Best in Baseball: NL Position Players
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by Tom Miller
Here now is the second edition of my Best in Baseball series. The first article was about the best position players in the American League, and it can be found here. In this second edition, I’ll tackle the National League and the best player on each of the 16 teams.
As always, if you have any problems with this list, feel free to rebuke, insult, and otherwise abuse me in the comments.
National League East
Atlanta Braves: Mark Teixeira, 1B
Andruw Jones is currently a free agent, and he responded to my preseason pick of him as the Braves’ best player by going .222/.311/.413, each numbers the lowest of his career in complete seasons. The Braves will miss his defense, but they will not miss the 2007 Andruw at the plate. The remaining two great players on this roster are Larry Jones and Teixeira. Jones had a great statistical season, leading his team in BA (.337), OBP (.425), slugging percentage (.604), the NL’s best OPS (1.029) to go along with 29 HR and 82 walks in only 134 games. Unfortunately, Larry seems to be unable to stay healthy for an entire season, as he’s missed 133 games over the past three seasons. Teixeira was traded to the Braves on July 30 th, and in the 54 games he played with the team, he hit .317 with 17 HR and a staggering OPS of 1.019. His durability is not an issue, as this year was the only year in his career in which he didn’t play at least 145 games (he missed 30 games with a strained quadriceps). Add in his Gold Glove-caliber defense at first (he was the 2005 and 2006 AL Gold Glove winner at first base), and Teixeira is the best player on this Braves team.
Florida Marlins: Hanley Ramirez, SS
There are really only two candidates for this position on the Marlins: SS Ramirez and 3B Miguel Cabrera. On one hand, you have the 24-year-old overweight third bagger who’s currently being shopped around. He’s a certified slugger, and the numbers he put up in his 4 th full season are undeniably of superstar caliber. He ended the 2007 season with 34 HR, a .401 OBP, and a slugging percentage of .565, all categories that he led his team in for 2007. So why isn’t he my pick? One, his defense is abysmal, but that in itself is not enough to condemn him. My actual choice for best Marlins’ best position player, Ramirez, is very nearly as awful as Cabrera on the defensive end. However, Ramirez’s weight has not ballooned in the past few years, and he is an offensive beast. His 83 XBH were good for 4 th in the NL this year, and the OPS of .948 that he posted was only slightly lower than Cabrera’s. Add in his 51 SBs, something Cabrera definitely doesn’t have in his repertoire, and Ramirez is the best player on this young Marlins team.
New York Mets: David Wright, 3B
At the beginning of the season, I chose shortstop Jose Reyes as my best player, deciding he was a better choice than center fielder Carlos Beltran. I completely disregarded stud third basemen and 2007 MVP candidate David Wright. Why did I do this? The answer is simple: I’m an idiot. Moving past my idiocy, this choice is very clear. Reyes was a great candidate for most of the year. Then September rolled around, and he, like many of the Met players, completely lost his mind, and not in a good way. Reyes’ numbers for September were awful: .205 BA, a .279 OBP, a .333 slugging percentage, and only 5 stolen bases in 9 attempts. Reyes improved defensively as a player this year, but he actually took a step back at the plate in 2007. Beltran is an elite player, and despite having a down year in 2007, he still managed to hit 33 HR, a .353 OBP, and a .878 OPS, as well as winning his second consecutive Gold Glove in center field. Wright really had the best season in the National League this year, and is deserving of the NL MVP. He finished in the top 10 in the National League in BA (.325, 7 th in NL), SB (34, 7th), OPS (.963, 8 th), OBP (.416, 4 th), and walks (94, 6 th). He also had 30 home runs, joining the 30-30 club for HR and SB, and he won the Gold Glove for NL third basemen (although he’s probably 3 rd -best defensively, behind Pedro Feliz and Ryan Zimmerman). Taking into account that in 2007, he played 79 games in Shea Stadium, 9 games at Dolphins Stadium, 9 games in Turner Field, and 9 games at RFK, that’s 106 games played in pitchers parks, those numbers become even more impressive. The other major MVP candidates, Jimmy Rollins and Matt Holliday, play their home games in Citizens Bank Park and Coors Field, respectively, two ballparks that are extremely favorable towards hitters. I could go on and on about Wright’s MVP case, but suffice it to say, I believe he’s not only the best player on the Mets, but also the best player in the National League.
Philadelphia Phillies: Chase Utley, 2B
LF Pat Burrell finally decided it was time to earn his $13.25 million salary in 2007, but he’s not a great player by any stretch of the imagination. Ryan Howard put up monster numbers once again, both positive and negative. He bashed 47 HR, but he also set a major league record for strikeouts with 199. In addition, he’s among the worst defensive 1B in the National League, which effectively rules him out as a candidate. Jimmy Rollins is an MVP candidate, but he’s not even the best player on his own team. He was the NL Silver Slugger Award winner at SS in 2007, and his 30 HR and 88 XBH (good for 2 nd in the NL) are very impressive. His .344 OBP, however, is less than stellar and his Gold Glove was undeserved (Troy Tulowitzki should have been the consensus winner). He’s a great player, to be sure, exceptional offensively and above average defensively, but Chase Utley is hands-down the best second baseman in the majors. If Utley hadn’t missed 26 games with a broken wrist, he would be the favorite for the NL MVP. He finished 3 rd in BA (.332) in the NL, as well as 4 th among eligible players in OBP (.410), 6 th in OPS (.566), 5 th in OPS (.976), 3 rd in doubles (48), and was the Silver Slugger at 2B. For all this, he wins my award for best Phillies player.
Washington Nationals: Ryan Zimmerman, 3B
I didn’t really have to think about this one very hard. Washington has almost no talent to speak of, which made their 73-89 record and fourth-place finish so surprising. Yes, the team that overachieved with a record 16 games under .500 has no talent. I know you’re all shocked. The player who had the best offensive season for the Nationals this year was their All-Star Game representative, Dmitri Young. The Nationals must believe Young is one of their more promising players, because they gave him (and also Ronnie Belliard) a two-year contract extension. Apparently they’re fans of overweight infielders in their mid-30s who are declining in ability. But back to Zimmerman. Zimmerman combines outstanding defense with power (24 HR, 78 XBH) and a lot of potential. It’s fun to think of what he could accomplish if he didn’t have to be the centerpiece of the impotent Nationals offense.
National League Central
Chicago Cubs: Derrek Lee, 1B
My preseason pick for best Cubs player was left fielder Alfonso Soriano, but I’ve changed my mind. Why? Because if you’re a team’s best player, you need to have a higher OBP than the .337 Soriano posted in 2007. This is an ongoing problem for Soriano, as his career high for OBP is .351, and doesn’t appear to have the plate discipline to be a consistent threat. He only drew 31 walks in 617 plate appearances this year, which is just terrible for a top-tier player. Lee combines Gold Glove defense (2 GGs, including the 2007 award) with very good offense. He led the Cubs in BA (.317), OBP (.400), doubles (43), and walks (71). This combination of defensive and offensive skills leads me to name him as the best player on the Cubs roster. A dark horse candidate that could be considered is 3B Aramis Ramirez, but he, like Soriano, doesn’t get on base enough (only 43 walks in 558 PA) and his defense at the hot corner is less than stellar.
Cincinnati Reds: Adam Dunn, LF
Dunn was my pick in the preseason, and he’s still my pick. The 2007 season that he put up was very impressive, with 40 HR, 69 XBH, an OBP of .386, SLG % of .554, an OPS of .940, 101 walks, all numbers that lead the Reds. Dunn’s numbers are overwhelming, and he’s clearly the best player on the struggling Reds team. That being said, I’d like to talk about 2B Brandon Phillips for a minute. Phillips is a very good young player, and he managed to join the 30-30 club for HR and SB in 2007. His OBP needs to be worked on, as it’s only .331, but Phillips has all the tools to become a superstar in the next few years.
Houston Astros: Lance Berkman, 1B
For the Astros, the best player honor really comes down to only two players: switch-hitting slugger Berkman or lumbering LF Carlos Lee. Lee had a great offensive season, with 32 HR, a .528 SLG %, and 76 XBH. His defense, however, was nothing to write home about, as he finished last in the NL among left fielders in Zone Rating and 11 th in Range Factor. Berkman’s defense, while not great, was average, and his offensive numbers were more impressive than Lee’s. Berkman led the team in OBP (.386), OPS (.896), HR (34), and walks (94), and so he continues to be the best position player on this abysmal Houston team.
Milwaukee Brewers: Prince Fielder, 1B
Prince Fielder emerged in 2007 as a certified slugger, and his offensive numbers were remarkable this year. He led the Brewers in all major statistical categories, save SB (obviously), BA, and singles. A sampling of his numbers: .395 OBP, .618 SLG, 1.013 OPS, 35 doubles, 87 XBH, and 50 HR. His MVP status was greatly affected by the Brewers slowly slipping from playoff contention. Another slugging corner infielder on this team, Ryan Braun, is also an offensive beast. The NL ROY in 2007, Braun had the highest SLG % of any rookie in MLB history, posting .634. He was brutal defensively, though, and that keeps him from winning the best player on the Brewers award.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Adam LaRoche, 1B
Don’t really have much of an option here, do I? I can’t pick Freddy Sanchez, even though he made the All-Star Game this year, because he’s not threatening at the plate, despite the .304 BA that he posted in 2007. Jason Bay was my preseason pick, but he was terrible this year, with a line of .247/.327/.418, only 21 HR (the fewest in a full season in Bay’s career), and his walks were nearly cut in half from their 2006 totals (102-59). All that being said, he’s not done, but he’s being shopped around and I’m not prepared to continue proclaiming him as the best Pirate position player. LaRoche got off to a terrible April in 2007, with a .133/.255/.265 with only 5 XBH, but he managed to turn it around and post respectable numbers, as well as leading the Pirates in SLG % (.458), OPS (.803), doubles (42), and XBH (63). These numbers aren’t impressive by any means, but for this collection of perpetually putrid Pittsburgh Pirates position players (alliteration is fun), they’re good enough.
St. Louis Cardinals: Albert Pujols, 1B
Some things you just take for granted: pi = 3.14, my college’s financial aid office will annually screw up my financial aid and give me headaches for weeks, and Albert Pujols is the best player on the Cardinals team. The only offensive categories that he didn’t lead the Cardinals in were strikeouts (Chris Duncan), SB (David Eckstein), and HBP (Eckstein again, because he’s so ridiculously gritty). Add in Pujols’ defense (2006 Gold Glove winner), and I don’t think I have to explain this one any further.
National League West
Arizona Diamondbacks: Orlando Hudson, 2B
The Diamondbacks are a very young, very talented team, and in a few years, we could be talking about Justin Upton as one of the best players in the majors. Right now, though, Hudson is the best position player on this Arizona roster. His 2007 Gold Glove was his 3 rd consecutive, and his offensive numbers (.294/.376/.441, 47 XBH, 70 BB) were very good for a second baseman. LF Eric Byrnes had a good season this year, with a line of .286/.353/.460, but for a power position, it’s not great, and, if the numbers are roughly the same (as they are in this case), you take the middle infielder.
Colorado Rockies: Matt Holliday, LF
Here’s where I sound smart. When I wrote the first edition of this back in April, I said, “Holliday is a really good hitter who has gotten unnoticed for quite some time. I think it’s time he got his due.” Okay, it wasn’t that hard to predict, but his numbers this year were outstanding. He won the NL batting title with an average of .340, finished 4 th in HR (36), 6 th in OBP (.405), 2 nd in SLG % (.607), and 3 rd in OPS (1.012). The second-place finisher on the Rockies is rookie Troy Tulowitzki, who should have won the Gold Glove at SS, and who also hit 24 HR, posted an OBP of .359, and 62 XBH. The 23-year-old will win his share of Gold Gloves if there is any justice, but Holliday’s more established and is an MVP candidate in his own right.
Los Angeles Dodgers: James Loney, 1B
This was a tough pick. The Dodgers have refused to play their young talent (Loney, Matt Kemp, and Andre Ethier), instead deciding to opt for players who are either overage (Jeff Kent is a great option as a 39-year-old second basemen) or overrated (Juan Pierre is a below-average center fielder in almost every way). They’re even considering spending $30 million a year on Alex Rodriguez, when they have their own stud prospect, Andy LaRoche, languishing in the minor leagues. If I had to choose one player who is the best on the Dodgers, I’d go with Loney. He didn’t play a game until June 10 th, but he still managed to post a line of .331/.381/.538, with 15 HR, and 37 XBH in only 96 games.
San Diego Padres: Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Gonzalez is really the only option among remaining Padres players. Mike Cameron is a free agent, Milton Bradley is a nut job, and Marcus and Brian Giles are really not very impressive hitters anymore. Despite playing in spacious Petco Park, a haven for pitchers, Gonzalez managed to hit .282, with a SLG % of .502, an OPS of .849, as well as hitting 46 doubles, 30 HR, and 79 XBH, all numbers that lead the Padres.
San Francisco Giants: Randy Winn, RF
I didn’t want to pick this one. All my options are awful. 3B Pedro Feliz is tremendous defensively, but horrendous offensively. Dave Roberts is 35, and his OBP was almost as high as his SLG % (.331-.364). Omar Vizquel combines qualities from both of the first two guys, as he’s both tremendous defensively and tremendously old (he’s 40). The only decent hitter on this terrible team is Winn, and he’s not exactly a slugger. His numbers: .300/.353/.445, 14 HR, and 57 XBH. This would still go to Barry Bonds if he was coming back, and failing that, it would be free agent catcher Bengie Molina. This team sucks.
