Top 50 most Valuable Players

Cardinals · Post by **Cardinals** » Sat Aug 23, 2008 2:02 pm

from Nate Silver - SI/BP for those that still don't know him.

The Pirates landed 4 of the games most 50 valuable, a nice 8%, including 15% of the top 20.

#49. John Lackey, P, Angels, Age 29 (--). Lackey has that sort of Chuck Knoblauch thing going on, where he's been called 'underrated' so many times that he may now be overrated. He's been an exceptionally consistent and exceptionally durable pitcher; the triceps injury that kept him out of action in April represented the first time that Lackey had ever been on the DL.

#17. Ryan Braun, LF, Brewers, Age 24 (--). One of the hazards of being a baseball writer is that youÃll not infrequently get e-mails from friends, family, wives, and coaches of players when you have something critical to say about them. I got one such e-mail from a very close relative of Ryan Braun last year after IÃd bashed his defense at third base, which rated at 21 runs below average last year according to our Prospectus Fielding Runs metric. This year, the Brewers were smart enough to move him to left field, where heÃs actually become quite a good defensive player able to fully exploit his athleticism. That really resolves the only outstanding question we had about Ryan Braun, who is going to have a 50-HR season or two once he reaches his peak.

15. Tim Lincecum, P, Giants, Age 24 (41). When I circulated a draft copy of this list to the Baseball Prospectus internal mailing list, I had several people tell me that LincecumÃs rating was low. But IÃm hedging just a little bit because, while I understand all of the biomechanical perfection behind his unorthodox-looking delivery, I want to see him get another complete, injury-free season under his belt before IÃm completely ready to sign off on it. Pound-for-pound, certainly, heÃs already the best pitcher in baseball.

11. Brian McCann, C, Braves, Age 24 (9). Catchers who hit like this donÃt grow on trees. Since World War II, in fact, just seven catchers aged 24 or younger have hit .300 or better in a season in which they also hit 20 home runs. Those are Johnny Bench, Yogi Berra, Gary Carter, Carlton Fisk, Mike Piazza, Joe TorreÃ³and McCann, who did so in 2006 and has a chance to do so again this year.

Is McCann elite yet?

Mets · Post by **Mets** » Sat Aug 23, 2008 6:34 pm

Link?

I want to see where he ranks Andruw Jones this year....he's been unreasonably high in previous versions.

Rangers · Post by **Rangers** » Sat Aug 23, 2008 6:39 pm

1. Hanley Ramirez
David Wright
Albert Pujols
Evan Longoria
Grady Sizemore
Jose Reyes
Joe Mauer
Alex Rodriguez
CC Sabathia
Johan Santana

Brian McCann
Jake Peavy
Chase Utley
Miguel Cabrera
Tim Lincecum
Curtis Granderson
Ryan Braun
Brandon Webb
Scott Kazmir
Cole Hamels

Josh Hamilton
Josh Beckett
Jay Bruce
Felix Hernandez
Justin Upton
Russell Martin
Matt Holliday
Joba Chamberlin
Ian Kinsler
Ryan Zimmerman

Dan Haren
Matt Wieters
Jimmy Rollins
Nick Markakis
Prince Fielder
Lance Berkman
Rich Harden
Mark Teixeira
Roy Halladay
Dustin Pedroia

Chad Billingsley
Edinson Volquez
Carlos Zambrano
Howie Kendrick
Carlos Beltran
B.J. Upton
Geovany Soto
Dan Uggla
John Lackey
50. Matt Kemp

Astros · Post by **Astros** » Sat Aug 23, 2008 6:56 pm

Any list of most valuable players that doesn't have Pujols at #1 is wrong

DBacks · Post by **DBacks** » Sat Aug 23, 2008 7:49 pm

Position value....age.... it could be argued.

Mets · Post by **Mets** » Sat Aug 23, 2008 9:20 pm

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/artic ... cleid=7975

Cardinals · Post by **Cardinals** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 11:18 am

Let's give a nice Pittsburgh welcome to our fifth top 50 member, Dan Haren:

31. Dan Haren, P, Diamondbacks, Age 27 (--). Here's a guy who just really understands how to pitch, mixing in fastball, splitter, and slider in perfect ratios. PECOTA likens him to a young Curt Schilling, which sounds just about right.

A couple more fun facts-

of the 50, 17 pitchers are listed. Three reside in Pittsburgh, so 17% of the elite pitchers are Pirates.

After acquiring the fifth member of the group, Pittsburgh now has 10% overall of the top 50 players according to this list. Not shabby.

Rangers · Post by **Rangers** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 5:36 pm

Not to be an instigator or anthing, but looking back a couple of months, how do you have Joba so high on there and no Papelbon? With Joba struggling to stay healthy as a starter, isn't he pretty much Papelbon with way fewer skins on the wall?

Royals · Post by **Royals** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 9:02 pm

Tigers wrote:Not to be an instigator or anthing, but looking back a couple of months, how do you have Joba so high on there and no Papelbon? With Joba struggling to stay healthy as a starter, isn't he pretty much Papelbon with way fewer skins on the wall?

Yup. And Paps should have been up there in the first place.

Cardinals · Post by **Cardinals** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 9:25 am

Oh yeah, by no means do I think this list is the be all end all of valuable players, but I do think it represents a pretty good gauge of a players worth going forward, even if I disagree a good bit with a bunch of things, including Papelbon not being there. I would also say Granderson is way, way way too high and I'm not sure that I would have either Volquez or Zambrano on this list.