you can literally just say "they'd hit better in coors probably" without introducing a pile of meaningless math to the discussion
it doesn't matter how extreme coors is 73 plate appearances sprinkled throughout six seasons isn't a sample
― qualx, Tuesday, 8 August 2017 04:27 (six years ago) link
And "they'd hit better in coors probably" would be such an interesting way to make some kind of an attempt to figure out if Arenado and Harper and Goldschmidt belong on the same plane. Will keep that in mind, thanks.
― clemenza, Tuesday, 8 August 2017 04:36 (six years ago) link
anything not worth doing is worth doing badly
― qualx, Tuesday, 8 August 2017 04:39 (six years ago) link
Machado's really come on since the break; should have included him, and obviously he would have been automatic before the season started.
― clemenza, Tuesday, 8 August 2017 05:09 (six years ago) link
if Tino Martinez had been the best defensive third baseman when he played, he'd have been great
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 8 August 2017 11:21 (six years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.
― System, Friday, 11 August 2017 00:01 (six years ago) link
I voted Altuve, as it looks like most people will. After Trout, I put him, Harper, and Goldschmidt in the #2 group; if talent’s arranged like a pyramid, you can put Betts and four others in the #3 group. The distance between Trout and the #2s is probably greater than the distance between the next two groups.
Part of me wanted to vote for Goldschmidt, he’s such a complete player and still under-publicized (starting to change, will change more if he and Arizona have a good postseason). But, unless you’re talking about peak-era Pujols, it’s hard to put a first baseman who does everything ahead of a second baseman who does everything. The highest seasonal WAR for a second baseman since Morgan was Biggio’s 9.4 in ’97. Altuve’s on track for 9.2, and an unadjusted batting line that’ll be somewhat similar to Morgan’s in ’76--more hits, more doubles, fewer walks, fewer stolen bases.
I think Correa will join the second group next year.
― clemenza, Friday, 11 August 2017 00:48 (six years ago) link
Write-in vote for Judge.
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Friday, 11 August 2017 07:09 (six years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.
― System, Saturday, 12 August 2017 00:01 (six years ago) link
Gary Sanchez hit his 27th this afternoon in another partial season. May have to add him to the second tier soon--a catcher who might hit 40-45 in a full year with (going by dWAR, anyway) pretty good defense would be pretty irreplaceable.
― clemenza, Thursday, 24 August 2017 21:46 (six years ago) link
I shouldn't have left Machado off this list--gave in to the having-an-off-year fallacy.
― clemenza, Sunday, 13 May 2018 23:22 (five years ago) link
(That is, the fallacy that someone his age having an off year has something to do with his actual ability.)
― clemenza, Sunday, 13 May 2018 23:24 (five years ago) link
Right now, after Trout, I might put Lindor. If you look at his career box on Baseball Reference, he's never had an oWAR or dWAR less than 1.2, or a WAR less than 4.6. He's got power, hits for average, draws a decent number of walks, steals bases at an 80%+ success rate, gold-glove defense...I can't see a weakness anywhere. Betts or Yelich is probably #2 among position players, but Lindor's so good.
― clemenza, Wednesday, 7 August 2019 18:05 (four years ago) link
I'm biased here but Yelich since the 2018 ASB has basically been Barry Bonds
― frogbs, Wednesday, 7 August 2019 21:31 (four years ago) link
If first-half Mike Trout and second-half Mike Trout were separate players they'd arguably be 1 and 2
― Guayaquil (eephus!), Wednesday, 7 August 2019 23:09 (four years ago) link
In WAR its got to be Scherzer over the last 3 seasons.
― Van Horn Street, Thursday, 8 August 2019 03:44 (four years ago) link