MLB 2018 regular season thread

Yeah, seems locked up at this point unless someone goes off a cliff.

 

Betts is a most worthy MVP. But it is Martinez who transformed the Sox offense this year. He's been David Ortiz plus.

 

So it's Martinez who's going to Trout Betts this time? LOL.

 

The Red Sox have two legitimate candidates, though I agree that Betts is the better option. Does that help Jose Ramirez's cause?

 

The fact that Ramirez has even made this a discussion given how great Betts has been is kinda amazing.

It's funny to think that just 15 years ago the RBI disparity between the two probably would've made Ramirez the favorite.

The vote splitting thing could be an issue now. A month ago I didn't think it would, given that Lindor was in the discussion for MVP into the summer. He's fallen off — relatively speaking, I mean he's still a monster — a bit here lately.

 

How is their vote splitting? You simply pick the MVP of the league regardless of team. It wouldn't matter if Martinez was a Yankee with the same numbers or not.

 

It matters because unless each voter who picks Betts first picks Martinez said and vice versa, one and almost surely both of them will lose points, a problem Ramirez doesn't have. FTR, I would vote Betts first and Martinez second because as an old fogey I give points for fielding over a DH.

 

Where's the line of demarcation between adult and old fogey? And where does old fart fall?

 

I would argue that groupthink has gotten even more powerful in voting in the modern era, and everyone is going to come to the same conclusion because of Betts' defense. I don't think there will be any vote splitting.

 

Ramirez is losing votes to both of them. Vote splitting is a misnomer.

 

Nothing happening in Toronto....

 

I also discounted the fact that Boston sportswriters might just vote for their entire team over Ramirez.