Best position player in MLB: #5

[Apparition]

1. Mike Trout

2. Bryce Harper

3. Mookie Betts

4. José Altuve

5. ???

[Apparition]

Still incredulous that a guy who's currently slashing .217/.355/.479 is #2 on this list.

[playmaker8267]

I'll take Votto here but he's on a short leash. He's seen significant dips in virtually every offensive category this year. For a 34 year old 1B, he won't hold this spot unless he has a big second half.

[crab1106]

Very hard but went with Freeman. He's been very unrated lately. Other guys I considered are Machado and Arenado. Really this is where it becomes subjective. Not sure why Benintendi is on the list.

[GSUeagles14]

honestly this is pretty easily ramirez. Hes getting seriously underrated. The guys has a 168 wrc+ and is prob due some positive regression.

[Apparition]

5 hours ago, crab1106 said:

Not sure why Benintendi is on the list.

Why wouldn't he be? He's outplayed half the guys on it this year.

[crab1106]

4 hours ago, Starless said:

Why wouldn't he be? He's outplayed half the guys on it this year.

One month he played below his expectations and the next he played above. My bet is he's in between those expectations. If we include guys who get really hot might as well include Albies, Ozuna and Torres. All those players just not in the same class as the rest of the players in this poll. Benny has potential and if his hot streak stabilizes at this level then sure. That just doesnt have a history of happening for him. I say he ends up being Yeilch, whos not on this list.

[MWil23]

I'm going to keep voting for him, well, because...how could you argue against this?

[tom cody]

Jose Ramirez. 

[ramssuperbowl99]

Torn between Kris Bryant and Lindor.

[Apparition]

10 hours ago, crab1106 said:

One month he played below his expectations and the next he played above. My bet is he's in between those expectations. If we include guys who get really hot might as well include Albies, Ozuna and Torres. All those players just not in the same class as the rest of the players in this poll. Benny has potential and if his hot streak stabilizes at this level then sure. That just doesnt have a history of happening for him. I say he ends up being Yeilch, whos not on this list.

He's only got one full year at the major league level and was a top-5 prospect in all of baseball prior to that. What he's doing right now is what was expected of him. I agree that he's probably not a top-15 player as of yet but he certainly warrants consideration, given his skill set and current production. And frankly, half this list is comprised of guys with no more than a year or two of high-level production behind them. 

[ramssuperbowl99]

8 minutes ago, Starless said:

 And frankly, half this list is comprised of guys with no more than a year or two of high-level production behind them. 

Name half that list. I'll be kind and round down to 7.

 

The spoiler here is that Benintendi does not belong on this list ahead of Christian Yelich, Anthony Rizzo, Daniel Murphy, Buster Posey, Charlie Blackmon, Brian Dozier, Justin Turner, Kyle Seager...and probably at least a few other guys. Lorenzo Cain is arguable. 

[Apparition]

1 minute ago, ramssuperbowl99 said:

Name half that list. I'll be kind and round down to 7. 

I didn't mean literally half, but Segura, Corey Seager, Judge, Lindor and Ramirez have all been performing at this level no more than a year or two. 

[crab1106]

7 minutes ago, ramssuperbowl99 said:

The spoiler here is that Benintendi does not belong on this list ahead of Christian Yelich, Anthony Rizzo, Daniel Murphy, Buster Posey, Charlie Blackmon, Brian Dozier, Justin Turner, Kyle Seager...and probably at least a few other guys. Lorenzo Cain is arguable. 

This is my point. Benintendi was put on this with recency bias, similar to the arguments that Betts was better than Trout. Players get really hot sometimes. Hot streaks shouldn't raise their profile.

[playmaker8267]

2 hours ago, ramssuperbowl99 said:

Name half that list. I'll be kind and round down to 7.

 

The spoiler here is that Benintendi does not belong on this list ahead of Christian Yelich, Anthony Rizzo, Daniel Murphy, Buster Posey, Charlie Blackmon, Brian Dozier, Justin Turner, Kyle Seager...and probably at least a few other guys. Lorenzo Cain is arguable. 

Benintendi shouldn't be on this list over guys like Blackmon and Rizzo. He should get All Star consideration for his production and the fact he's hit in multiple spots in the lineup, in addition to playing a capable center field when asked. Benintendi's an abysmal baserunner, and he's underwhelming 2017 both tell me that he needs to show more before he appears on lists like this.

 

A stat to chew on for those who haven't voted yet..

Qualifiers with .300 AVG, .900 OPS, 150 wRC+, with home runs (Last 3 calendar years)
J.D. Martinez, 114
Mike Trout, 108
Joey Votto, 86
Freddie Freeman, 83
Jose Altuve, 63