Adam Dunn: The baseball player who made the greatest impact
Who had the greatest impact in baseball this year? Adam Dunn of the Chicago White Sox
The MVP in baseball race this year is quite compelling.
In baseball’s American League (AL) lots of people are touting Tiger’s ace Justin Verlander. They make a good case but I still think a guy that plays every day is far more deserving of MVP consideration than a pitcher who plays in 35 games a year. As important as Verlander is, and of course the Tigers don’t make the playoffs without him, the same can be said for at least a dozen other pitchers. Plus, without Cabrera and Martinez driving in big runs every day, the Tigers wouldn’t be in the playoffs either.
Jacoby Ellsbury of the Red Sox is my leading candidate for AL MVP. A little guy that plays great defense every day will probably end up with around 30 home runs and 100 rbi’s. Unless the Red Sox continue their downslide and miss the playoffs of course and then I’ll have to rethink my predictions.
The other thought is the Red Sox slide that began with the injury of Kevin Youklis. It’s possible that being out of the line up shows how valuable he actually is. But there’s some Willie Mays like I dig when a player can run, hit, hit for power and play great defense that makes me lean toward him when thinking about who’s most valuable.
In the NL I gotta go with Prince Fielder. Ryan Braun is equally valuable to the Brewers but it’s Fielder’s team. The only caveat is if the Cardinals eke out the Braves and make the playoffs. Then Albert Pujols comes into the mix and the reality is Pujols is the most valuable player in baseball anyway, whether or not he wins the MVP in a given year.
By far player who made the biggest impact this year is Adam Dunn of the White Sox. God bless him. The poor guy is having as bad a year as any Major League player has ever had. Batting 160 with around 35 rbi’s and 11 home runs in a position that needs to produce at least 100 rbi’s and strike fear into opposing pitchers hearts. Dunn is the reason the White Sox aren’t in the playoffs this year. Dunn bats 230 with even 80 rbi’s and they win 15 more games. They’re in first place. Why Sox GM Kenny Williams brought him on after the Jim Thome era was a mystery to me anyway.
I’m hoping Dunn breaks out of it next year and the Yankees endure a miserable year from Texiera or Rodriguez so they have the least valuable player and miss the playoffs. But that’s next year. This year, without a doubt, the most important player in baseball, for better or worse, is Adam Dunn.
So you’re not nominating Dunn for a fantastic player award just for “he who has made a difference, good or bad, in baseball” award? I get that. Good choice man.