In my AL MVP critique, I left off two players who belong in the discussion, one on purpose and one accidentally. I've already mentioned in a previous post that while Josh Hamilton's story is remarkable, the MVP should go to the player who's created the most value, not the most good PR, for his team.
Hamilton's .910 OPS is spectacular for a center fielder, but he's really a miscast right fielder pressed into service up the middle. His 32 homers and .307 average are less impressive when you consider the launching pad in which he plays.
Many BBWAA will be bamboozled by Hamilton's nifty RBI collection, but RBIs require RBI opportunities, something Hamilton has in spades hitting in that lineup and in that ballpark.
Grady Sizemore actually has hit one more dinger than Hamilton in a tougher home field and he's a legitimate center fielder. He has added value as a leadoff hitter; unfortunately for the Indians, he was their only hitter for much of the year. His OPS of .882 is three percent lower than Hamilton's, but he's a force on the basebpaths -- 38 steals in 43 attempts.
The verdict on Sizemore, and particularly Hamilton is that they're reasonable Top Ten MVP selections, but the hardware's still saved for Mauer or Pedroia.
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