Silver Sluggers Review

The winners of MLB's Silver Slugger awards were announced on Thursday to honor the best hitters at each position. Like Gold Gloves, these awards are voted on by coaches and managers. But whereas Gold Gloves typically miss the mark, these awards do a much better job of identifying those that enjoyed the best offensive seasons. There were a couple selections I disagreed with, but on the whole the voters got them right this year.

AL
C A.J. Pierzynski
A 35 year-old catcher having a career year is pretty rare, but it couldn't have come at a better time for the veteran backstop. Pierzynski enters free agency after winning his first Silver Slugger and setting personal bests in runs, home runs, walks, slugging, OPS, OPS+ and total bases. His 27 dingers surpassed every catcher in baseball not named Wilin Rosario and were ten more than he hit in the previous two seasons combined.

1B Prince Fielder
The hefty slugger did not appear phased by his new giant contract nor his transition to the American League. As expected, his power numbers sagged somewhat, but at the end of the day Fielder still put together an incredible all-around season.  The Tigers cleanup hitter batted a robust .313/.412/.528, walked more than he struck out, and reached the 30 home run benchmark for the sixth consecutive season.

2B Robinson Cano
Terrible postseason notwithstanding, Cano was far and away the best second baseman in baseball this year. The Yankees keystone set career highs in runs scored, homers, walks, total bases, slugging, OPS, OPS+, and extra base hits to take home his third straight Silver Slugger (fourth overall).

3B Miguel Cabrera
Miggy moved back across the diamond to make room for Prince Fielder and manned the hot corner everyday for the first time since 2007. Not only did Cabrera provide adequate defense there, but he also made history by winning the first Triple Crown since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967.

SS Derek Jeter
The 38 year-old face of baseball continued his assault on the record books this year. His 216 base knocks topped the major leagues as he leapfrogged the likes of George Brett, Cal Ripken Jr. and Willie Mays on the all-time hit list. His .316 batting average led all shortstops and his 99 runs scored were second only to Jimmy Rollins at the position.

LF Josh Willingham
Willingham, fresh off signing a three year, $21 million deal with the Twins, was a beast in the heart of Minnesota's order batting cleanup behind OBP-machine Joe Mauer. The hulking slugger brought back memories of Harmon Killebrew with his 35 circuit drives and 110 RBI. Good to see Willingham finally get some recognition. He has always been productive on a per game basis, but now that he's been healthy the past two seasons he compiled monster numbers despite playing for terrible offensive teams in ballparks that suppress power figures.

CF Mike Trout
The major league leader in runs (129), steals (49) and bWAR (10.7) has his first Silver Slugger award, and I'm betting it won't be his last.

RF Josh Hamilton
Hamilton couldn't maintain his torrid start but still finished his contract year with some gaudy totals. His 43 home runs, 128 RBI, .577 slugging percentage, and AB/HR ratio all ranked second in the American League. The modern day Mickey Mantle is primed for a massive payday this winter.

DH Billy Butler
During his first five seasons with the Royals, Butler was a high average, high doubles hitter in the same mold as Nick Markakis, leaving many to wonder when/if his home run power would ever develop. Well, this year some of those two-baggers cleared the fences. Butler emerged as a legitimate power threat with his 29 home runs, 107 RBI and .510 slugging percentage all setting new career highs. Not taking anything away from Country Breakfast, but Edwin Encarnacion deserved this award after breaking out Jose Bautista-style. E-5 posted the best AB/HR rate in the American League , finished third in slugging (.557) and RBI (110) while his 42 big flies placed him fourth. On an injury-riddled Blue Jays squad, Encarnacion was one of the few bright spots. It will be interesting to see if, like Joey Bats, he can sustain his success and avoid becoming a one-hit wonder.

NL
C Buster Posey
The cornerstone of San Francisco's championship team led both leagues in batting with his .336 mark, becoming the first National League backstop to win a batting title since Ernie Lombardi in 1942.  Posey also posted the best OPS+ in the majors, drove in 103 runs and had a second half for the ages; starting July 8th he batted a sizzling .386/.458/.649. While most catchers wear down during the dog days of summer, Posey took his game to another level as the Giants ran away with the division.

1B Adam LaRoche
Written off after his disastrous debut with Washington that ended with shoulder surgery last year, LaRoche rebounded with a Mark Teixeira-esque campaign. His 33 bombs and 100 RBI (both career bests) outranked all NL first baseman as he helped lead the Nats to the the best record in baseball. First base is traditionally a deep position but he didn't have much competition this year given the free agent departures of Fielder and Albert Pujols and injury plagued seasons from Ryan Howard and Joey Votto (who probably should have won the award, but I'll let it go).

2B Aaron Hill
Following a pair of down seasons, Hill rediscovered the form that helped him win the award with Toronto in 2009. Arizona's second baseman deserves some MVP consideration after batting .302/.360/.522 with 44 doubles, 26 home runs and 318 total bases.

3B Chase Headley
Headley put together a monster offensive season not seen in San Diego since Adrian Gonzalez. The switch-hitting third baseman entered 2012 with just 36 home runs and a .392 slugging percentage to his name before morphing into Chipper Jones. Was especially lethal down the stretch, batting .318/.389/.632 with 19 dingers and 63 RBI from August 1st on. Set career bests in almost every offensive category, paced the NL with 115 ribbies and received his first Gold Glove award. He's also one of the five finalists for NL MVP.

SS Ian Desmond
Desmond ranked first among shortstops with 25 home runs and was the only player at the position to slug better than .500 this season (.511). His breakout season would have been even more impressive had he not spent a month on the Disabled List with an oblique injury.

LF Ryan Braun
The 2011 NL MVP secured his fifth consecutive Silver Slugger award by topping the Senior Circuit in runs scored, home runs, extra base hits, slugging, and total bases. He was the only National Leaguer to go 30/30 this year.

CF Andrew McCutchen
'Cutch put it all together this year with an MVP caliber season. His 194 hits, 269 times on base and 7.5 Offensive WAR paced the NL, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. He ranked second in runs scored, total bases, batting average, and OPS+ while rating third in OBP and SLG, all while playing Gold Glove defense in center and keeping the Pirates in the playoff picture for most of the summer.

RF Jay Bruce
Bruce has improved his home run and RBI totals every year since debuting as a 21 year-old rookie in 2008. This year he finished with 34 and 99, respectively, to anchor the Reds lineup and win his first Silver Slugger. I disagree with this selection and would have chosen Giancarlo Stanton. Stanton crushed 37 home runs while posting the best slugging percentage (.608) and AB/HR ratio (12.1) in the major leagues.

P Stephen Strasburg
Everybody knows Strasburg is a force to be reckoned with whenever he toes the rubber, but he also acquitted himself well in the batter's box this season. The 2009 first overall draft pick was anything but an easy out, for he batted .277/.333/.426 with five extra base hits in his 53 plate appearances. He also helped his own cause by driving in seven runs.

Numbers Game

Now more than ever before, sports have evolved into games of numbers. Every play, shot, and pitch is dissected. Each trade, draft pick and free agent signing is scrutinized, even if it hasn't happened yet. It can feel overwhelming at times to see every little thing picked apart and broken down. Maybe someday everyone's brains will turn to mush after reading so many articles referencing HR, WAR, PER or any other statistic that ends with the letter "R."

Critics have argued that this infatuation with data and analysis is ruining sports. I disagree. When it comes to the "Moneyball" debate, I'm in Billy Beane's camp. I love all this number-crunching. I eat, breathe, and sleep statistics, so I'm excited to see analytics gain a more prominent role in sports. I've embraced the statistical revolution, probably because I've been visiting sites like FanGraphs and baseball-reference on a daily basis for years.

Analytic data is awesome because it provides so much insight that can shape the way one thinks about the game. It can wipe away misconceptions that have survived generations. Analytic data is thus a powerful tool, one that should influence every aspect of sports from scouting and player development to roster construction. marketing, and media. Sports is a business, so it only makes sense to operate a team as efficiently as possible. With millions upon millions of dollars on the line, it's imperative that teams make informed decisions and spend their money wisely.

I think the sports world has struck a proper balance in the use of sports analytics. Sports haven't become so numbers-oriented that they've turned everybody into robots. The human element still exists. My friend values Derek Jeter's leadership ability the same way I appreciate Tom Brady's poise under pressure. Intangibles matter, just not as much as they used to. There is something to be said for "heart" and "toughness"even though these qualities can't be measured.

That said, the sports world is much more enlightened than it used to be, and that is unquestionably a good thing. Knowledge is power. Fans, journalists, owners, and athletes are smarter and more resourceful. They know more about the games than ever before. The intellectual movements that originated when Bill James pioneered sabermetrics more than 30 years ago have become mainstream, but there's still room to grow. Many organizations have been slow to embrace sports analytics and represent untapped potential. I have to believe it's only a matter of time before they are forced to adopt analytics in order to keep up with the competition.

I would like to see reporters use more analytics, partially because I want to see analytics promoted. Ignorant/uninformed fans and media personalities get on my nerves, so I'd support any strategy that educates them. I think analytics improve the quality of articles as well. I find stories to be more credible, interesting, and thought-provoking when they are founded on concrete data. Lastly, with the role of reporters transitioning from breaking news (as they become replaced by Twitter and the 24 hour news cycle) to providing commentary, it's critical that they emphasize top-notch analysis. At the very least, reporters should continue using analytics at their current level. Using less would be a step in the wrong direction.

So much progress has been made in the field of sports analytics. Why not take advantage of it?

Sox Re-Sign Ortiz

Big Papi is back with the Red Sox

David Ortiz re-upped with Red Sox after signing a two year, $26 million deal that could be worth an additional $4 million in incentives.

Unlike some of Boston's more recent deals (Carl Crawford, Daisuke Matsuzaka, J.D. Drew, John Lackey, et. al.), this transaction is money well spent. Even though Big Papi turns 37 later in the month, the same age as Alex Rodriguez, he has been able to avoid debilitating injuries and has not displayed any evidence of decline. As he enters his eleventh season with the Red Sox he is aging as gracefully as Ted Williams, Dwight Evans and  Manny Ramirez did before him. He is still far and away the best Designated Hitter in baseball. His skills remain intact, his batting eye is sharp and his bat is still as potent as ever. His triple slash stats have increased in each of the past three seasons and he's reclaimed his status as one of the game's top hitters. Over that time he ranks sixth in slugging percentage and fifth in OPS, OPS+ and ISO in the same tier as elite offensive producers Miguel Cabrera, Joey Votto, Ryan Braun, Josh Hamilton, Jose Bautista, and Albert Pujols.

In 2012 he batted a robust .318/.415/.611 before an Achilles injury limited to just one game after July 16th. He also walked more than he struck out (posting the lowest K rate of his career), swatted his 400th career home run and made his eighth All-Star team as Boston's lone representative to the Midsummer Classic in Kansas City. The team's only holdover from the unforgettable 2004 World Series winners should continue to be an intimidating presence in the heart of John Farrell's order next season. At an age when most of his peers have retired or been reduced to reserve roles, Ortiz is still a lineup centerpiece and will be counted on to provide big numbers in 2013 as well as his signature veteran leadership. A .300-30-100 season seems well within his reach if he can remain healthy.

The Sox are also expected to bring back Cody Ross, an unexpected bright spot who cracked 57 extra base hits and posted an .807 OPS while being one of the few positive clubhouse presences last season.

Fantasy Basketball Targets

With the NBA season just days old, many fans are drafting their fantasy teams this weekend. Here are some players I've targeted in my drafts so far, mainly because they have the potential to greatly exceed their draft-day position.

PG Raymond Felton
Felton struggled mightily in Portland last year, but it will be interesting to see how he performs in his second go-round with the Knicks. He played some of the best basketball of his life leading Mike D'Antoni's run-and-gun offense in 2010-2011 before New York blew up their team for Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups. Felton hasn't been the same since, but I'm tempted to believe he can approach the 17 points and 9 dimes he averaged during his first stint in the Big Apple (especially with Amare Stoudemire needing 6-8 weeks to recover from knee surgery). He's going in the eighth round with the likes Jason Terry, Isaiah Thomas, Kenneth Faried, and his replacement Damian Lillard. I prefer Felton's upside.

Also Darren Collison

SG Arron Afflalo
The 27 year-old Afflalo should be the focal point of Orlando's gutted offense after taking a backseat to Ty Lawson, Danilo Gallinari and Al Harrington at times in Denver. Perennially underrated, he's not a sexy pick but is poised for a big year and can be counted on to exceed last season's figures. He may be a bit rusty after missing most of preseason with a hamstring injury, but it shouldn't take him too long to round into form.

Also Wesley Matthews

SF Luol Deng
Deng never gets much press, but the 2012 All-Star contributes across the board and is as steady as they come. His numbers should see a slight boost with Derrick Rose expected to miss most of the season and a frontcourt (Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer) prone to injury. I expect his paltry 41.2 FG% from last season to rebound, and his counting numbers will remain strong as he averages close to 40 minutes per game.

Also Michael Beasley

PF Zach Randolph
Z-Bo is getting picked 70th overall, behind guys like Klay Thompson, Marcus Thornton and Louis Williams. What's with all the hate? Sure, there's a good deal of risk involved because he's on the wrong side of 30, is coming off a down year and has been plagued by injuries throughout his career. He doesn't swat many shots and isn't the most efficient scorer in the world. Marc Gasol's emergence as an elite center detracts from his value somewhat. I can see why his draft position is deflated, but the hate has gone too far. When healthy, he's a threat to go 20-10 on a nightly basis while making nearly half his shots.  He's also a plus free-throw shooter who can average a steal per game and provide the occasional three-pointer. I would much rather have Randolph over other power forwards Kevin Garnett, Chris Bosh and Tim Duncan, all of whom are being selected several rounds ahead of him. Great value here.

Also David West (especially now that Danny Granger is hurt)

C Nikola Pekovic
With Kevin Love and Rick Rubio sidelined for at least another month, Pekovic will benefit from a surge in points and rebounds. At the very least, he should be able to duplicate his production as a starter last year; 15.4 points and 8.5 rebounds while shooting 55 percent from the floor and 75 percent from the line. Unfortunately he doesn't provide much in the way of assists, steals, blocks, or threes, so he's a lot like Luis Scola. But with Love out of the picture he should put up some monster numbers early on. This tenth round pick should be a double-double machine that provides plenty of value, especially since he's going in the same neighborhood as Elton Brand, Spencer Hawes, and George Hill.

Also Anderson Varejao

Heat Outlast Celtics

In a fiercely contested rematch of last spring's Eastern Conference Finals, the Miami Heat once again came out on top. The defending champions received their rings, then proceeded to take down the Boston Celtics, 120-107, in the NBA opener on Tuesday night.

Boston led early on, but Miami was in full control for most of the second half after pulling. away in the third. The Heat built a 19 point lead with eleven minutes to go, but Boston fought back with a Leandro Barbosa fueled run in the fourth quarter. The C's closed the gap to four points with two minutes left to play. But then Boston went cold, missing all four of its field goal attempts while the Heat finished out the game on a 9-0 run to secure the win. But not before Rajon Rondo delivered a flagrant foul on Dwyane Wade by grabbing his neck as he went up to score, a move Wade later referred to as a "punk play." D-Wade clearly overreacted here; even though the game was essentially over, Rondo made the right move by preventing the lay-up with a hard foul, and that's all it was. A hard foul.

What was Wade expecting, a slap on the wrist?

Other notes:

Boston

Kevin Garnett struggled offensively, as he scored just nine points and finished the game with more turnovers (five) than field goals (four). On the bright side, he hauled in a dozen rebounds and blocked a pair of shots.

Paul Pierce did his thing, finishing with 23-5-5, drilling two triples and sinking all nine of his free throw attempts.

Brandon Bass put up a double-double with 15 points and eleven boards, six of which came on the offensive end (more than the entire Miami team). He's a great fit here, and I'm glad he re-signed.

Rondo played more than 43 minutes and stuffed the stat sheet with some gaudy numbers; 20 points on 9-of-14 shooting with 13 dimes and seven rebounds. However, nitpickers will point out that he missed both his three point attempts, went just two-of-four at the line and didn't get any steals. I think this will be the year Rondo puts it all together and produces an MVP caliber season.

Courtney Lee looked solid in his Celtics debut before foul trouble forced him to the bench, scoring eleven points on just six field goal attempts. Jason Terry was unimpressive in his first game in Celtic green; JET had turnovers than field goals and failed to connect from beyond the arc. Jeff Green, playing his first game in nearly 18 months, did nothing (three rebounds and no field goals).

Barbosa scored all 16 of his points in the fourth quarter. Talk about a one-man comeback.

Didn't see enough of rookie Jared Sullinger to form much of an opinion about him. Will have to wait for him to emerge during garbage time.

Turnovers were a problem for Boston, as they piled up 15 TOs compared to Miami's 8. When you give the Heat extra possessions, you pay the price.

The Celtics hit three treys in the first quarter and three in the fourth, but didn't hit any in the second and third quarters.


Miami

Ray Allen had an outstanding performance in his first game against his former team. Ray Ray needed only seven field goal attempts to drop 19 points off the bench. He's my early favorite for Sixth Man of the Year (assuming Kevin Martin gets hurt at some point). Rashard Lewis also looked good in his Miami debut, netting ten points and five boards in just under 19 minutes of action. He gives the Heat some much needed depth off the bench and should be in line for a solid season.

Miami's other reserves were useless; Norris Cole, Udonis Haslem and NBA Finals hero Mike Miller combined for three points and three rebounds.


Wade led all scorers with 29 points but posted the worst +/- on the Heat with his -6 (primarily because he was present for Boston's last-ditch comeback).

Mario Chalmers did a great job facilitating and finished with eleven assists.

Lebron James initiated his quest for a fourth MVP trophy by pairing ten rebounds with his 26 efficient points despite logging the fewest minutes of the Heat's starting five.

Chris Bosh went for 19 and 10, but the part of his stat line that surprised me the most was his three blocked shots. Bosh was never a good shot-blocker in Toronto but he's become even worse in Miami, where he's averaged just 0.7 swats per game. You think he'd get at least one per game by shots deflecting off his giraffe neck.