Twins MVP 2013--Brian Dozier

[stringer bell]

With the news that Mauer was officially shut down combined with a club-leading 18th homer by Brian Dozier, it seems to me that Dozier has earned the team MVP. The other candidates would be Glen Perkins and Mauer. Perkins has had a fine year, but as a closer on a 90-loss team has only logged 61.2 innings. Mauer had a very good season, but finished playing only 113 games. Dozier will finish with somewhere around 145. At this point Brian leads the team in games, at bats, runs, triples, and homers. He is second on the team in hits, doubles and RBI. Dozier has played splendid defense at a new position. In a disappointing season, Brian Dozier is one guy who has thrived.

[JB_Iowa]

We have a little "pick the stick" contest. In the past, people would pick Joe Mauer fairly routinely (when they could) because he would usually offer steady points without losing many.

 

This season, people are picking Brian Dozier for the same reason. Especially since the All-Star break. I know that if I had some bad picks from other players (there was an unfortunate tendency to go backwards this year), I'd pick Mr. Dozier to turn around my losing streak.

 

So this makes sense to me. I appreciate the season that Glen Perkins had and am glad that he received the All-Star recognition but day-in, day-out, Brian Dozier has been the most steady player on the team especially as the season wore on.

[big dog]

I was thinking the same thing this morning, and I'll cast my imaginary vote for Dozier. That's despite reading the following from Berardino this morning:

Twins with Mauer: 4.04 runs scored per game; without, 3.36

Twins with Mauer: 4.59 runs allowed per game; without, 5.49

Twins with Mauer: .445 winning %age; without, .356

 

Those are astonishing gaps for one player's difference.

[gunnarthor]

Yeah, I guess Dozier's deserving. Mauer's the better player but he missed a lot of games. Dozier had a really nice year which was a nice surprise. He can be part of the future or a possible trade chip.

[JB_Iowa]

 

Those are astonishing gaps for one player's difference.

 

They are astonishing but for me, part of being MVP is also being in the line-up. (I'm not faulting Mauer for his health issues here just stating that being on the field is important to me).

 

In addition, those numbers have to be skewed by the horrendous numbers against Oakland. I just don't know how much of a difference Mauer would have made in those games.

[DJL44]

113 games for a catcher versus 145 for a second baseman doesn't seem like that big of a gap to me.

[Larsbars08]

Even with Mauer playing less, I think he's still the clear cut MVP. He's by far the best player on the team, he had the best year, this team has been near unwatchable without him. Dozier is absolutely the most improved player, but lets not over think this. Even with about 40 games more than Mauer, Mauer has till provided much more "value" to this team.

[Marta Shearing]

I'll go with the reliable guy you can count on being in the lineup. Thats not mauer.

[amjgt]

113 games for a catcher versus 145 for a second baseman doesn't seem like that big of a gap to me.

 

Well....

 

It's actually 75 as a catcher (73 starts), 29 as a DH, and 8 at 1B

[Marta Shearing]

113 games for a catcher versus 145 for a second baseman doesn't seem like that big of a gap to me.

Dont let the facts get in your way.

[ThePuck]

Dont let the facts get in your way.

 

I believe what he was saying is that most players whose primary position is catcher don't play 162 games. You don't expect a catcher to play 150+ games. Right now you have guys like Molina and Perez who are barely over 130 games played, period. You do, however, expect a 2B to play closer to the whole amount of games.

[IdahoPilgrim]

Regardless of whether he is more than deserving than Mauer or not, kind of a nice change of pace to be talking about Dozier this way when last year many were ready to write him off as a failed experiment.

 

Maybe we'll be having the same discussion about Hicks next year.

[Danchat]

I have to go with Mauer, because, frankly, he is the MVP. Dozier was struggling and looked just like Parmelee and Florimon in the first two months. Now he's clicking. If Dozier can do this again then he'll get my consideration.

 

@IhadoPilgrim

I'm hoping we'll be having the same discussion about Parmelee next year.

Hey, I can dream!

[lyndon]

Doe-zee-eh!

[iastfan112]

Still Mauer, he was too much better when he did play not to win. If didn't have those two really down months at the beginning it might be a different story.

[ericchri]

Yeah, I'm a huge Dozier fan from even before the season started, and it's still Mauer in my book. Can't discount those horrible 2 months of hitting Dozier had at a time when the Twins were actually mildly competitive despite him. Mauer is just so much better than everyone else on this roster right now it's not even a competition. Next year may be different, but not yet.

[JB_Iowa]

But the award isn't for "Best player on the team", it is for "Most Valuable". They aren't necessarily the same thing.

 

Mauer is going to be the best statistically on most teams in the league. Does that mean that he would necessarily be the most valuable?

 

Statistically Mauer is the clear leader but Dozier's stats are second to his (except for perhaps a player or two with very limited ABs). But Dozier has played in about 25% more games than Joe Mauer (142 to 113). Mauer can't help that he was injured but there is value in simply being on the field.

 

Dozier's improvement over the course of the season and over last year provides tremendous leadership value when you are talking about a team full of youngsters. And I admire someone who is still plugging along at a pretty high rate during the last month of a miserable season.

 

On the defensive side, catcher is more valuable than 2B but Dozier's performance at 2B has definitely been an asset to this motley group of pitchers.

 

I'm not disputing Joe Mauer's value to this team but I do question whether he should just be automatically awarded team MVP each season.

[JB_Iowa]

Just in case you missed it, here's an interesting interview with Mr. Dozier: One of the few bright spots, Brian Dozier sits down for a Q&A session - Minnesota Twins news | 1500 ESPN Twin Cities ? Minnesota Sports News & Opinion (Twins, Vikings, Wolves, Wild, Gophers) | Sportswire: Minnesota Twins

[Thrylos]

Mauer 5.2 WAR

Dozier 2.8 WAR

 

not.even.close.

 

Dozier wins the most improved player, that's about it.