Explaining my AL MVP ballot: Why I had Betts first, Britton ninth
Photo credit: Joy R. Absalon
8. David Ortiz, DH, Boston Red Sox
Big Papi deserves Most Amazing Player Award for what he accomplished in his final season at age 40. He could barely run and still hit 48 doubles while slugging 38 homers and driving in 127 runs in the middle of a lineup that won the AL East. It was a tremendous swan song.
But when evaluating MVP, I look at all aspects of value and Ortiz gets docked for not playing the field. The players I chose ahead of him didn’t just play a position; they were all elite defensively. They provided major value beyond what they did with their bats. And that’s a part of the voting for me. Because of that lack of defense, all of the players I chose ahead of Ortiz on this list had a higher WAR than Big Papi’s 5.1.
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