me, the most important and impressive thing he has done is the Home runs and average.
Most 40+ home run hitters hit around .220 or .250. To hit .330 and still have that amount of power, that is just impossible to stop. If Martinez uses all parts of the field to get hits, and you can’t put the shift n him. He has been on another planet, and he is the reason the Red Sox are as good as they are. He was the guy they went after in the off-season, and he is the reason they are so much better this year. I think that the stats don’t lie, the record doesn’t lie, and the tape doesn’t lie, JD Martinez has to win the 2018 American League MVP
Javier Baez
So what do you do when your star player is hurt, and your other star is having a down year? If you said step up and play out of your mind and take over the team, then you would be talking about Javier Baez. With Bryant being out, he has stepped up and took control of this team and has been on a tear. He has a .294 average with 33 home runs. Not JD Martinez numbers, but enough to make him the MVP in my opinion.
With no clear choice in the NL, I think it is Baez. He has lead the team through tough times, and that is the definition of valuable. And he has also provided superb defensive skills which don’t get talked about enough in my opinion. But I think you have to be a solid player on both sides and Javi has done that all season. I think he has to be the NL MVP.
Before you go, TSJ 101 Sports MLB department is going to do work in October, so stay tuned for that!
