In recent time, the title “Most Valuable Player” has been associated with perhaps the most talented and most dominant player in any given league. From LeBron James to Adrian Peterson, the title league MVP is associated with a player that puts up astonishing statistical numbers and dominates their opponents while doing it. But there is a difference when thinking about a league MVP compared to and individual team’s MVP. The 2013 edition of the Pittsburgh Pirates are a prime example of this.
With the 20-year losing streak almost certainly coming to an end on the North Shore, Andrew McCutchen is, for the second straight year, among many people’s top picks to be named the National League MVP. McCutchen’s .323 batting average 17 home runs 74 RBI, and 27 stolen bases give him more than a deserving chance for this honor.
Even with all the great numbers McCutchen is putting up, he is not the MVP of the 2013 Pittsburgh Pirates.
When looking at this team there are a few players that can come to mind, along with McCutchen, that deserve consideration for the team’s MVP. There is Francisco Liriano, who is having a tremendous bounceback season earning himself a 14-6 record with a 2.74 ERA. Another strong candidate is third baseman Pedro Alvarez. Alvarez is leading the team in home runs (32) and RBI (86) in only his second full year at the major league level.
But when thinking about a team MVP, you must not only think about the statistical aspect but also the leadership the player provides to his team. That is why the right choice for the Pirates’ team MVP is first-year catcher, Russell Martin.
Martin has proven to be a leader for the Pirates on the field and off. Now Martin has seen a decline in his offensive numbers after coming from a hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium to a more offensively challenging stadium in PNC Park. But, it is Martin’s presence and defense that set him apart from the other Pirates players.
As Hall of Fame college football coach Paul Bear Bryant once said, “Offense sells tickets, defense win championships.”
Martin is among the league’s elite catchers in all of the defensive statistical categories. Martin, has started 97 games up until this point which is No. 6 in the league. In those 97 games, he has 84 assists, which ranks first in the league.
Martin has committed the second fewest errors in the league (2)and has the second best fielding percentage among catchers (.988) behind Texas Rangers’ catcher A.J. Pierzynski. Martin is also No. 3 among major league catchers with a 2.0 defensive wins above replacement.
As great as all of those numbers sound, these next statistics are are what puts Martin over the edge. In 2012, the Pirates were among the league’s worst teams in catching runners stealing. It has been the complete opposite in 2013.
Martin leads the league, catching 33 runners stealing. His 44.6 percent caught stealing rate is second in the league behind the Los Angeles Dodger’s A.J. Ellis. Now let’s talk about how the Pirates’ pitching staff benefited from Martin joining the team.
It was Cleveland Indian’s Hall of Fame pitcher, Bob Feller, that once said, “If you believe your catcher is intelligent and you know that he has considerable experience, it is a good thing to leave the game almost entirely in his hands.”
And that is exactly what the Pirate pitching staff has done.
The 2013 Pirates’ pitchers have surpassed their 2012 totals in shutouts, given up 77 less stolen bases, and have improved on their opponent’s on-base percentage slugging percentage, and on base plus slugging percentage. Martin deserves a huge amount of credit for these improvements due to the way he handles his pitchers and his approach to calling the game.
As stated before, Martin’s offensive numbers have fallen off.
But that does not mean he hasn’t been a big contribution to the Pirates offensively. Martin is one of five Pirates that have double-digit home run numbers. He is also third on the team in RBI and stolen bases and Martin leads the team with three walk-off hits as well.
As much as McCutchen deserves the consideration to be named the MVP of the National League, Martin deserves to be named the MVP of the 2013 Pittsburgh Pirates.
