{"id":461,"date":"2015-07-10T02:09:33","date_gmt":"2015-07-10T06:09:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sullyonsports.com\/?p=461"},"modified":"2019-06-26T16:52:38","modified_gmt":"2019-06-26T20:52:38","slug":"the-national-league-mvp-debate-is-not-a-clown-question-bro","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sullyonsports.com\/?p=461","title":{"rendered":"The National League MVP Debate is Not a Clown Question, Bro"},"content":{"rendered":"

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With baseball entering the second half of the season this week, I’m going to take a look at the debate over who should be the MVP in the senior circuit. \u00a0The debate has mainly become about two players: Nationals OF Bryce Harper and Diamondbacks 1B Paul Goldschmidt. Harper is a slightly better power hitter than Goldschmidt, but Goldschmidt is a better base-stealer and hitter for average. The debate over this topic has been a very interesting one, but everyone, and I mean\u00a0everyone<\/em> has Harper winning the award by a wide margin. \u00a0Among them is Grantland baseball writer Jonah Keri<\/a>:<\/p>\n

When we checked in on Harper at the season\u2019s quarter-way mark, he was both the runaway winner for NL MVP and in the midst of a historic season unmatched by any 22-year-old not named Ted Williams.<\/p>\n

His second quarter has been punctuated by a couple of health scares. The first was downright terrifying, as Harper\u2019s knee buckled when he tried to make a throw during a June 18 game against the Rays. That injury proved to be nothing more than a left hamstring strain, and Harper returned to the lineup two days later. Then, a week after that, Harper sat out three straight games \u2014 this time with a right hamstring strain \u2014 and returned on June 28.<\/p>\n

Despite the two hamstring-induced starts and stops, the prognosis on Harper\u2019s health remains positive, and he\u2019s been an absolute monster when he\u2019s been in the lineup. In the 56 plate appearances since that initial strain, he\u2019s hit three homers and six doubles and posted a .340\/.446\/.660 line. With apologies to Paul Goldschmidt, Todd Frazier, and everyone else, this one isn\u2019t particularly close: Harper has been the clear first-half NL MVP, and it\u2019s his award to lose as we move forward.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I’ll tell you how I got to thinking about this debate. \u00a0I was talking to a friend of mine about it, and he said that Harper was the unquestioned MVP. \u00a0(His name is Danny Blomster, he’s a sabermetric genius, and you can check out his blog here<\/a>.) \u00a0Anyhow, I championed the argument for Goldschmidt, beings that he is on a worse team and, while he hits in a better lineup than Harper, hits for a starting rotation whose best pitcher this season has been Robbie Ray. \u00a0My friend pulled out some sabermetric stats that supported the case for Harper, like his slugging percentage, OPS, and others. \u00a0So I looked at Goldschmidt and Harper, side-by-side, sabermetrically. \u00a0Here’s what I found.<\/p>\n

Harper has a slightly higher on-base percentage (.471) than Goldschmidt (.466). If you take into account a stat called wOBA (weighted on-base average), Harper really begins to separate himself, as his wOBA is .490 to Goldy’s .452. \u00a0However, wOBA does not take into account intentional walks and stolen bases, and this is important. Goldschmidt has nineteen intentional walks to The Chosen One’s eight; the former’s total is tops in baseball. \u00a0Pitchers do not want to pitch to him, and that is why he has been intentionally walked so much. \u00a0Goldschmidt also has sixteen stolen bases to The Phenom’s four; he is trying to create runs for his team.<\/p>\n

Many are voting for Harper based on his all around game. \u00a0That and the fact that he, you know, murders baseballs:<\/p>\n

Bryce Harper. Um, wow.<\/a> in MLB Memes’s Hangs<\/a> on LockerDome<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n
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