Jose Ramirez is by far the most valuable player for the Watchmen. He earned this title simply for being true to the franchise by signing a seven-year, $140 million contract extension when he could have made $50 million or more by signing with another team.
But who will be the runner-up MVP? As good as Ramirez is with his 25 home runs, 104 RBI, 14 stolen bases, .283 batting average, 69 runs batted and 37 doubles leading the AL, he alone doesn’t get the credit for making the Guardians top of the American League. Central division.
I asked for help from my Twitter followers choose the MVP of the runner-up team. Most of those who answered named second baseman Andres Jimenez, closer Emmanuel Klas and lead hitter Steven Kwan. Manager Terry Francona also received votes.
“Andres Jimenez,” @gcastelli216 tweeted. “Clutch throughout the season surprisingly filled the power void when needed. All Stars. Possible Golden Glove.
Nobody argues that Jimenez is the most improved player in the daily squad.
Jimenez batted .218 in 68 games with the Indians last season with five home runs and 16 RBIs. Last May 16, he hit .179 and was selected to Triple-A Columbus to work on his swing. On August 8 last year, he was called back to the Indians, and he continued to fight for the record. His batting average never went over .222 last season.
Jimenez is hitting .304 this season with 15 home runs and 59 RBIs. He scored 49 times.
Francisco Lindor hits .268 with 21 home runs and 85 RBIs with the Mets. He scored 80 points.
Lindor is definitely having a better season than 2021 in his first year in New York (.230 average, 20 home runs, 63 RBIs) after the Indians traded him to the Mets for Jimenez and Amed Rosario, but it would be unfair to say that the Indians/Guardians lost in the trade. Rosario, second-best with the Guardians for most of the season, is hitting .286 with eight home runs and 51 RBIs. Rosario and Ramirez share the team lead with 69 runs scored.
And while most campaigns for Gimenez as Guardians MVP runner-up point to what he did at the plate, look at his game on the field: he only made six errors in 384 fielding chances as a second baseman in 91 game. He played 18 games without error in 60 fielding opportunities.
Most respondents, torn between choosing Claes or Jimenez, ended up choosing Jimenez, but look at Claes:
Clayse, with his deadly 100 mph cutter, is tied for the Major League lead with 29 saves. His numbers got even better after he dug deeper despite being flagged in a 3-2 loss to the Guardian in Seattle on August 26. He has only allowed six baserunners in his last 19 matches. He leads the major tournaments with 51 games played. He hit a home run on April 11 against the Royals in his second game of the season and has since hit only one home run in his last 54 games. He has a 1.20 ERA, and opponents are hitting him with just .156.
Stowe’s Joe, @JoeVendors on Twitter, is going with Kwan as his second MVP: “Stephen Kwan is the spark that makes the offense go,” Joe tweeted. “His defense is also excellent.
This defense was fully demonstrated on 26 August when he dived into the stands in Seattle to catch a flying ball. He made just four errors all season and had seven assists to his credit.
Kwan is indeed the spark that keeps Rosario and Ramirez following him in batting order. Kwan is hitting .298 and has 66 points. He has three homers and 35 RBIs.
Anyone who votes for Francona is not wrong either. He has been in charge of the Indians/Guardians for 10 years and has won more games (819) than any other manager in franchise history.
Pre-season forecasters, with the Guardians finishing last in the Central Division, didn’t take into account how much Francona gets the most out of his players year after year. Shame on these soothsayers.
I did not know that
…until I read the Snapple bottle cap.
“Jingle Bells” was originally written for Thanksgiving. … Chameleons can move their eyes in different directions at the same time. … About a third of a person’s taste buds become numb during a flight. … Peanut butter can be turned into diamonds. … The first balloon, launched on September 19, 1783 by a scientist named Pilatre de Rozier, carried a duck, a sheep and a rooster as passengers. … The sun is actually white. Earth’s atmosphere makes it yellow.