Should David Ortiz win AL MVP this year?

Question

He leads MLB in HR: 34 RBI: 95 His OBP is .389 and his average is quickly rising


I think so and if you disagree please say who will win and stae your argument. But none of this DH stuff because he played 1st very well during interleague and the Red Sox went 16-2. We just have the convenience of being able to put an extra bat in the lineup, he should not be punished fir this.

Jim Thome is also a DH for the genius who says a DH can not win, but then suggested Thome.

I agree that Jeter is having an MVP type season(.340 + average) and is the glue that holds the Yankees together, but Ortiz is due.

Beckettgirl, I will take a million stike outs that do not matter if he provides the big hit and singlehandedly wins us about ten games per season.

Answer 1

First off, I just want to address the fan above me who claims that Derek Jeter is the standard for a great-fielding shortstop - in short, that's simply not true. He's never had better than a below-average range factor, and his play only looks good because he makes easy plays difficult. To this point, his fielding win shares put him below Michael Young, Johnny Peralta, Orlando Cabrera, Bobby Crosby, Gonzalez, Tejada, Betancourt and Juan Uribe.

As for MVP, I think my three candidates are Ortiz, Manny, and Joe Mauer, with Derek Jeter being my fourth choice. Ortiz gets the attention because of his "clutch" play, but Manny has been almost as spectacular while playing under the radar of casual fans. I'm not at all concerned about the DH thing, because each player should be utilized to contribute as much as possible, and why hurt your team by putting a below-average fielder out there every day? As the poster of this question says, Ortiz shouldn't be punished for being utilized properly.

Outside of the Sox, Mauer would be my next choice. He's putting up amazing numbers in a lineup that doesn't offer anything in the way of protection, and outside of Pudge there might not be a better defensive catcher in the American League. I don't think he'll keep this up, but he's been amazing to this point. And finally, although I get on Jeter's defense, he has been an offensive force to this point. He's on base over 40% of the time, and he's a consistent presence in a lineup that always seems to be changing because of injuries.

So, I guess my vote right now would be:

1) Ortiz
2) Manny Ramirez (a close second)
3) Joe Mauer
4) Derek Jeter

Answer 2

OK, let me start by saying that I am a huge Red Sox fan. That being said, I think Ortiz should have a chance to win the MVP (but I think he may have had a better shot last year). Right now I think he is tied for 2nd with Jeter. They are both putting up outstanding numbers and hitting clutch. If David can get his BA up over the .295 range, he will jump ahead of Jeter for 2nd.

But I believe Mauer is the top choice right now. He is having an amazing year. He not only is pushing .380, but he catches every day. Catching is the absolute ultimate defensive position. I know in the past people have thought that SS is the most important defensive position, but it is not even close to the catcher. Not only is he an outstanding defensive catcher, but he can call a game and handle a pitching staff like very few catchers in the game. The Twins staff has gelled this year and he is a huge part of that. Mauer is the MVP right now.

Answer 3

It's obvious anybody who answers this question will go with someone from their team, so here we go.
AL MVP - Derek Jeter. That alone guarantees I don't get the 10 points, but hear me out.
Obviously not a power hitter, but he does field every game, not just interleague like Ortiz. You can play the DH card all you want, but there's a glaring difference between playing the field for 18 games, and playing it for 150. It cannot be argued... he's the Gold Standard of Short Stops in the league today.
HR - 6, RBI - 59, AVG - .346, OBP - .424
Whether you like it or not, he's an absolute leader, he looks forward to clutch situations just like Ortiz does, and when he doesn't hit game winning walk-off shots like Ortiz as often, he comes up with the rbi singles & doubles that get the same job done. Add to that his stellar fielding... you know some of the plays he's made in his career are the best anybody has seen, like the flip to Posada against Oakland, or the dive into the stands aginst the Sox.

Answer 4

Yes, because what does MVP stand for? Most Valuable Player. The way I always figure it out is if you took that player off the team, how much would it hurt them? Sure, Ortiz might be a DH, but without him the Red Sox would not be where they are right now. I don't know why having to play out on the field makes a difference. They have an award for fielders too: The Gold Glove. Go Cards!!!

Answer 5

Yeah, he should be MVP. What's the difference if he's DH or does a poor job playing first all year. MVP doesn't have to be the best all around player, both offense and defense. It's the most important guy to his team. The White Sox won the World Series without Thome, so he obviously isn't that important. Big Papi all the Way!

Answer 6

So far, yes. It could be a different story at the end of the year.

And yes, he can play defense. He is also a 1st baseman. And he's played great there several times this year.

People that think he does not play defense are non-Red Sox fan that do not watch all 162 games of the year. They only watch Sox games that are played on National TV, and most likely he is the DH.

Answer 7

Wow, good question ... I use to think that if Big Papi didn't win last year, he wouldn't win this year. Not sure who will win, but, Joe Mauer, Jim Thome, Vernon Wells and Derek Jeter all deserve the same amount of consideration as Ortiz. If I had to pick one it would be Joe Mauer, just look how along with Liriano and Santana brought the Twins back into contention.

Answer 8

no, only because he's a DH. okay, he played well defensively for 18 games. Last i checked, the season was 162 games long, so for 144 games, he plays half the game. so, yes, he should be punished because he doesn't play defense, if he was that good defensively, at any position, he'd be an everyday starter, and then, yes, no question, David Ortiz is the MVP.

Answer 9

Leads the AL in HR's and RBI's and is hands down Mr. Clutch in the bottom of the 9th and 2 outs...
As a Twins fan we always love the former Twins..(with the exeption of AJ Piersinski)

Ortiz for MVP !!!

Answer 10

No, a DH should never win the MVP. If you don't play in the field then I don't think you should win the MVP. I also don't think DH stats should be considered for the Hall of Fame.