when Kemp gets back does he have ANY shot at winning the MVP?

[Blackout]

assuming he keeps playing at a kickass level and all

[DownUnderDodger]

Looking at the way the the Dodgers have performed in his absence and if he puts together big numbers and helps the Dodgers get to the post season, yes he should be a chance. After all, pitchers who play every 5 or 6 days are a chance!

[Rich the Giants fan]

Only if Andrew McCutchen let's him have a chance. I'd say right now, and let me stress there is A LOT of baseball still to be played, the award is McCutchen's to lose.

[dominik]

no. You can win the MVP if you miss 20-30 games if you have a monster season (mauer, hamilton) but he has already missed nearly 50 games and counting.

so he won't win it and he really shouldn't. as I said many times before in the WAR debates playing time is a big part of value.

And votto is no slouch either. With his position and running I would say kemp can make up for 15 points of OPS+ and maybe ten less games but not more. he has about half the games votto has so there is no way he should win the MVP.

[Rich the Giants fan]

no. You can win the MVP if you miss 20-30 games if you have a monster season (mauer, hamilton) but he has already missed nearly 50 games and counting.

so he won't win it and he really shouldn't. as I said many times before in the WAR debates playing time is a big part of value.

And votto is no slouch either. With his position and running I would say kemp can make up for 15 points of OPS+ and maybe ten less games but not more. he has about half the games votto has so there is no way he should win the MVP.

It wouldn't surprise me to see the MVP coming out of the Central.

[chicagowhitesox1173]

He deff wont be stealing bases with that injury he had either not that he was stealing bases before it. But i'm sure he'll be on a Hamilton type of watch to keep him healthy so he might sit alot more to make sure he's ok for playoffs. Also with Ethier out for a few weeks I have some concerns on how he'll perform too. But it is a big boost for the Dodgers offense hopefully having him back.

[Rich the Giants fan]

He deff wont be stealing bases with that injury he had either not that he was stealing bases before it. But i'm sure he'll be on a Hamilton type of watch to keep him healthy so he might sit alot more to make sure he's ok for playoffs. Also with Ethier out for a few weeks I have some concerns on how he'll perform too. But it is a big boost for the Dodgers offense hopefully having him back.

What makes you think the Dodgers will have the luxury of resting him for the playoffs? They're gonna need him just to make it to the playoffs.

[chicagowhitesox1173]

What makes you think the Dodgers will have the luxury of resting him for the playoffs? They're gonna need him just to make it to the playoffs.

I think as of now the Giants might be a bit better than the Dodgers but the Giants pitching staff seems to really have some bad games and I do think the Giants will get in but I would think the Dodgers will get in there too with the 2 wildcards.

Cain and Bumgarner have been good but am I wrong that they have some really bad innings during their starts sometimes?

[metfan13]

Keep David Wright in this picture too. Right now it seems to be McCutchen, Votto and Wright. If they continue as they are and Pirates finish first it would be McCutchen's. If they fall back and Mets get in playoffs, Wright would have a very strong argument.

[Rich the Giants fan]

I think as of now the Giants might be a bit better than the Dodgers but the Giants pitching staff seems to really have some bad games and I do think the Giants will get in but I would think the Dodgers will get in there too with the 2 wildcards.

Cain and Bumgarner have been good but am I wrong that they have some really bad innings during their starts sometimes?

Who doesn't have an occasional bad inning? They've both certainly had a lot more good innings than bad. Both have been outstanding this year.

[willshad]

Kemp has missed about 45 games. In 1980 George Brett also missed about 45 games, and won the MVP easily despite some really good seasons by Reggie, Wilson, Murry, and Cooper. Brett also hit about as well as Kemp has done so far.

It is highly unlikely that Kemp can keep his hitting at his early 2012 level, but if he comes back real soon, and keeps it up, there is precedence for a guy doing that and winning MVP, despite missing 45 games.

[Honus Wagner Rules]

I'm sure Brett chasing .400 into late September gave Brett a huge MVP boost that Kemp will not have.

[Brooklyn]

The dodgers are 23-13 with kemp and have been 24-26 without him. If he can come back and have a big second half and the dodgers play .600 or so ball with him, he'd have to be in the conversation - its pretty easy to show how valuable he is when you look at the record with and without him.

[Buczilla]

The dodgers are 23-13 with kemp and have been 24-26 without him. If he can come back and have a big second half and the dodgers play .600 or so ball with him, he'd have to be in the conversation - its pretty easy to show how valuable he is when you look at the record with and without him.

I don't follow the Dodgers close, but haven't they big bitten by the injury bug in other places in that span? From what I remember when he first went down they seemed to not even miss a beat(going 9-4 and getting to 7.5 up in the West).

[Zito75]

I like McCutchen a lot - he's probably my favorite player right now... But I see the writers giving it to Votto. Kemp should have a strong second half but he won't run nearly as much - and his defense will surely be impacted by his injury(s).