They want to be part of the 'smart crowd'.
In fantasy baseball 'roto' is described as having extreme, maybe even an unhealthy following of certain baseball categories.
When one of our hitters makes an out, we cuss.
We don't care how he made the out. For the moment, he sucked.
When one of our pitchers gives up a run, an earned run, we cuss.
We don't care how he gave up the run. For the moment, he sucked.
Our focus is on those categories.
In the NFBC, 10 categories.
Pretty simple.
Maybe too simple for these writers.
These writers are caring about stuff we may care about during drafting season.
We could care less about how many swings and misses our pitchers generated. We only care about how many of those resulted in a K.
We could care less about the stupid slash line....Except batting average.
The .OBP and SLG....window dressing.
Not for the so-called 'Roto' writers.
Roto writers have been touting Bryce Harper as being an MVP.
Seriously.
Why?
Because of his slash line.
Harper is not in the top 15 of any of our roto categories.
There are average players (Jorge Polanco, Justin Turner, etc) who have or match Harper's roto stats.
Harper is not even returning his second round status that NFBC drafters gave him in 2021.
Look, I know the MVP Award goes beyond our roto categories.
I'm not foolish enough to think the world begins and ends with our categories.
Just as the stupid slash line should not be the sole means of defining an MVP.
Here is my thought on Harper....
Harper has 20 solo home runs. Two, with runners on base.
He has 50 RBI.
He has 65 BB.
What do those stats alone tell you?
It tells me that each team that plays Philadelphia has a plan.
Not to let Bryce Harper beat us.
When runners are on, he does not get good pitches to drive. He still has a good batting average with runners on base.
But little power.
Worse, he is walked in most situations that could be detrimental to the opposing team.
And the hell of it is....THAT IT'S WORKING!
Harper isn't hurting teams.
Heck, give the MVP to the teams who are manipulating Harper!
The question I have for these dumbass roto writers is this....
If Bryce Harper is not hurting opposing teams, how in the world can he be an MVP?
Thes roto writers have leaped to the analytical side and left us holding the bag.
They are trumpeting a guy who is not even returning his roundage to drafters.
Little more than a bit above average player by ROTO standards.
Joey Votto from round 25 has similar numbers to Harper.
But Votto is not walking as much this year.
Votto is now dead to analytics
Long live Bryce Harper!
One thing that this whole thing has got me thinking is that, now, the MVP is torn into three different segments.
There is the team segment and how much a player helps a team win and achieve a playoff spot.
There is the analytical priorities of the stupid slash line.
And there is the traditional statistics that fantasy players embrace.
I wouldn't mind seeing three different MVP awards given to players in each league.
Each, with their own standards.
Harper would only qualify for the analytical MVP.
Roto writers should be ashamed that THEY are the ones who most toot that horn.