MVP consideration for Felix

[MacAdoo]

Not sure if it’s been touched on in other threads—and it’s pretty clear Ohtani will win the MVP—but at what point does Felix start getting some consideration for second place?  Dude has just been indescribable. He’s saved our goose so many times this year. Probably the most important player in baseball from the 9th inning on—especially given the new extra inning rules. 

Edited July 23, 2023 by MacAdoo
Misspelling

[Can_of_corn]

2 minutes ago, MacAdoo said:

Not sure if it’s been touched on in other threads—and it’s pretty clear Ohtani will win the MVP—but at what point does Felix start getting some consideration for second place? 

Britton finished 11th in 2016.

[MacAdoo]

1 minute ago, Can_of_corn said:

Britton finished 11th in 2016.

Despite that historic season, I have to wonder if Felix isn’t more valuable (if that’s possible for a closer) because of the new extra inning rules. Would like to know Vegas odds in a tie game in the 10th with Felix on the bump. I never feel like we’re going to lose and this comes from 40 year Orioles fan that has been jaded into expecting things to go sideways. 

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, MacAdoo said:

Despite that historic season, I have to wonder if Felix isn’t more valuable (if that’s possible for a closer) because of the new extra inning rules. Would like to know Vegas odds in a tie game in the 10th with Felix on the bump. I never feel like we’re going to lose and this comes from 40 year Orioles fan that has been jaded into expecting things to go sideways. 

I had more faith in Britton in 2016 than I do with Felix.

Not to diminish him in any way but if Britton's 2016 isn't worth a top 10 finish I don't see Felix getting much traction for even a top 5 finish.

[dystopia]

He has definitely earned a few Cy Young votes if nothing else.

[Chavez Ravine]

I think stats like WAR tend to undervalue relief pitchers. It doesn’t help that most of their subjective “WAR” comes in a few bases loaded one out situations in September and October. It also doesn’t help that this year’s stud reliever could be pitching in Rancho Cucamonga next year. Still, every message board of a contending team is pining for relievers this time of year.

[gtman55]

Team MVP consideration maybe but not for league MVP.

[eddie83]

54 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

I had more faith in Britton in 2016 than I do with Felix.

Not to diminish him in any way but if Britton's 2016 isn't worth a top 10 finish I don't see Felix getting much traction for even a top 5 finish.

Yeah. Would be nice to see him get some love for CY. At least get some votes. 
 

Britton in 16 was best I ever saw in any one year. 

[Nite]

Felix is susceptible to the HR, something Zach never was that season. 

Even still my confidence with him is right up there with Zach from '16. When KB said Hyde needed to figure out how to get the last 8 outs I was thinking just 5. Felix will get 3...

[Ridgway22]

20 minutes ago, eddie83 said:

Yeah. Would be nice to see him get some love for CY. At least get some votes. 
 

Britton in 16 was best I ever saw in any one year. 

Yeah, and when Britton nailed down those three gutty innings in the wildcard win over Toronto....

Oh. Wait.

On the serious side, yes, I think an argument could be made that Mr. Mountain is among the most valuable pitchers to any staff. Sure, he's only going to throw XX innings, but every one of them is high leverage and games hinge on the outcome of his outings. Not sure where we'd be without him, but damn glad we don't have to know.

[eddie83]

13 minutes ago, Ridgway22 said:

Yeah, and when Britton nailed down those three gutty innings in the wildcard win over Toronto....

Oh. Wait.

On the serious side, yes, I think an argument could be made that Mr. Mountain is among the most valuable pitchers to any staff. Sure, he's only going to throw XX innings, but every one of them is high leverage and games hinge on the outcome of his outings. Not sure where we'd be without him, but damn glad we don't have to know.

I agree.

 

Britton was perfect in save opportunities and without that we don’t make the playoffs in 16. At least this team is simply a better team. 

[Frobby]

I don’t think there’s any chance Félix wins AL MVP.  He might win the Orioles MVP vote.  

I personally believe that it should almost be impossible for a closer to win MVP.  A closer can’t get a save unless his teammates already put his team in the lead.  
 

[eddie83]

13 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I don’t think there’s any chance Félix wins AL MVP.  He might win the Orioles MVP vote.  

I personally believe that it should almost be impossible for a closer to win MVP.  A closer can’t get a save unless his teammates already put his team in the lead.  
 

With modern metrics I doubt we ever see a closer win MVP ever again. I know Willie Hernandez did in 84 and Eckersley once. 
 

I found this. https://www.mlb.com/news/pitchers-to-win-mlb-mvp-award
 

Kind of off topic but couldn’t resist.  I know he had a clutch year but Mark Moseley won the NFL MVP in 1982 for crying out loud. Can you imagine that ever again? A closer would have a better chance than that.  

[e16bball]

1 hour ago, Can_of_corn said:

I had more faith in Britton in 2016 than I do with Felix.

Not to diminish him in any way but if Britton's 2016 isn't worth a top 10 finish I don't see Felix getting much traction for even a top 5 finish.

Interestingly, by both formulations of WAR, Felix is on pace to surpass Britton’s 2016 — 4.5 to 4.1 per rWAR and 3.8 to 2.5 per fWAR. That’s not including today’s game, where he chalked up yet another high-pressure save. 

I agree completely with your overall conclusion, though, that it’s extremely unlikely Felix will crack the top 5. I don’t know that any reliever could. Gagne in his best season only finished 6th, and K-Rod was only 8th in his record-setting 62 save season. Rivera never ended up higher than 9th. And as you mentioned, Britton was only 11th with a 0.54 ERA and 47/47 saves.

[Frobby]

2 hours ago, e16bball said:

Interestingly, by both formulations of WAR, Felix is on pace to surpass Britton’s 2016 — 4.5 to 4.1 per rWAR and 3.8 to 2.5 per fWAR. That’s not including today’s game, where he chalked up yet another high-pressure save. 

Both versions of WAR (1) like strikeouts better than groundouts, and (2) don’t care about blown saves.