Mapes vs. Jeremy V: Predicting the Silver Sluggers
This feels good to say: It’s MAPES’ turn for redemption. It feels good because that means in our two most recent challenges, I have taken commanding victories. After complete and utter embarrassment for Mapes in the Home Run Derby Challenge, and a shellacking revenge story in the Vin Scully vs. Sid Bream Bobblehead Battle II, Mapes needs some cheering up.
So this is another chance for him to re-assert dominance in sports predictionism (it’s a word now, okay?) over me. Just like the Derby Challenge, this one will not be left up to the audience. Instead, we will take one pick at a time guessing which players will win Silver Sluggers for 2012 in each league.
Similar to our Jersey Draft format, I will take the first pick, Mapes will take the second and third, and we will alternate from there. One small wrinkle this time, though: Once a position has been selected, it is gone. That means if I take Miguel Cabrera as the AL third baseman first (spoiler alert – I will!), Mapes can not later take Adrian Beltre because the AL third base position is already gone.
We will each take 9 positions and whoever gets the most right, wins. Simple as that. Here goes nothin’ – may the best man win:
Pick #1 – Team Jeremy: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers (A.L. 3B)
Told you I would take him. Triple Crown, potential MVP, best swing in all of baseball. I really have nothing else to say. This one is a lock.
Pick #2 – Team Mapes: Robinson Cano, New York Yankees (A.L. 2B)
I’m already ahead because you picked first. Enjoy figuring out the NL pitcher Silver Slugger, sucker! My first pick I also believe is a lock. Cano led second baseman in every major statistical category and will grab his 3rd straight Silver Slugger.
Pick #3 – Team Mapes: Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers (N.L. OF)
Ryan Braun put up arguably the best offensive season in the National League, leading in homers (career-high 41), runs, OPS, and total bases. Braun decided to throw in a .319 batting average to boot In my opinion, he’s a lock for his 5th straight Silver Slugger. I’ve already got two in the bank. I’m glad I came up with this challenge.
Pick #4 – Team Jeremy: Edwin Encarnacion, Toronto Blue Jays (DH)
I’ll admit that I originally listed Billy Butler here, forgetting that Encarnacion actually played the majority of his games at DH in 2012. Bad research by me. Yes, Adam Dunn always has a case here, but he hit .204, and struck out approximately 598 times. With the breakout season Encarnacion had (.280/42/110), it would be a monumental travesty if he didn’t win the DH Silver Slugger.
Pick #5 – Team Mapes: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (A.L. OF)
Butler is in the discussion at designated hitter, but I agree that Edwin Encarnacion, who started at DH more than any other position, does get the Silver Slugger there. Adam Dunn has a chance too if they just fall in love with his home runs. Too early for that kind of risk, in my opinion, but I respect your guts. I’ll go with another lock on my board with Mike Trout, who hit .325, blasted 30 homers, and led the American League in runs scored. Easy call, I’m 3 for 3 guaranteed.
Pick #6 – Team Jeremy: Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants (N.L. C)
I was a little bit unsure about this pick, simply because there were a few other hot-hitting catchers in the league this year. While Posey is the leading MVP candidate in the National League, you can make a pretty good case for Yadier Molina, Wilin Rosario, or even Carlos Ruiz. After Posey’s scorching second half and huge grand slam in Game 5 of the NLDS, I have no doubt that he will get the vote for Silver Slugger.
Pick #7 – Team Mapes: Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates (N.L. OF)
Look at you redeeming yourself. I thought about taking Posey at five, but the Yadier Molina risk with Trout still on the board made me pass. Instead, I’ll go to the 2nd National League outfielder on my list in Andrew McCutchen. Cutch led the NL in offensive WAR and was tops among N.L. outfielders in batting average (take that Melky). The Pirates star also led the senior circuit in hits, which I think make him a lock for his first Silver Slugger. That’s right, I’m calling all FOUR of of my picks so far LOCKS.
Pick #8 – Team Jeremy: Ian Desmond, Washington Nationals (N.L. SS)
Look at you thinking all your picks are “locks.” That’s cute. This pick here is a lock – Desmond was by far the best offensive shortstop in the National League this season, helped by the fact that Troy Tulowitzki was injured. Even if Tulo was healthy, it might have been a tight race. Desmond really busted out in 2012, posting career highs across the board (.292/25/73) and the only guy who comes close to matching him is Jimmy Rollins, who hit .250 with less homers and RBI.
Pick #9 – Team Mapes: Derek Jeter, New York Yankees (A.L. SS)
Desmond is a lock? We’ll see what Jose Reyes, Rollins, and Starlin Castro have to say about that. This one might not be a lock, but why should I go against a player that led the American League in hits? Who else are they going to give it to? Alcides Escobar? Ben Zobrist? (Not sure he would qualify there) Elvis Andrus? This would be Jeter’s first Silver Slugger since 2009.
Pick #10 – Team Jeremy: Chase Headley, San Diego Padres (N.L. 3B)
All those guys will be saying is “Congratulations, Ian!” I do, however, think Jeter will be congratulating J.J. Hardy at season’s end. My pick here is a tough one, because the third base position in the National League is stacked with pretty good candidates. Headley won the NL RBI title and was huge in the second half. Regardless of the team he plays for, I think coaches and managers will remember the type of season Chase had in 2012 when it comes time to vote.
Pick #11 – Team Mapes: Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers (A.L. OF)
J.J. Hardy? Hardy finished 18th at shortstop on the ESPN Fantasy Player Rater. A.L leader in hits or dude who hit .238? I’ll send you a J.J. Hardy shirsey if he wins. David Wright has a better chance at stealing Headley’s Silver Slugger than Hardy stealing Jeter’s. I’ll continue my run on the outfield awards and I think getting Josh Hamilton here is a steal. He’s clearly one of the top three offensive American League outfielders hitting .283 with 43 homers and knocking in 128 runs. I love this pick, I would date this pick if I could.
Pick #12 – Team Jeremy: Aaron Hill, Arizona Diamondbacks (N.L. 2B)
Hamilton definitely was a top three hitter in the A.L. outfield, but will he get the vote with people like Adam Jones, Josh Willingham and Curtis Granderson also in there? We shall see. I feel totally fine calling this pick a lock, considering the usual suspects (Dan Uggla, Brandon Phillips, etc.) can’t hold a candle to the numbers Hill (.302/26/85) put up this year. He hit for the cycle twice in one week. That’s EPIC!
Pick #13- Team Mapes: Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins (N.L. C)
True story, I like A.J. Pierzynski’s numbers and that makes me not too confident here. True story, no one likes A.J. Pierzynski which makes me confident in this pick. Mauer was 4th in the A.L. in batting average and led the league in OBP. Good enough for me to give him his 1st Silver Slugger since 2010. Plus, he led me and Lindsay Guentzel to a fantasy baseball title. Love that guy. P.S. loved that Aaron Hill pick.
Pick #14 – Team Jeremy: Adam LaRoche, Washington Nationals (N.L. 1B)
You know what? Even if I lose this contest, getting props on the Hill pick from you is a victory in itself. See, good sportsmanship people! The National League first base crop definitely got weaker with the defections of Albert Pujols and prince Fielder to the A.L. and the injury to Joey Votto. That being said, I like LaRoche (the only NL first baseman with 100 RBI) to get the vote over guys like Freddie Freeman and Paul Goldschmidt. LaRoche hit .271 with 33 homers and 100 RBI.
Pick #15 – Team Mapes: Prince Fielder, Detroit Tigers, (A.L. 1B)
It took us forever to go to first base, but might as well knock them out back to back. Fielder had the most consistent season at the position hitting behind Miguel Cabrera. Pujols is in the mix, but the voters could still remember his slow start. Fielder finished 6th in batting average ( a career-high .313) and 5th in RBI in the American League, while hitting 30 homers for the 6th straight year. The middle of the Tigers lineup is crazy good, huh?
Pick #16 – Team Jeremy: Carlos Beltran, St. Louis Cardinals (N.L. OF)
Even though his own teammate, Matt Holliday, had better overall numbers, I think Beltran has earned the votes of managers and coaches across the league. You would be hard pressed to find an opposing team who didn’t get burned by Carlos Beltran heroics at some point in 2012, and I doubt that it will be forgotten when tallying votes for Silver Slugger. Beltran finished with a line of .269/32/97. The middle of that Cardinals lineup is crazy good, huh?
Pick #17 – Team Mapes: Adam Jones, Baltimore Orioles (A.L. OF)
You stuck me with A.L. outfielder? Let’s see if I can nail all three with Trout, Hamilton and now Adam Jones. There are a couple of other options with Alex Rios, Curtis Granderson, and Josh Willingham. However, I think that the story of the Baltimore Orioles will carry Jones to his first Silver Slugger. They already snubbed Willingham for the A.L. All-Star team, why not for Silver Slugger too. At least I gave him a 10th place MVP vote. Good luck picking the right pitcher for a Silver Slugger!
Pick #18 – Team Jeremy: Mike Leake, Cincinnati Reds (P)
I figured I’d give you a shot at sweeping the outfield in the American League. You’ve got a lock on Trout, though I think Hamilton might get upset, and you never know about that third spot. As for N.L. pitcher, this was easier than expected. After crunching the numbers, it came down to Leake and Stephen Strasburg. I’m sacrificing a probable winner by taking Leake, because Strasburg has the name recognition (yes, even among coaches and managers) that Leake doesn’t. But I must point out so the world knows: 18 hits, .295 average, 2 home runs for Mike Leake as a pitcher this year. Give him the Silver Slugger!
Team Jeremy:
Miguel Cabrera, Edwin Encarnacion, Buster Posey, Ian Desmond, Chase Headley, Aaron Hill, Adam LaRoche, Carlos Beltran, Mike Leake
Team Mapes:
Robinson Cano, Ryan Braun, Mike Trout, Andrew McCutchen, Derek Jeter, Joe Mauer, Josh Hamilton, Prince Fielder, Adam Jones
Who do you think will be taking home some fancy Silver Slugger awards? Let us know in the comments!
-Bryan Mapes (@IAmMapes) & Jeremy Dorn (@Jamblinman)
Three Up, Three Down 