Matt Holliday the NL MVP Frontrunner?

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So the Colorado Rockies won 14 of their last 15 to finish one half game back in the NL West. We all know it takes big performances from keys players to win big games, and Matt Holliday is a big player. He's stepped up his game big time in 2007, more than any other Rockies player, arguably more than any player in the NL. He not only leads the National League in batting average, at .340, he also leads in hits with 218, doubles with 50, and RBIs with 137. He's second in slugging percentage at .607, third in runs with 120, and fourth in homers with 36. Okay, so his on base percentage is just .405, only good enough for sixth. Give the guy a break, he's only human. He's also third in errors among left fielders, with just 3. He was better than Barry Bonds in every major statistical category except on base percentage. Oh... I forgot... Bonds isn't being mentioned for MVP... that's another story... sorry. Back to Holliday, he's had the best season of anyone in the National League, notwithstanding one bad call at home plate. He can't ump and play ball at the same time, people.

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Bberg11Varsity

813 days ago

Score -2

What the hell does Bonds have to do with anything

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DonatevoMajor Leaguer

813 days ago

Score 0

That was my point, nothing. Get a sense of humor.

Donnie35JV Squad

813 days ago

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Nope its Jimmy Rollins leading the MVP right now, and it will stay that way. Jimmy has been more important to the Phillies than Holliday has been to the Rockies for example: The Rockies lead the NL in ERA in the second half of the season. The Phillies have the 14th worst ERA in the NL. Rollins has played in every game and had to deal with injuries to Utley, Howard, Victorino, and the slump of Burrell. Holliday and the Rockies were pretty healthy all year. Rollins hit 30 homeruns as a leadoff hitter and shattered the record for runs scored by a shortstop, which is also the most important position behind the pitcher. He only commited like 10 errors or so. Holliday is an outfielder, a slighly important postion but he doesn't have to call plays or be covering a base on constant when there is a runner on second base. I just believe that Rollins is more important to the Phillies than Holliday is to the Rockies. I'm not saying that Holliday isn't needed by the Rox bc beleive me he is but I thought the Phillies would be nowhere where they are right now if Rollins did not play like he did. Therefore, I think he is the head runner for the MVP and eventual MVP winner

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DonatevoMajor Leaguer

813 days ago

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Only 11 errors, not bad for a shortstop. And he hit .296 with an OBP of .344. Great.

813 days ago

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Most Valuable Player? Hmm.. MATT HOLLIDAY! Even though J-Roll was in the 30-30 club this year, Holliday's stats are just too incredible for him NOT to be MVP. Firstly, the only things that J-Roll leads over Holliday are runs and stolen bases (which is proper for a leadoff hitter when comparing him to someone in the heart of the order).

Next, look at the rest of the stats. As Donatevo said, .340 BA, leads the league, 36 HRs (4th), 137 RBIs (good for 1st), 2nd in SLG (.607), first in doubles, 6th in OBP with .405, 1st in Total Bases with 386, and 3rd in runs scored with 120.

J-Roll, being a leadoff hitter, should have an OBP in the high .300s at least right? He has an OBP of .344. His batting average is below .300 (.296), and he's got on base less than Holliday.. and he's a leadoff hitter.

Holliday has had the better year, and he has taken the Rockies to the playoffs for the 2nd time in franchise history almost by himself. Sure, he has guys like Atkins, Helton, and Tulowitzki, but the Phillies have some players who might even be considered minor candidates for the MVP, including Ryan Howard and Chase Utley. The Phillies also had Aaron Rowand, who has definitely helped them a lot this year.

Therefore, the most VALUABLE player would have to be MATT HOLLIDAY.. for the 1000th time.

DonatevoMajor Leaguer

813 days ago

Score 1

Thanks, Romi!

813 days ago

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Thank YOU for the article.

TylersaltAll-Star

813 days ago

Score 1

30-30 club? Try 20-20-20-20. 20 doubles, 20 triples, 20 homers, 20 steals. Only fourth player to do that (kind of shows you the emphasis that MVP voters and the media have on power, because one of the other four was Detroit's Curtis Granderson this year, who had a monster season but is getting no love for anything from anybody). You can't go wrong with either Rollins or Holliday.

DonatevoMajor Leaguer

813 days ago

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But you'll go less wrong, with Holliday.

813 days ago

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Yes, that's definitely true, TS. It's definitely a great accomplishment, BUT, is it really that useful for someone to hit 20 triples rather than be in the top 4 in RBIs. I understand what you say about not going wrong with Rollins, but like Donatevo said, being 1st in BA, hits, and RBIs, 4th in HRs, and 2nd in slugging percentage just proves that Holliday is more valuable than Rollins. But that's just MY opinion.

JuTMSY4Legend

813 days ago

Score 2

You guys are aware that Rollins and Holliday do different things in their respective lineups...

Consider this, Hollisday had 120 runs, 216 hits, 36 homers, 137 RBIs (in 163 games!), a BA of .340 and a OBP of .405

As compared to Ryan Howard's 94 runs, 142 hits, 47 homers, 136 (RBIs), .268 BA and .392 OBP...

The difference...Howard is the consumate power hitter whereas, Holliday is more of a 3 hole hitter...but, Howard's Power numbers are better...and his OBP is relatively close to that of Holliday...yet Howard has about a 1% shot at the MVP

Jimmy sets the table for Howard to get those numbers...what he does is different...but to have the power numbers Jimmy has (30 homers, 94 RBIs) while scoring 139 runs and having 212 hits...

Not to mention this amazing statistic...When Jimmy Rollins gets on base the Phillies are 84-52...that's a .617 winning %...

813 days ago

Score 1

Good stats. I love the fact that you emphasized that Holliday had the opportunity to play in 163 GAMES! Howard being MVP? If the 1% means that all the voters are high, or all of them got paid to vote for him... sure.

DonatevoMajor Leaguer

813 days ago

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Doesn't playing in 163 games mean he's durable, not to mention tough and dedicated?

JuTMSY4Legend

813 days ago

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Plus, the person who wrote this article spelled Matt Holliday's name wrong...heh

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813 days ago

Score 1

It's a good thing I can edit pages, huh JuT?

JuTMSY4Legend

813 days ago

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I was pointing out the fact that the guy trumpeting Holliday's virtues can't even spell his name right...

TylersaltAll-Star

813 days ago

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He spelled it right the first time, and not the second time.

813 days ago

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He didn't spell it right in the article or the title (*cough* that was me *cough*)

DonatevoMajor Leaguer

813 days ago

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Sorry about the misspellings, rookie mistake.

JoshkrossDraft Pick

813 days ago

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It's definitely Rollins. Remember this is Most Valuable Player. Not the Bestest Best Player that was ever Best. Value. Valuable. Not Best. Rollins was by far the factor in keeping the Phillies in the Race all year, and winning in the end. If this were the greatest player award, your arguments about Holliday's stats being better would be conclusive.

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TylersaltAll-Star

813 days ago

Score 1

Let's note that Holliday's WPA is 5.06 and Rollins' WPA is 3.20.

JuTMSY4Legend

813 days ago

Score -1

Woman Press Announcer?

JoshkrossDraft Pick

813 days ago

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TS, how does that break out against the rest of his team as a percentage difference? IE, relative to his teammates, how does that factor in?

JuTMSY4Legend

813 days ago

Score 0

I mock the fact that you use a composite statistic and you give me a minus...

effin' baby...

I just gave you a stat that says when Rollins gets on base the Phils win over 60% of the time...

TylersaltAll-Star

813 days ago

Score 2

Holliday's Win Probability Added is independent of his teammates except for the fact that it takes game situations into account. Here is a list of the WPAs for all of the Rockies this year. Holliday leads it at 5.06, followed by Todd Helton at 4.8 and Brad Hawpe at 4.11. For comparison, Rollins didn't lead the Phillies; Chase Utley did at 3.78, then Ryan Howard at 3.48, then Rollins at 3.20.

TylersaltAll-Star

813 days ago

Score -2

I just think you were trying to be funny and failed. Hence the minus.

TylersaltAll-Star

813 days ago

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Therefore, according to this metric, Holliday added more wins to the Rockies' record than Rollins did to the Phils', so he's more valuable. I'm not saying that this is the only metric out there, but when you're arguing about value, I think it's a worthwhile one to consider.

JoshkrossDraft Pick

813 days ago

Score 1

Good answer TS. Now, does that stat take into account games played/vs. missed? Or is it, when they play? Because Rollins kept the phillies alive while utley was out and while howard was out.

JuTMSY4Legend

813 days ago

Score -2

I don't see much substance in the "stat"... sabremetrics ruins baseball...

TylersaltAll-Star

813 days ago

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Have you even read about the stat, JuT? Don't make blanket uninformed statements.

TylersaltAll-Star

813 days ago

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Josh -- it does not take games missed into account, especially by teammates. That is not captured in the stat.

JuTMSY4Legend

813 days ago

Score -1

well...i just clicked on your link... it compares similar situations...but all situations are different...an inherent flaw imo...

JuTMSY4Legend

813 days ago

Score 1

In there's your problem, thanks Josh... Moreover...the St. Louis Cardinals won the world series last year...and Jeff Weaver was their best pitcher...

JoshkrossDraft Pick

813 days ago

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When you take into account games played, rollins clearly leads his team. Here's your stat adjusted for games played (I took gamesplayed/162 and multiplied that %age against the original):

rollins 3.20 howard 3.09 utley 3.08 Holliday 4.94 Helton 4.56

Hawpe 3.86

TylersaltAll-Star

813 days ago

Score 2

Over time, instances of each of the finite number of game states in a baseball game average out to be pretty damn similar to other instances of the same state. Again, nobody is saying that this is perfect, nor is anyone saying that any stat is going to be able to capture everything about a given situation, but you can't argue with statistical methodology. It's like saying science doesn't work because of God. Please, nobody respond to that last metaphor. That's a discussion I really don't want to get into and probably doesn't belong here. If anyone wants to argue about that with me, email me. Don't do it on the site.

JuTMSY4Legend

813 days ago

Score 0

but you can... Its like the english language...there's an exception for every rule...

JoshkrossDraft Pick

813 days ago

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Let me add that Holliday, Helton and Hawp played 158,154,152 games respectively. Rollins played 162, while howard and utley played in 144 and 132. I'd also wonder how much of a park factor even though Philly is a hitters park, effects those numbers

TylersaltAll-Star

813 days ago

Score 0

That's an interesting translation, Josh. I hadn't thought of that. Interesting. I think that Rollins' durability and defense are a big plus on his side too. 716 at bats? That's ridiculous!

JuTMSY4Legend

813 days ago

Score 0

Keep in mind, Rollins was better away from Philly...

TylersaltAll-Star

813 days ago

Score 0

I think that park factors are normalized, and I know that WPA takes into account whether you're home or away.

TylersaltAll-Star

813 days ago

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JuT -- besides, I think baseball is doing just fine since the statistical revolution. Record attendance, great ballgames, fantastic analysis that isn't the same old cliched crap over and over and over again. It's delving deeper into what makes baseball so fantastic.

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JuTMSY4Legend

813 days ago

Score 1

Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa... Chicks dig the long ball, not numbers...

TylersaltAll-Star

813 days ago

Score 1

Even since the steroid thing blew up! Besides, I'm getting tail, so some chicks dig numbers. :-p

JuTMSY4Legend

813 days ago

Score 0

Cal Ripken Ryan Howard, David Ortiz, A-Rod...

JoshkrossDraft Pick

813 days ago

Score 2

TS, I'd like to see the numbers that prove that stat-geeks get more tail than Jocks :). Whats YOUR WPA?

TylersaltAll-Star

813 days ago

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I guess my point is that if sabermetrics had "ruined" baseball, we wouldn't be seeing this popularity. I deny the appropriateness of your hyperbole.

JuTMSY4Legend

813 days ago

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When Pussy Acquired?

JoshkrossDraft Pick

813 days ago

Score 1

Wild Poon Acquired, numbnuts

JuTMSY4Legend

813 days ago

Score 1

duh...thx

JuTMSY4Legend

813 days ago

Score -1

D21Dubs, I know you're out there plussing and minusing ; - )

TylersaltAll-Star

813 days ago

Score 2

Why Geeks make good dads!...and therefore why women prefer to procreate with them.

TylersaltAll-Star

813 days ago

Score 2

D-dub is actually way too frustrated with arguing with the anti-stat brigade and not getting anywhere that he doesn't participate in these arguments anymore.

DonatevoMajor Leaguer

812 days ago

Score 0

Thanks for piping in so much guys!

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Orod412Waterboy

811 days ago

Score 0

I'd be amazed if they gave the MVP to Holliday. While I personally think he deserves it as much as anyone, I believe Rollins is a lock for the award. Every MLB publication has been all over him for months, and with the Phillies able to clinch a playoff berth, I don't see how they wouldn't give it to him.

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DonatevoMajor Leaguer

811 days ago

Score 0

If they get knocked out right away. Wouldn't that make a difference?

811 days ago

Score 0

I kinda thought that whoever won the NLDS would get the MVP. I agree with Donatevo; if they aren't the best competitors in the playoffs then it doesn't make THAT much of a difference.

Manny StilesMajor Leaguer

811 days ago

Score 4

Umm, Romi... the MVP voting (Cy Young, RoY, etc.) already took place. The votes are handed in the day after the season ends. Whoever wins the NLDS is irrelevant.

811 days ago

Score 1

SNAP! Ummm.. well, then you should be hearing crickets right about now...

Kenrick ThomasVarsity Captain

811 days ago

Score 0

Matt Holiday shoud win the MVP, point blink peroid!!!

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DonatevoMajor Leaguer

810 days ago

Score 0

Thank you.

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