Why Buster Posey is the MVP

When Melky Cabrera was banned for 50 games after testing positive for high levels of testosterone, the entire baseball world rallied around Andrew McCutchen who became the only player with a chance to reel in Melky Cabrera's batting average lead. That a title so prestigious and meaningful could go to a convicted doper is a fatal flaw in itself, but fans and players had no option but to hope that 'Cutch' could keep up his hot-hitting ways. Cabrera's .346 average is astronomic and even though McCutchen has hit at an impressive clip of .312 since the all-star break, he has found his average falling. However, a dark horse has entered the race since the break, and as you've probably guessed from the title of the post, it is San Francisco catching sensation Buster Posey who has found himself thrown not only into the Batting Title race but also the MVP race with McCutchen. Since the all-star break, Posey has smacked the leather off the ball, hitting at a .400 clip and filling the offensive void left by none other than Melky Cabrera.

There are many reasons to think that Posey will not get close to Cabrera and McCutchen. Primarily because Posey's .329 average is still a far cry from the .346 of Cabrera but also because a .400 average is simply unsustainable; at some stage Posey will surely slow down. Even if he is unable to claim the batting title, I believe that the MVP award would not go amiss. Posey's home run totals trail those of McCutchen at the moment, although his RBI totals match him. Despite his incredible raw athleticism, McCutchen is also a bit of a liability in the field - his -6 UZR makes him technically a below-average defensive center-fielder. Although Posey has thrown out just 25% of would-be base-stealers, his total of 28 ranks second in the league. Posey also must be given credit for handling one of the finest rotations in baseball - Cain, Bumgarner and Vogelsong have all been elite this season, and Posey also caught Cain's perfect game. In terms of game-calling and defensive prowess, there are few catchers with the same skill-set as Posey, and when you add this to elite offensive numbers at a position that usually provides lacklustre hitting ability you have yourself (in my opinion) the best player in the league.

Not only this, but Posey is just 25. His best years may well be ahead of him. Playing at AT&T Park does remove plenty of his power potential, but Posey could easily be a lock for a .300 average, 30 home runs and 100 RBI every season for the next 5 years. He earned himself a World Series ring in his very first season, and at the rate he is hitting, he may find he has a couple more in 10 years time.