Mookie Betts, RF, Boston Red Sox
Old-school stats: Betts leads the AL in batting at .342 and is tied for first in runs scored with 110. He has 29 home runs, 70 RBIs, and 26 stolen bases.
New-school stats: His 1.071 OPS leads the AL, as does his 8.4 WAR.
The case for Betts: He is the heart and soul of the team with the best record in baseball, the Boston Red Sox. They are 81-32 in games Betts starts, 12-11 when he doesn’t. Beyond that, Betts has been unfailingly consistent; his batting average hasn’t dipped below .330 since the season’s first week. Unlike a certain teammate who shall be named momentarily, Betts’ credentials are multi-dimensional. He plays a solid right field, as attested to by his .996 fielding average – he’s committed just one error all season – and 2.22 range factor that also ranks among the league’s best. No surprise there; Betts led AL right fielders in range factor last season.
The case against Betts: Unless he slumps drastically in September, naysayers will have to resort to one of two arguments in order to cast a vote for somebody other than Betts. The first argument is simply that as good as Betts has been, somebody else has simply been better. The second argument is that in terms of raw power, Betts is good but not great. He ranks behind his teammate, J.D. Martinez, in both total bases and home runs. He trails two players – Alex Bregman and Francisco Lindor – in doubles.