Season With Most Legit MVP Candidates

[AstrosFan]

This is something that has interested me for a while. Which Season/League had the most legitimate MVP candidates. When I say legitimate, I mean you would not have been at all surprised to see that person win. For argument's sake, let's say every MVP winner is a legitimate candidate, no matter how disgraceful you think their selection was. Let's also just focus on the years from 1931-present.

In the 1941 AL, for example, there are only two legit candidates: DiMaggio and Williams. Anyone else would have shocked you. There may have been other excellent seasons, but you wouldn't expect anyone else to win it.

Right now, I can think of two season/leagues with four legit candidates:

1951 NL: Campanella (winner), Robinson, Kiner, Musial
1996 NL: Caminiti (winner), Bagwell, Bonds, Sheffield

I am not saying every candidate has to be equally as strong as the others, just that you would not be surprised if they had won. Can four be topped? Are there any other seasons from 1931-present with four?

[brett]

'87 NL:
Raines
Gwinn
Smith
Jack Clark
Will Clark
Eric Davis

Mike Schmidt

Dale Murphy
Darryl Strawberry

Andre Dawson
Howard Johnson

[brett]

'61 AL
Mantle
Maris
Cash
Gentile

[brett]

'95 NL
Bonds
Piazza
Maddux
Larkin?

[stejay]

Dont you mean the 61 AL??

[brett]

Dont you mean the 61 AL??

You are correct!

[brett]

'76 AL
Grich
Brett
Munson
Jackson
Carew

[AstrosFan]

'87 NL:
Raines
Gwinn
Smith
Jack Clark
Will Clark
Eric Davis

Mike Schmidt

Dale Murphy
Darryl Strawberry

Andre Dawson
Howard Johnson

Okay, but are all these legit candidates? I would have been shocked if Dale Murphy won, for example.

[willshad]

1999 AL

Pudge
Gonzalez
Jeter
Nomar
Palmeiro
Manny
Alomar
Green
Griffey
Williams
Pedro

2000 AL

F.Thomas
Pudge
Giambi
A-Rod
Degado
P. Martinez
Nomar
Manny
E. Martinez
Erstad

2001 AL

Giambi
Palmeiro
Manny
Thome
A-rod
Ichiro
Gonzalez
Alomar
Boone

Most of the seasons of the steroid era produced at least 7 or 8 legit candidates that were near equally qualified

[AstrosFan]

'97 NL

Walker (winner)
Gwynn
Piazza
Biggio
Bonds
Bagwell

All were, I think, legit candidates.

[AstrosFan]

I found this interesting: Win Shares suggests a legit MVP campaign is 30 WS. The 2004 NL had 12 players meeting this qualifying standard. Since baseball couldn't figure a way to bring down Bonds's numbers, he was really the only legit MVP choice (statistically). But there are 11 other MVP type players that season:

Pujols
Rolen
Beltre
Abreu
Edmonds
Drew
Loretta
Dunn
Berkman
Helton
Casey

Sure, not all of these are legit candidates (outside of Bonds). But that's a hell of a lot of MVP type seasons.

[willshad]

win shares is not what you should go by...Mark Loretta was never a legit MVP candidate lol

[willshad]

'97 NL

Walker (winner)
Gwynn
Piazza
Biggio
Bonds
Bagwell

All were, I think, legit candidates.

I agree, but that really was Piazza's year. I was a Dodger fan and I really thought it wouldnt be close, after Mike had what is still universally recognized as the best season ever at his position. Bonds and Bagwell both had better seasons, and Biggio wasnt quite on the level of the other guys. Walker had a great season, as did Gwynn, but Piazza had simliar numbers to Walker playing catcher in the worst hitter's park ever. He hit for nearly as high an average as Gwynn, but with much more power. I dont want to even imagine what his numbers would have been like had he played in Coors half of his games.

[AstrosFan]

win shares is not what you should go by...Mark Loretta was never a legit MVP candidate lol

You'll have to do better than that. I agree completely that Win Shares should not be relied upon, but you need a counterpoint. Besides, I merely pointed out that all 12 of those players had MVP type seasons. No year comes close to having as many MVP type seasons as the 2004 NL. Filtering out the legit candidates is tougher. I will try to trim down the list to the real candidates (sans Bonds) if you will do the same to your lists of the 1999-2001 AL. I assume you are well aware that not all of those were legit candidates.

[willshad]

You'll have to do better than that. I agree completely that Win Shares should not be relied upon, but you need a counterpoint. Besides, I merely pointed out that all 12 of those players had MVP type seasons. No year comes close to having as many MVP type seasons as the 2004 NL. Filtering out the legit candidates is tougher. I will try to trim down the list to the real candidates (sans Bonds) if you will do the same to your lists of the 1999-2001 AL. I assume you are well aware that not all of those were legit candidates.

The numbers speak for themselves. Loretta had a good year, but not what typical MVPs put up.

2004 32 SDP NL 154 620 108 208 47 2 16 76 5 3 58 45 .335 .391 .495 138

He wasnt good on the bases nor particularily good in the field.

Name one of the guys I named who didnt have 'mvp numbers'. I could have even added a few more players from each season.