NL Central Smackdown Revisited
Back in April, I put up some polls for our readers to rank the position players and number one pitchers in the division. I originally intended to get them up before the season started so any hot starts wouldn't influence the results. I failed miserably at that and the poll results showed that (Derrek Lee second?). Nonetheless, let's revisit the fun.
I'm just pulling the WARP-3 scores for the players that we discussed originally and voted on. Obviously in some cases, whether due to injury or ineffectiveness, a different player may have ended up the main starter for one of the teams, such as the Cubs center field situation. It's also important to note that when I asked people to vote, I was asking who you wanted on your team going forward, not necessarily who will have the better 2008 season.
UPDATE: Bah, I should have been using WARP-1 scores, not WARP-3. The players are still going to rank in the same order, but the numbers are going to be slightly different.
1st Base
Players | Rob's |
Poll |
Final WARP-3 |
A. Pujols |
1 |
1 |
13.5 (1) |
L. Berkman |
2 |
4 |
11.4 (2) |
P. Fielder |
3 |
3 |
6.3 (5) |
D. Lee |
4 |
2 |
7.4 (3) |
J. Votto |
5 |
5 |
7 (4) |
A. LaRoche |
6 |
6 | 4.2 (6) |
I would have pegged Lee as fifth overall on the season, but he nudged out Votto and FIelder's defense set him back.
2nd Base
Players | Rob's |
Poll |
Final WARP-3 |
B. Phillips |
1 |
1 |
6.5 (2) |
R. Weeks |
2 |
3 |
5.0 (3) |
F. Sanchez |
3 |
4 |
1.4 (6) |
M. DeRosa | 4 |
2 |
8.4 (1) |
K. Matsui |
5 |
5 |
3.3 (4) |
A. Kennedy |
6 |
6 | 2.6 (5) |
Clearly I didn't give DeRosa enough credit.
Shortstop
Players | Rob's |
Poll |
Final WARP-3 |
M. Tejada |
1 |
1 |
6.4 (2) |
J.J. Hardy |
2 |
2 |
7.9 (1) |
J. Keppinger/Gonzalez |
3 |
5 |
1.5 (6) |
J. Wilson |
4 |
4 |
2.8 (5) |
R. Theriot |
5 |
3 |
5.6 (3) |
C. Izturis |
6 |
6 | 3.6 (4) |
You would think I hate the Cubs....nice showing by Theriot to finish third.
Third Basemen
Players | Rob's |
Poll |
Final WARP-3 |
A. Ramirez |
1 |
1 |
7.5 (2) |
T. Glaus |
2 |
3 |
8.1 (1) |
E. Encarnacion |
3 |
2 |
3.5 (4) |
B. Hall |
4 |
4 |
2.1 (6) |
T. Wigginton |
5 |
5 |
5.2 (3) |
J. Bautista |
6 |
6 | 3.0 (5) |
Ramirez shot himself in the foot with a poor defensive season, although I don't think anyone would trade Glaus for him straight up.
Catchers
Players | Rob's |
Poll |
Final WARP-3 |
Y. Molina |
1 |
2 |
6.6 (3) |
G. Soto |
2 |
1 |
8.5 (1) |
J.R. Towles | 3 |
3 |
0.5 (6) |
J. Kendall |
4 |
5 |
6.7 (2) |
R. Doumit/Paulino | 5 |
4 |
5.8 (4) |
Valentin/Bako | 6 |
6 | 2.4 (5) |
Kendall ends up being the big suprise at this position along with J.R. Towles crashing and burning.
Left Field
Players | Rob's |
Poll |
Final WARP-3 |
A. Soriano | 1 |
1 |
6.6 (2) |
A. Dunn |
2 |
4 |
5.2 (4)* |
C. Lee |
3 |
3 |
5.7 (3) |
R. Braun | 4 |
2 |
9.3 (1) |
J. Bay |
5 |
5 |
4.7 (5)** |
C. Duncan |
6 |
6 | 1.9 (6) |
* 1.7 as a Diamondback which would give him a total of 6.9
** 2.5 as a Red Sox which would give him a total of 7.2
Eventually I'll come around to giving Ryan Braun some credit.
Center Field
Players | Rob's |
Poll |
Final WARP-3 |
R. Ankiel |
1 |
2 |
4.2 (4) |
N. McLouth |
2 |
1 |
7.6 (1) |
M. Cameron |
3 |
2 |
6.0 (2) |
J. Bruce/Corey | 4 |
6 |
4.3 *(3) |
F. Pie/Johnson |
5 |
4 |
4.1 (5) |
M. Bourn |
6 |
5 | 2.5 (6) |
* Bruce accumulated most of his value in RF
** Edmonds had a 4 WARP-3, which would put the Cubs CF near or at the top.
Here was one where I thought McLouth's hot start was giving him a boost in the voting, but he managed to keep it up.
Right Field
Players | Rob's |
Poll |
Final WARP-3 |
C. Hart |
1 |
2 |
4.6 (4) |
K. Fukudome |
2 |
1 |
4.5 (5) |
K. Griffey Jr. |
3 |
3 |
2.3 (6)* |
H. Pence |
4 |
4 |
7.1 (2) |
X. Nady |
5 |
5 |
6.5 (3)** |
Ludwick/Shumaker |
6 |
6 | 10.9 (1)*** |
* Griffey Jr. added a 1.3 with the White Sox.
** Nady added 2.2 with the Yankees
*** Ludwick only
Here is one where Fukudome's hot start did inflate his place in the voting. If I put up a poll now, I'd be surprised if he didn't finish last. The final WARP-3 scores should put an end to anyone even thinking about Ken Griffey Jr. for the Cubs in 2009.
Aces
Players | Rob's |
Poll |
Final WARP-3 |
A. Harang |
1 |
3 |
4.1 (5) |
R. Oswalt |
2 |
2 |
6.6 (1) |
C. Zambrano |
3 |
1 |
6.2 (2) |
B. Sheets |
4 |
4 |
6.1 (3) |
A. Wainwright |
5 |
5 |
4.5 (4) |
I. Snell |
6 |
6 | 2.0 (6) |
The actual aces for 2008 ended up being Ryan Dempster (7.9), Edinson Volquez (7.3), Sabathia (6.7), Oswalt (6.6), Paul Maholm (5.8) and Todd Wellemeyer (4.8).
I'll try it again next year, this time I'll be sure to start the voting in March.
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