Machado = MVP?

[callahan09]

Earlier, Machado wasn't playing great baseball. And the team wasn't winning like a great team. Now Machado is playing like an MVP, and the team is playing like one of the best in the game. Coincidence? That's a pretty sure sign of a "most important player" if not a "most valuable" one. If he keeps it up, and so does the team, then he's the MVP, whether the media sees it that way or not.

[VeveJones007]

This is what the budding of a superstar looks like. I don't know about MVP, but I'm enjoying every minute.

[Pheasants]

The other day mlb radio got into the old Trout v. Harper debate. In the middle they began trying to name the top 5 under 25. Machado was back in.

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[allquixotic]

MVP will always be a very contentious thing, since you're looking at so many players. When you start assembling your short list of 10 players who are just incredible over an entire season, the differentiation gets razor-thin. All ten of them are players that any club would kill to have, and 10 clubs (or less, if one team is blessed to have more than one) are checking their bank accounts at the end of the season to see if they can dredge up money to pay these players to stick around.

Manny is an incredible player, but I think his struggles early in the season (and the O's struggles early in the season) may have tanked him down enough notches in the standings to have pretty much sealed his fate for this year as not the MVP of the league. But he's almost definitely going to be the Most Valuable Oriole.

Unfortunately, things like the MVP are pretty strongly influenced by who wins the World Series, who does great things at the All Star Game, and who makes the highlight reels. Throwing guys out and making it look easy, and mashing hits consistently, only gets you noticed by O's fans. Other teams' fans, and media not tied to the O's, don't look at that and see how sensational it really is.

[MurphDogg]

Unfortunately, things like the MVP are pretty strongly influenced by who wins the World Series...

MVP votes are due before the post season begins.

[CallMeBrooksie]

Unfortunately, things like the MVP are pretty strongly influenced by who wins the World Series, who does great things at the All Star Game, and who makes the highlight reels. Throwing guys out and making it look easy, and mashing hits consistently, only gets you noticed by O's fans. Other teams' fans, and media not tied to the O's, don't look at that and see how sensational it really is.

I don't think that's the case at all.

It used to be that the top 5 in MVP voting was pretty much the top 5 home run hitters for that season. I think the media/voters have come a long way in being able to give a more accurate judgment of a player's value and his effect on winning.

Besides, Trout and Cabrera have done pretty much nothing in the playoffs lately.

[Spy Fox]

He's definitely a defensible candidate. If the second half were to mirror the first half, I think the conversation would be between Machado, Donaldson, Trout, and Cabrera. Kipnis might be in there too except for how bad the Indians have been.

[OriolesMagic83]

I don't think that's the case at all.

It used to be that the top 5 in MVP voting was pretty much the top 5 home run hitters for that season. I think the media/voters have come a long way in being able to give a more accurate judgment of a player's value and his effect on winning.

Besides, Trout and Cabrera have done pretty much nothing in the playoffs lately.

I believe a lot of the writers that vote for the MVP don't even cover baseball on a daily basis, like Hall of Fame voters. It would help if Machado had a huge game w/ say 3 HR or something similar to grab the voters attention. I think he is viewed as a step down from Donaldson by the experts. It will be interesting what the voting will look like if the O's make the playoffs, and the Blue Jays, Tigers, and A's miss the playoffs.

[El Gordo]

I hope older Orioles fans aren't offended by this but Adam's role as team leader reminds me of what I've read about Frank Robinson. A little different I concede since we were always contenders with Frank and we acquired Adam as a young 22 year old but he really is a leader like I've never seen. We had good teams when I was a kid in the mid 90's but no one not even Cal who was my hero as a kid resembled the kind of team leader Adam is.

AJ is the O's Ray Ray.

[El Gordo]

We've seen the best of Donaldspn so far. We have yet to see the best of Manny.

[Machado13]

He is top 3 IMO...guy does it all. (Pay no attention to my poster name )

[mdbdotcom]

I hope older Orioles fans aren't offended by this but Adam's role as team leader reminds me of what I've read about Frank Robinson. A little different I concede since we were always contenders with Frank and we acquired Adam as a young 22 year old but he really is a leader like I've never seen. We had good teams when I was a kid in the mid 90's but no one not even Cal who was my hero as a kid resembled the kind of team leader Adam is.

I think most of us older fans recognize what AJ brings to this team, on and off the field.

If Adam ever writes an autobiography, he should call it The Life of Pie.

[Ruzious]

I think most of us older fans recognize what AJ brings to this team, on and off the field.

If Adam ever writes an autobiography, he should call it The Life of Pie.

Nah, Felix should write that one.

[DrungoHazewood]

It used to be that the top 5 in MVP voting was pretty much the top 5 home run hitters for that season. I think the media/voters have come a long way in being able to give a more accurate judgment of a player's value and his effect on winning.

I think the biggest determinant of MVP votes prior to, say, 2000 was whether or not you led the league in RBI. Besides some of the rare but bizarre closers-as-MVPs I'd say most of the worst MVP winners of all time were big, slow, defensively-challenged sluggers who led the league in RBI. See, Juan Gonzalez. Twice.

[bobmc]

This is what the budding of a superstar looks like. I don't know about MVP, but I'm enjoying every minute.

:agree:

Watching his athleticism on the field is breathtaking to me. He glides to the ball on pop flies. He measures, comes in on dribblers and prepares his cannon to first like an artist. He steals bases, takes extra bases when available and trusts his body and instincts. In some ways, his injuries have been a godsend - to allow time (and Brady) to let his body recoup and get stronger as his body matures. He looks so much more like the gifted athlete he was "destined" to be.