Cliff Lee + Grady Sizemore?

Question

If Lee is front runner for the Cy Young why shouldn't Grady be a front runner for MVP he is having a spectacular year.

Answer 1

lee is definitely gonna get the cy young no contest but grady is not the best player that is contributing to his team plus mvp is nostly given to players on a wining team thus making them the most valubale player i still am a fan of grady for his speed and power

Answer 2

Cy Young is specifically for the 'best' pitcher.

Why MVP is most valuable to his team and looks at what the team would be like without the player.

If the Indians didn't have Sizemore, they'd be in pretty well the same spot.

I think he should have gotten the MVP last year.

If the MVP is simply for 'best player', then he would have a shot

Answer 3

For MVP voting, you usually have to be a playoff contender to win and the Indians are probably not going to the playoffs. Plus, Carlos Quentin has very similar stats and the White Sox are almost guaranteed to go to the playoffs making him "more valuable"

Answer 4

The problem is the club is mired in also-ran status. Sizemore is having a great season, but voters will look to a player in the playoffs, while honoring Lee like Tribe hurler Gaylord Perry was back in the day.

Answer 5

Lee wins the CY young no question but not to sure Grady has enough to win mvp

Answer 6

I totally agree with you! It would be so awesome if they both won huge awards!

Answer 7

Cliff Lee doesn't have a lot of competition because he's pretty much dominated the AL like no one else.  Sizemore has been fantastic but he hasn't blown everyone else away, Carlos Quentin, Dustin Pedroia, Justin Morneau and Josh Hamilton are all worthy candidates as well.

Answer 8

OK, I'm a Cleveland fan and I even named my dog Grady but I don't think he'll come close to winning the MVP.  Just compare his stats with Carlos Quentin.

HR: GS 31, CQ 36

RBI: GS 84, CQ 100

BA: GS .273, CQ .288

SLG: GS .525, CQ .571

then add the fact that the White Sox are in 1st place and the Indians are in 4th and you'll see that Sizemore doesn't have a chance at the MVP this year.

Answer 9

Sizemore leads the American League in Runs Created.  He's stolen 35 bases and only been caught 4 times.  He's knocked in 84 runs and hit 31 home runs from the lead-off spot.  He plays an important and difficult defensive position and does it very well (Gold Glove last year, if we're pretending that means something).  His batting average isn't impressive, but his on-base percentage, which is far more important for a lead-off hitter, is .385.  He's only missed 4 games.  Among American Leaguers, he is: third in extra-base hits, fourth in offensive win percentage, and first in power/speed number.

That his team is 10 games out is irrelevant. If Barry Bonds hit 90 home runs one year, but he was playing with a bunch of little-leaguers so he only won 15 games, who would that year's MVP be?  Barry Bonds.  A player's teammates don't affect his, individual, value to the team, and he shouldn't be penalized (or awarded) for their performance.

So yes, especially now that Kinsler and Quentin have excused themselves from the race, I think Sizemore deserves serious consideration.  As do Joe Mauer (despite his single-digit power output), Dustin Pedroia, Milton Bradley and Alex Rodriguez (despite missing a combined 58 games, they're 1-2 in batting wins), and perhaps Cliff Lee himself (best ERA, best record, best SO/walk, second most innings pitched).