The MVP is a controversial award, causing arguments every year. That’s not really the fault of those arguing as much as it is the award itself; it is poorly defined, as each voter, whether real or pretend, must decide what “value” means. For some, “value” means being the best player. For others, it means meaning the most to a playoff or championship-bound team. Unlike the well-defined Cy Young Award, which is simply given to the best pitcher, the MVP’s broad definition is a great divider among baseball fans.

In 2018, Freddie Freeman is the great uniter.

Freddie Freeman: The Best Player in a Vacuum

 

NL Leaders in fWAR:

1. Max Scherzer (4.4)
2. Jacob deGrom (3.9)
3. Lorenzo Cain (3.4)
4. Freddie Freeman (3.4)
5. Nolan Arenado (3.4)
6. Aaron Nola (3.3)
7. Scooter Gennett (2.9)
8. Javier Baez (2.9)
9. Ozzie Albies (2.9)
10. Patrick Corbin (2.8)

NL leaders in bWAR:

1. Jacob deGrom (5.1)
2. Aaron Nola (4.7)
3. Max Scherzer (4.7)
4. Lorenzo Cain (3.9)
5. Kyle Freeland (3.4)
6. JT Realmuto (3.3)
7. Trea Turner (3.3)
8. Freddie Freeman (3.2)
9. Nolan Arenado (3.1)
10. Scooter Gennett (3.1)

NL leaders in WARP:

1. Max Scherzer (4.69)
2. Jacob deGrom (3.84)
3. Freddie Freeman (3.80)
4. Nolan Arenado (3.61)
5. Zack Greinke (3.48)
6. JT Realmuto (3.31)
7. Lorenzo Cain (3.28)
8. Aaron Nola (3.26)
9. Trea Turner (3.25)
10. Brandon Nimmo (3.21)

Ok, the WARs do prefer the pitchers in this strikeout-laden era, but among position players, Freeman is generally the preferred choice alongside Lorenzo Cain. I certainly don’t mind defensive adjustments in WAR, but when defensive adjustments merely get you into the same ballpark as another guy, I tend to go with the more offensive-minded player, as those stats are a bit more reliable.

Freddie has been the NL’s best hitter this year, with a wRC+ of 153 (meaning he’s 53% better than the average MLB player). If you prefer more traditional stats, he ranks highly in hits (#3), doubles (t-7th), homers (t-6th), and RBI (t-5th). He has the league’s 4th highest batting average at .315. Among position players, and my apologies to the excellent Cain, my choice is easily Freeman.

John Gant agrees.

Those who don’t worry about team success might very well choose Freeman as their MVP, especially among every-day players. But what about those that are concerned about a player’s effect on the standings?

Freddie Freeman: The Most Impactful Player on the Pennant Race

 

Win probability is something you’re probably familiar with by now. It’s pretty widely used, and you can find definitions not just at baseball-centric sites like Fangraphs, but even at Wikipedia as well.

Among position players in 2018, the NL’s best player by WPA is… Freddie Freeman, with a net WPA of +2.51 wins. He has produced 31.80 expected runs above average (aka RE24), which leads the league by a solid margin. He’s not totaling meaningless homers when the team is up or down by 7 – he’s the biggest offensive factor in the league in terms of winning games.

But that still wouldn’t be enough for some if his teammates weren’t any good. A player can have a decent WPA and still be mired in the cellar. For example, right behind Freeman on the NL’s WPA list, in second place, you’ll find Miami’s Brian Anderson, whose 2.50 wins added have been the equivalent of throwing a cupful of water onto a house fire. Then again, Miami produced the 2017 NL MVP, so the degree to which people care about team success is negotiable.

I assume he’s asking Giancarlo for MVP trophy home display tips.

The Braves, however, have championship hopes, which makes Freeman’s production even more valuable. WPA is pretty cool, but there’s a statistic called cWPA, compiled by the guys at The Baseball Gauge, that’s even cooler. CPA stands for Championship Win Probability Added. It’s WPA, but it also factors in playoff odds at the time, allowing it to measure the amount a player has changed his team’s likelihood of winning the World Series.

2018’s NL leader in cWPA? Do you even have to guess?

No player in the National League, at the plate or on the mound, has done more to help his team’s odds of winning the World Series than Freddie Freeman. If impact on the standings is your thing, the choice should be pretty easy.

It’s been a delightful season, folks. Enjoy it, and enjoy watching the best hitter, the best first baseman, and the most valuable player in the National League.