After going a perfect 5-for-5, the voters swung and missed with the Jimmy Rollins MVP pick. While there wasn’t a particularly great choice – or even good choice for that matter – Rollins was clearly a misguided vote. Rollins had a fine season, but he was picked for all of the wrong (and archaic) reasons. He played great defense (although not quite Gold Glove quality) from the most important defensive position. However, the impressive 139 runs scored were more of a reflection of staying healthy (716 at-bats) and the lineup around him, as his .344 OBP wasn’t anything special. When you factor in his home ballpark, his .875 OPS is good, not great. In fact, it was only the 22nd best mark in the National League.
His excellent base stealing helped (87 percent success rate), but that really only adds 35 total bases to his resume and never advances another runner in the process. There’s clear value in being the first shortstop in the NL in 34 years to play in every game of a season, but there’s a legitimate argument he was only the third most valuable player on his own team (and own infield). Chase Utley missed time with injury, but he had a superior OPS by .101 and played even better defense from a middle infield position. There’s even an argument that Rollins was the fifth best player on his team, as Ryan Howard, Pat Burrell and Aaron Rowand all had higher OPSs, and Rowand is the game’s best defensive center fielder. Maybe defense makes up for the difference, but Hanley Ramirez was by far the better hitter from the SS position.
I’m not sure whom I would have voted for (probably Jake Peavy), but I do know that the person who finished with the 100th best on-base percentage in baseball probably doesn’t deserve the hardware.
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