This is part three in my four-part series where I gather the best in baseball. This part is my favorite of the four. I take the best at each position in both the National and American Leagues, and I compare them to see which is the better overall player. Remember, I said overall player, not just the best offensive player. I say that because someone was bound to complain if I didn't mention why I didn't think Miguel Cabrera was the best third basemen in the NL.
For the most part, if you see statistics, they're from the 2006 season. The 2007 season isn't old enough to have a reasonable sample size from yet, so 2006 gives the most accurate information on a player's performance. If you don't agree with me on something (which is bound to happen), let me know and I'll do my best to explain myself.
Catcher
NL- Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves
AL- Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins
This might be my favorite position to pick. The great thing about these guys is that you could add their ages together (both 23) and they're still younger than Julio Franco. Going by 2006 stats, McCann has better power numbers (24 HR, 93 RBI to 13 and 84 by Mauer), but Mauer has the edge in batting average (.347 to .333) and OBP (.429 to .388) Offensively, I'd say their pretty even. Defensively, the two are almost identical in terms of fielding percentage. When it comes to throwing out baserunners, though ,McCann is at a disadvantage, as he only threw out 23% of runners trying to steal. Mauer's percentage is 38%, a large improvement over McCann.
All things considered, Mauer is a better defensive catcher and finished 6th in the 2006 AL MVP voting.
Winner: Joe Mauer
1st Baseman
NL- Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals
AL- Justin Morneau, Minnesota Twins
Hey, it's the 2006 AL MVP against the guy who should have won the NL MVP. Morneau's great, honestly, I'm one of the people that believe he was the right guy to win the MVP last year, and he's going to have a great career. But honestly, Pujols is better than him in just about every way. Higher batting average, more home runs, more RBIs, higher on base percentage, higher OPS, and on top of that, Pujols is a Gold-Glove caliber first basemen.
This might just be the easiest choice of all of them.
Winner: Albert Pujols
2nd Basemen
NL- Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies
AL- Robinson Cano, New York Yankees
This is another easy one. Robinson Cano, while admittedly having a high batting average of .442 last year, drew 18 walks in 482 at-bats the entire season. Only 18. In the National League, the Phillies' Utley had a higher on-base percentage (.379 to Cano's .365) despite having a batting average 33 points lower. Utley is, without a doubt, a superior second basemen right now. He hit 32 HRs last year and had 102 RBI, much higher than Cano's 15 and 78. (PS: I didn't put Placido Polanco here, but that's because he only played 110 games last year and only 109 the year before. I went with the young guy instead. It wouldn't have changed the outcome.)
Give Cano a few more years to develop, then check back here.
Winner: Chase Utley
Third Baseman
NL- David Wright, New York Mets
AL- Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees
This is where the "best overall player" part comes into play. Miguel Cabrera is obviously a better offensive player than Wright, and Scott Rolen is undoubtedly the best defensive 3rd baseman of our time, but Cabrera's defense is lacking, and Rolen's bat has deteriorated the past few seasons. Nobody in the National League (except Ryan Zimmerman in a year or two) combines the two better right now than David Wright. In the AL, the choice is obviously A-Rod. Sure, he had some trouble last year that was extremely well-documented (thank you ESPN for the 24-hour Alex Rodriguez watch last summer), but, as evidenced by his monster start this year, he's still one of the top two players in all the game.
Bottom line: A-Rod's "down year last year consisted of a .290 BA with 35 HR and 121 RBI. I wish my "low scores" on exams were like that. I'd be top-ten in my class.
Winner: Alex Rodriguez
Shortstop
NL- Jose Reyes, New York Mets
AL- Carlos Guillen, Detroit Tigers
What!?! No Derek Jeter here? What the hell's going on? Oh, that's right, I went with Guillen, who has almost identical stats but is about $16 million cheaper and as underrated as Jeter is overrated. Last year, Jose Reyes had an awesome season, with 17 triples, 19 HR, 81 RBI, as well as a .300 BA and a .354 OBP, as well as 64 stolen bases. He led the majors in triples and stolen bases, and his much-improved defense makes him an amazing overall player. The scariest part of all of this? He's only 23, and getting better every year.
Bottom line: Reyes is universally known as the most exciting and electrifying player in all of baseball.
Winner: Jose Reyes
Left Field
NL- Jason Bay, Pittsburgh Pirates
AL-Manny Ramirez, Boston Red Sox
Going by reputation only, Manny should win the offensive portion of this hands-down. Based on last year though, Bay had better power numbers, and Manny had better on-base percentage and batting average, as well as slugging percentage. Who to choose, who to choose? I have an idea, let's go with the guy who doesn't mail it in at the end of the year (even though he plays in Pittsburgh).
As always, I go with the less lazy, less crazy player. Sorry Manny, but you know what that means.
Winner: Jason Bay
Center Field
NL- Carlos Beltran, New York Mets
AL- Grady Sizemore, Cleveland Indians
Yes, I know, this is the 3rd Met player I have as the best in his position. But honestly, you can't really make a case for Beltran not being the best here. Andruw Jones has lost a step and Jim Edmonds is still woozy from running into the wall too many times. Last year, Beltran combined Gold Glove defense and great power (he tied the Mets team record for home runs in a season with 41) to be the best outfielder in baseball. Grady Sizemore is quickly catching up to Beltran though. Sizemore is like a younger Beltran, with a ton of potential.
I said Sizemore was catching up to Beltran. I didn't say he has caught up yet.
Winner: Carlos Beltran
Right Field
NL- Ken Griffey Jr., Cincinnati Reds
AL- Jermaine Dye, Chicago White Sox
The American League was going to win this one no matter what, so I just picked my favorite right fielder in the National League. I could have gone with Jeff Francoeur of the Braves, the guy who has yet to discover the magical advantages of taking a pitch, but I went with Junior because he's Junior. In the AL, I had a tough time deciding between Dye and Vladimir Guerrero, but I eventually chose Dye because he had a monster 2006 and because Vlad seems to be more injury-prone nowadays.
The NL sucks at having right fielders, whereas the AL has all of the good ones.
Winner: Jermaine Dye
Designated Hitter
NL- Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies
AL- David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox
I know, I know, the DH isn't a part of the National League (and hopefully never will be). But still, it's my post, so I can do whatever I want with it. Anyway, if there were no DHs in baseball, David Ortiz would be the same liability at 1st base that Howard is. With DH positions, the only consideration is offensive production.
Bottom Line: Howard may have been better last year than Ortiz, but Big Papi is the more dangerous hitter. Just ask yourself which you would rather face with the game on the line, and you'll have the right answer.
Winner: David Ortiz
Starting Pitcher
NL- Brandon Webb, Arizona Diamondbacks
AL- Johan Santana, Minnesota Twins
For the best starting pitchers, I had to put the two most recent Cy Young winners up against each other. Roy Halladay is also in the conversation. In a year or two, we might be talking about Felix Hernandez or Daisuke Matsuzaka as the best pitcher in the game, but right now that honor belongs to one man, and it's not a very hard choice
It's got to be Santana.
Winner: Johan Santana
Closer
NL: Trevor Hoffman, San Diego Padres
AL: Joe Nathan, Minnesota Twins
The NL might have the all-time leader in saves, but the AL has the best closer right now. Mariano's getting older, Papelbon's shoulder might not hold up, but Nathan's like the hot dog brand: a safe bet, and he'll always leave you feeling satisfied.
I just compared a closing pitcher to a hot dog brand. Fantastic.
Winner: Joe Nathan
Looking at this comparison, it's easy to see why the National League has been subordinate to the American League lately. Looking at pitching throughout MLB, the AL has many more elite pitchers than the NL. That might change in a few years, with the young guns in San Francisco (Matt Cain, Noah Lowry, and Tim Linecum, to name a few) showing promise, as well as others in different teams throughout the NL (Ian Snell, Mike Pelfrey, Cole Hamels). However, in the immediate future, the AL will continue to assert itself as the superior league.
Come back later and I'll show you my All-Star lineups for each league.
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