There is really no doubt in my mind that Jacoby Ellsbury was the best player in the American League in 2011. His 9.4 WAR is a stellar mark, and it is significantly higher than everybody else in the AL. Ellsbury does it all. He hits for power, average, he steals bases, and he is one of the best defensive players in baseball.

Not many center fielders can knock more than 30 homers out of the park, and even fewer can do so with 39 steals and a .321 batting average to boot. His .230 ISO and solid K/BB ratio also go well with his 119 runs scored. Ellsbury recorded a stellar 5.66 WPA and absolutely devoured both fastballs (31.2 wFB) and change-ups alike (an insane 10.5 wCH).

The best attribute that Jacoby Ellsbury possess is the most underrated when mentioning MVP candidates; defense. He is easily a Gold Glove winner and had a very high UZR of 15.6 thanks to some impeccable range. Not only that, but Jac-El rarely ever commits and error or misplays a ball. The only knock against the game's best defensive CF is his subpar outfield arm.

Two impressive advanced statistics to note when evaluating Ellsbury's monstrous 2011 campaign are his 22.9 LD% and 16.7 HR/FB ratio. There is no better all-around player in baseball, and voters need to put the collapse behind them and rightfully crown Tacoby Bellsbury as the 2011 AL MVP. I mean, he only became the first player in the Red Sox storied history to join the elusive and exclusive 30-30 club.

The leader in total bases for the 2011 season is also this season's Comeback Player of the Year. He really needs to grab this award with his .402 wOBA that translates to a 150 wRC-plus. Again, not many center fielders can do that whilst having one of the highest UZRs in the league. And oh by the way, his 32 homers and 105 RBIs mostly came from the leadoff spot. Yeah, Jacoby is a beast.

Scary thought: Only gonna get better

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: MLB, Red Sox, Jacoby Ellsbury, MLB Analysis

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10/2011 Top 15 Players on the Boston Red Sox

October 22nd 2011 14:04

1. CF Jacoby Ellsbury- Is good at everything- especially speed and D- and plays at a position of weakness in the league.

2. 2B Dustin Pedroia- Best defensive infielder in baseball who is also more than capable with the stick. And oh yeah, positional adjustment favors him too.

3. 1B Adrian Gonzalez- The team's best hitter.

4. 3B Kevin Youkilis- Had a down year, but has added value as one of the best power-hitting third basemen in the league. I mean, the worst position in baseball hitting-wise is currently third.

5. SP Jon Lester- More consistent than Beckett, but you wouldn't fully believe that from this year's numbers. But then again, we can't take one season's numbers too seriously.

6. SP Josh Beckett- For as inconsistent as he is from season to season, his averaged out FIP is one of the best out there. The guy is lights out and has the nasty curve to prove it.

7. CP Johnathan Papelbon- Red Sox fans love to dirt on him- they love to dirt on everybody- but this guy is easily one of the best relievers in baseball. I remember a friend was talking about how much he thinks Paps is overrated and isn't a good closer, but I don't think we were watching the same pitcher.

8. SP Clay Buchholz- If he pitched at least 125 innings this year, the Sox would have made the playoffs.

9. RP Daniel Bard- Definitely is a closing-quality reliever, but he is a much needed set-up man. He threw more innings than Paps, so they are still maxing out value. You don't need to be a closer to make your presence felt (Jonny Venters). Outside the triumvirate of Bard, Papelbon, and Alfredo Aceves; there isn't much to like about this team's pen.

10. DH David Ortiz- Yes, I am the guy who penalizes DHs for being just that.

11. LF Carl Crawford- I still think a rebound is in order, but he still won't make this contract look any better.

12. SS Marco Scutaro- A solid hitting shortstop who knows how to get on base and doesn't play bad D either.

13. RF Josh Reddick- J.D. Drew, your time has passed.

14. RP Alfredo Aceves- Eats up innings in the pen but is an extremely lucky pitcher.

15. C Jarrod Saltalamacchia- I've seen worse than this league-average catcher, and I really had a hard time picking somebody for the fifteenth and final slot.

Huge gap between FIP and ERA in over 100 innings out of the pen this year

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: MLB, MLB Rankings, MLB Big Board, Red Sox, Adrian Gonzalez, Alfredo Aceves, Carl Crawford, Clay Buchholz, Daniel Bard, David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jarod Saltalamacchia, Jon Lester, Jonathan Papelbon, Josh Beckett, Josh Reddick, Kevin Youkilis, Marco Scutaro, Jonny Venters

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8/2011 PSW AL Gold Glove Team Update

August 30th 2011 15:05

The statistics used are UZR, DRS, ARM, RngR, and UZR/150, and Fld from www.fangraphs.com.

P Mark Buehrle- He has the best rSB in the AL and the highest DRS as a result of his ability to stop base-runners. That's really the only conceivable asset a pitcher brings defensively.

C Matt Wieters- Again, the ability to snuff out base-runners is the only major asset that a catcher brings to the table defensively. It's definitely the only thing that can significantly separate catchers, and Matt Wieters has been excellent at stopping guys on base.

1B Adrian Gonzalez- A-Gone has clearly been the best defensive first baseman in baseball, and he has the best UZR and ErrR. Only Mark Trumbo has better range, and Gonzalez is the only American League first baseman with a double-digit UZR/150. The metrics say Tex is the second best, and Trumbo follows him at third. It's a pretty tight race between those two at two and three.

2B Dustin Pedroia- Although Howie Kendrick, Ian Kinsler, and Ben Zobrist have been excellent, Pedroia has been in a class of his own. Nobody can match his range at second, and his defense is what has vaulted him into the MVP discussion.

SS Alexei Ramirez- Watch out guys, a new A-Ram is in town. Alexei Ramirez has been a force in the field, and it has definitely made up for some below average hitting. While a case can be made for Alcides Escobar, I don't see how Ramirez doesn't win this award.

3B Adrian Beltre- With all due respect to Mr. Longoria and his fine season in the field, Adrian Beltre is the man to man this spot on the Gold Glove team. His fine defensive career has continued with another terrific display in 2011, and he still has incredible range out there at the hot corner.

LF Brett Gardner- Most left fielders can't play any D, but that description definitely does not hold true when you look at Brett Gardner. Even though Dustin Pedroia has been exceptional defensively this season, Gardner has been the best defensive player in 2011. He has an accurate arm, and range that no outfielder in the game can dream of possessing. He is far and away the best defensive player at his position, and I don't think anybody- save Pedroia- can compare with him defensively.

CF Jacoby Ellsbury- Poor Peter Bourjos, his wonderful season in the outfield spent chasing flyballs pitched by Jered Weaver will not net him a Gold Glove award. Unfortunately for him, Jacoby Ellsbury has been even better this year. His defense has cemented his status as an MVP candidate, and he is certainly making up for lost time last season. Even though Bourjos does have the better arm, Ellsbury is more consistent and has even better range. That's not so say that Bourjos is a slouch in the range department, it's just that Ellsbury is such a beast.

RF Nick Swisher- Before the season started, it would be crazy to name Nick Swisher as a Gold Glove candidate. But here we are at the end of August, and I am sitting here and telling you guys that Nick Swisher is my pick for the Gold Glove winner in right field. He has the arm, the range, and Swishalicious is probably one of the most consistent outfielders in the game. The highlight shows don't reward this kind of consistency enough, but the metrics do.

AL Gold Glove SS

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: MLB Teams, Brett Gardner, Mark Teixeira, Nick Swisher, Red Sox, Adrian Gonzalez, Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, Matt Wieters, Ben Zobrist, Evan Longoria, Alcides Escobar, Alexei Ramirez, Mark Buehrle, Ian Kinsler, Adrian Beltre, Howie Kendrick, Peter Bourjos, Jered Weaver, Mark Trumbo

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8/2011 Center Fielder Rankings

August 6th 2011 14:07

One of the premier positions in baseball is center field. First off, it is the second most important position on the diamond- after shortstop- and many of the game's greats were center fielders. Below are my rankings of the center fielders in baseball today. (Minimum 750 plate appearances as a center fielder since 2009)

1. Rangers Josh Hamilton
2. Dodgers Matt Kemp
3. Phillies Shane Victorino
4. Yankees Curtis Granderson
5. Red Sox Jacoby Ellsbury
6. Rockies Carlos Gonzalez
7. Pirates Andrew McCutchen
8. Braves Michael Bourn
9. Diamondbacks Chris Young
10. Yankees Brett Gardner
11. Orioles Adam Jones
12. Blue Jays Colby Rasmus
13. Reds Drew Stubbs
14. Twins Denard Span
15. Angels Torii Hunter
16. Indians Grady Sizemore
17. Rays B.J. Upton
18. Giants Carlos Beltran
19. Mets Angel Pagan
20. Giants Andres Torres
21. White Sox Alex Rios
22. Mariners Franklin Gutierrez
23. Braves Nate McLouth
24. Cubs Marlon Byrd
25. Brewers Nyjer Morgan
26. Angels Vernon Wells
27. Tigers Austin Jackson
28. Athletics Coco Crisp
29. Brewers Carlos Gomez
30. Blue Jays Rajai Davis

The Braves got a really nice deal when they got the eighth best center fielder in baseball for a a handful of decent prospects. They really needed a leadoff hitter and a better CF than McLouth. I still have McLouth in the top 25, but that's really not saying much. After all, there are only 30 starting centerfielders in the game. These are all useful players- they are starting-caliber center fielders- but some of them have a shorter shelf-life on this list than others.

The Yankees have two very good center fielders in Brett Gardner and Curtis Granderson. But I honestly think that Gardner is better suited for the starting role in center, because Gardner is the best outfielder in baseball- in terms of fielding- and Granderson is only an average fielder.

Josh Hamilton is the best center fielder in baseball, and I don't buy the argument that he isn't good enough in center. His fielding rating from Fan Graphs in center is far better than Kemp's. Hamilton is actually a good defensive player, but people can't see past the stereotype of big mashers being solid defensive players in center. Kemp is fast, but man does he make some mistakes out there in center. It's a tough call, but Hamilton's RC of 142 makes it a win for the Rangers' CF.

Walk-Off Single in 10th

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8/2011 Team Scope: Boston Red Sox

August 5th 2011 15:31

Even though it's tough to say it, the Boston Red Sox are the best team in baseball. Their pitching may be too thin, but their hitting is incredible. Only the Yankees can compete with these guys offensively, and the Red Sox have three players who are getting serious MVP recognition right now; Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Adrian Gonzalez.

I must say this; Pedroia has been nothing short of spectacular in 2011. His WAR is at 6.7, he's stolen 22 bases, his RC is 148, he is hitting .311, Pedroia is walking more than he is striking out, and he has been flawless on defense. While Jose Bautista is still my pick for MVP, Pedroia is just a hair under him right now

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: MLB, MLB Teams, Red Sox, Adrian Gonzalez, Daniel Bard, Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jon Lester, Jonathan Papelbon, Josh Beckett

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8/4 MLB News: A-Rod and poker

August 4th 2011 13:53

I thought Alex Rodriguez was just about done with his shenanigans, and then this came up. We've always known that A-Rod has had some gambling problems- namely poker- but this is the farthest it's ever gone. He was in trouble with the league for gambling in 2005, and then he held a charity poker game. The current allegations against Rodriguez are far more serious with this incident.

Bud Selig has definitely had enough of A-Rod's circus in the past few years, and this is just another major headache for the commissioner. It's a known fact that Rodriguez is going to be suspended, but the question really is the length of his suspension. Because he's done this before, I suggest that Rodriguez is suspended for the same length as players who take PEDs; 50 days

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: MLB, MLB Rumors and News, Yankees, Alex Rodriguez, CC Sabathia, Jose Bautista, Red Sox, Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, Justin Verlander, Roy Halladay, Jose Reyes, Matt Kemp

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3/2011 Team Scope: Boston Red Sox

March 30th 2011 14:52

The Red Sox made huge acquisitions in this off-season. They two of the best hitters in the game in Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez. The Sox also added former star closer Bobby Jenks as well as solid reliever Dan Wheeler from their division rivals in Tampa. It's going to be a big year and another division win for the Red Sox. I just can't see how any team in the AL will keep up with this juggernaut.

Gonzalez is primed for a huge year after having several great ones in one of the heaviest pitchers' parks in baseball. Gonzo is ready for an MVP year on his new team, and he's going to be well acquainted with Fenway. Dustin Pedroia is solid as ever at second, and Marco Scutaro can score runs at short. The Youk moves over to the hot corner, and he's one of the most consistent hitters in the MLB

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