The MVP race of the National League is strongly disputed in the rest of the regular season, and a new competition starts to arise in the discussion – Philadelphia Phillies Outfielder/designated Hitter Kyle Schwarber. It will be a fascinating debate about value, which statistics matter and what kind of player it deserves to win the prize.
Together with Schwarber, the other two most important contenders will almost certainly be Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani, especially because he is starting to have a greater impact on the hill of the pitcher and Chicago Cubs Pete Crowrong.
Schwarber’s case becomes more an old-school that focuses on traditional teleclatistics and more subjective levels of value. When it comes to the first, he will go into play on Thursday with the National League in Home Runs and RBI and is second in both Slugging percentage and OPS. When you add that he is one of the leaders and heart and soul players of one of the best teams in baseball, as well as some of his clutch moments during the season, he receives a lot of attention and a big push from Philadelphia fans.
It is the type of season that would probably have been a SLAM-Dunk MVP prize 15 or 20 years ago.
The more new school argument against him will amount to positional value, defense and more advanced statistics.
The Ohtani case becomes fairly clear. He is a bit the dominant batter who is Schwarber (and probably a little better) and is now becoming a fixture in the pitching staff of Dodgers. As long as he stays healthy on the hill, his innings continues to increase the workload and continues to dominate as it has, it will be terribly difficult to design him as the ruling MVP of the NL.
Then there is crow-armstrong. Although he may not have the on-base skills that Schwarber and Ohtani have, he is an Elite Power Hitter (sixth in NL Slugging percentage) and he is one of the best defending players in the competition in one of the most important positions (midfield).
That defensive impact, which contributed to what is by far the highest war (victories over replacement) in the National League that arrives on Thursday (6.2, compared to 4.7 for Ohtani and 3.9 for Schwarber).
That will be the big knock against Schwarber in a more modern, analytically driven MVP selection process.
But MVP voices are not just about taking the player who has the highest war and put them at the top of your ballot. They shouldn’t be that, at least. There will always be a subjectivity, especially when it comes to the idea of ‘value’.
Some people will see value as just the best player. In that case, Ohtani would have a pretty convincing argument. Others will look at and say that the Dodgers would probably still be a Playoff team and World Series -Competent without Ohtani (as they were consistent before he arrived) and wonder where the Phillies -Line -Up could be without Schwarber. It should be a strong argument. Perhaps even strong enough to place it at the top of the MVP mood.
It is an old school versus new school debate and Schwarber hits its way to the top.
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