Baseball power hitters poll!

[Barnaby Jones]

Based on the brilliant discussion about Ryan Howard in the MLB thread, I wish to pose this question to all you whack-a-moles: if you were putting together a baseball team and you could pick only one of these three hitters to be your power hitter for the next 5 years (based on their produced stats up until today), who would it be? Let me hear ya, sports fans!

And we're not talking fantasy teams here, ya crumb bums!

[STC-Dub]

Not Howard. He does not have a body type that will hold up the last couple of seasons. I would rather have Fielder over Gonzalez but it is close.

[Dan 'Hampton]

Gonzo because I'm hoping he ends up in Boston at some point. Plus Howard too many K's. Prince will be a fulltime DH if his weight isn't reduced. Gonzo plays well in the feild and has good numbers on a team playing in a giant stadium with no support.

[goreds2]

Gonzo plays well in the feild and has good numbers on a team playing in a giant stadium with no support.

I picked Gonzo because of his glove advantage over the other 2. Bat wise, I would almost call it a tie.

[K.C.]

Not Howard. He does not have a body type that will hold up the last couple of seasons. I would rather have Fielder over Gonzalez but it is close.

You must not see him a lot.

He's gotten in better physical shape each of the last three years and improved the athletic-side of his game each of those years as well.

Gonzalez is a better all-around hitter than Howard, but Howard contributes more pure power.

1) Gonzalez
2) Howard
3) Fielder

Close between Gonzalez and Howard, though.

[TripleSkeet]

Not Howard. He does not have a body type that will hold up the last couple of seasons. I would rather have Fielder over Gonzalez but it is close.

Even without KC's explanatiopn about Howard being in much better shape the last 3 years (which he has been) can you explain to me how Howards body type wouldnt hold up.....yet Fielders would?

[Kevin]

Even without KC's explanatiopn about Howard being in much better shape the last 3 years (which he has been) can you explain to me how Howards body type wouldnt hold up.....yet Fielders would?

Prince is 5.5 years younger than Howard

[TripleSkeet]

Prince is 5.5 years younger than Howard

Oh ok. Wasnt factoring in the age thing. I thought we were talking strictly about body type. Because Id rather have a guy thats 6'4 255 lbs. then a guy thats 5'11 268 lbs.

[K.C.]

When you consider Ryan Howard won a RoY, an MVP (very close to winning two), and a World Series, and has hit as many HRs and driven in as many runs as anyone in the last five years, it's pretty amazing how little respect he gets outside of Philadelphia.

[TripleSkeet]

When you consider Ryan Howard won a RoY, an MVP (very close to winning two), and a World Series, and has hit as many HRs and driven in as many runs as anyone in the last five years, it's pretty amazing how little respect he gets outside of Philadelphia.

Yea I was thinking the same thing. In the last 5 years no players has more HR's or RBI's then him and these people act like hes nothing.

[K.C.]

Yea I was thinking the same thing. In the last 5 years no players has more HR's or RBI's then him and these people act like hes nothing.

Well, before the Sabermetrinazis start whining about how HRs and RBIs mean "nothing," let's just point out:

-OBP generally 80-100 points higher than average
-10th all time in slugging percentage
-22nd all time in OPS
-First all time in ABs per HR.

The guy is a run creator, flat out.

[underdog]

Well, before the Sabermetrinazis

That's you.

[K.C.]

That's you.

Not at all.

[underdog]

Not at all.

Nevermind, I actually confused you with el mudo for some reason.

[underdog]

Well, before the Sabermetrinazis start whining about how HRs and RBIs mean "nothing," let's just point out:

-OBP generally 80-100 points higher than average
-10th all time in slugging percentage
-22nd all time in OPS
-First all time in ABs per HR.

The guy is a run creator, flat out.

No one ever says HRs mean nothing.

You guys sound like Dan Shaughnessy (http://deadspin.com/5534544/today-in-hilarious-baseball-stat+geek-mockery-dan-shaughnessy-and-pudding).

[HBox]

When you consider Ryan Howard won a RoY, an MVP (very close to winning two), and a World Series, and has hit as many HRs and driven in as many runs as anyone in the last five years, it's pretty amazing how little respect he gets outside of Philadelphia.

Are we going to pretend like what the BBWAA thinks means anything? Good for his rookie of the year but Howard has never been better than Albert Pujols, including the year he won MVP.

If we are dealing with just a 5 year window I'll take Fielder. He's a better power hitter than Gonzalez. He's also entering his prime while Howard is exiting his. And Fielder hasn't been exposed as being completely incapable of hitting a curveball.

Anything past 5 years and I want nothing to do with this morbidly obese big-contract bust waiting to happen.

[K.C.]

Are we going to pretend like what the BBWAA thinks means anything? Good for his rookie of the year but Howard has never been better than Albert Pujols, including the year he won MVP.

If we are dealing with just a 5 year window I'll take Fielder. He's a better power hitter than Gonzalez. He's also entering his prime while Howard is exiting his. And Fielder hasn't been exposed as being completely incapable of hitting a curveball.

Anything past 5 years and I want nothing to do with this morbidly obese big-contract bust waiting to happen.

The guy has averaged 50 HRs and 140 RBIs for the passed four seasons...let's not act like his place in the MVP voting are BBWAA fabrications...is Pujols better? Absolutely, but outside of Pujols, you'd be hard-pressed to make a better case for anyone based on results.

I have no problem with anyone taking Adrian Gonzalez or Prince Fielder if the argument is they still have untapped potential. That's why I would take Gonzalez.

And I have no problem with the argument that Ryan Howard isn't likely to get much better from this point forward.

What I do have a problem with though:

1) The notion that Howard is some lumbering fat boy ready for a Mo Vaughn like stumble off the cliff. The people making that argument are people who just haven't seen him play enough and aren't familiar with what the guy does on a day to day basis.

2) This trend among people to dismiss Howard as overrated because of the strikeouts as if it's the defining characteristic of his game. The strikeouts are what keeps him from hitting over .300 and entering Pujols territory offensively. If anything, though, he's proven the trade-off of strikeouts for his power and run production is a no-brainer.

And that's my point, I guess. The lack of respect and how easily dismissed he is by people in relation to what he's actually done doesn't really add up at all.

[Kevin]

The guy has averaged 50 HRs and 140 RBIs for the passed four seasons...let's not act like his place in the MVP voting are BBWAA fabrications...is Pujols better? Absolutely, but outside of Pujols, you'd be hard-pressed to make a better case for anyone based on results.

I have no problem with anyone taking Adrian Gonzalez or Prince Fielder if the argument is they still have untapped potential. That's why I would take Gonzalez.

And I have no problem with the argument that Ryan Howard isn't likely to get much better from this point forward.

What I do have a problem with though:

1) The notion that Howard is some lumbering fat boy ready for a Mo Vaughn like stumble off the cliff. The people making that argument are people who just haven't seen him play enough and aren't familiar with what the guy does on a day to day basis.

2) This trend among people to dismiss Howard as overrated because of the strikeouts as if it's the defining characteristic of his game. The strikeouts are what keeps him from hitting over .300 and entering Pujols territory offensively. If anything, though, he's proven the trade-off of strikeouts for his power and run production is a no-brainer.

And that's my point, I guess. The lack of respect and how easily dismissed he is by people in relation to what he's actually done doesn't really add up at all.

Why are u guys so hell bent on caring what people think of him?

Yankee fans went through this in the 90's SS argument.

As long as Howard wins, you shouldn't really give a shit, like we didn't with Jeter.

Redsox fans were making the same argument for Brady Vs Manning as they did against Jeter Vs Nomar/Arod.

[Kevin]

With thats said...


If you told me before last year that Howard was the 2nd best 1b in the league, i would have just looked at the #s and agreed.

But watching him get neutralized by 1, a curve ball, 2 any yoyo bumchuck lefty RP, I just can't say he is. I don't care what the Reg season #s are.

Hell, he isnt even the most feared guy in that lineup in my opinion.

In the playoffs, I much more feared Utley and Werth than i did Howard.

[K.C.]

With thats said...


If you told me before last year that Howard was the 2nd best 1b in the league, i would have just looked at the #s and agreed.

But watching him get neutralized by 1, a curve ball, 2 any yoyo bumchuck lefty RP, I just can't say he is. I don't care what the Reg season #s are.

Hell, he isnt even the most feared guy in that lineup in my opinion.

In the playoffs, I much more feared Utley and Werth than i did Howard.

What you saw wasn't exactly an entirely accurate representation, although all of it's true to a degree.

When he's locked in, in MVP mode, he sits back on the curve and takes it out opposite field. When he's cold, he racks up strikeouts in bundles.

He had a horrible World Series, but he also won the NLCS MVP and had a great playoffs to that point.

Utley is a better all around hitter, but of everyone on that team, the only guy capable of carrying a team is Howard, which he pretty much does every September.

[SP1!]

All 3 of those guys are good but right now I would take Heywood from Atlanta, I know Im a homer but the kid is a beast, barely 20 but he looks like a pro already at the plate. Its so bad people are pitching around him.

As long as he doesnt get injured the kid will be a force for the next 20 years, Im hoping Wren signs him long term asap so the deeper pocketed teams dont steal him.

[Hamey]

Howard. He's proven he can hit in the postseason.