While preparing The Cardinal Nation’s Dominican Summer League Player of the Year article (also posted today for TCN members), I was distracted when uncovering a terrible injustice which occurred last month. A player whose stats were clearly inferior to a number of others was announced as the rookie-level league’s Most Valuable Player for 2018.
I have no idea how the officials of the 44-team DSL select the MVP, but I am positive of one thing – their process is highly flawed.
Amazingly, the 2018 honoree is not the league’s Triple Crown winner, 17-year old third baseman Malcom Nuñez of the St. Louis Cardinals Blue. Instead, the MVP is 17-year old outfielder Julio Rodriguez. The Seattle prospect was signed a year ago for $1.75 million, and in his first season, put up a very good, but not great performance in comparison to his peers.
Yet, somehow, some way, Rodriguez was named league MVP, anyway.
Not only was Nuñez tops in the three Triple Crown categories of home runs, RBI and batting average, he was also first in total bases. Further, he led the way in on-base percentage, slugging and then, of course OPS, as well as Weighted Runs Created Plus (wRC+).
That, dear readers, is offensive dominance!
While Rodriguez played in 59 games to July-signee Nuñez’ 44, the former managed just one more hit in 55 more at-bats. All of Rodriguez’ slash stats are not only inferior, they are substantially so – including almost 350 points of OPS difference!
In terms of production, Rodriguez hit five home runs to Nuñez’ 13 and drove in 36 to Nuñez’ 59. Rodriguez did not even place in the top 20 in the league in doubles, home runs or RBI.
In comparing the two further, Rodriguez had both a higher strikeout rate and a lower walk rate, though to be fair, the differences are not extreme.
The outfielder’s only substantive positive advantages are in stolen bases, 10 to three, and triples, nine to three.
Following are the two players’ comparative stats and their respective league rankings, when in the top 20. Qualifiers must have at least 2.7 plate appearances per league game (72). Both met this bar.
Take a look at this and explain to me why Rodriguez is the MVP.
| NAME | Malcom Nunez | Julio Rodriguez | |||
| TEAM | Cardinals Blue | Mariners | |||
| POS | 3B | RF | |||
| G | 44 | 59 | |||
| PA | 199 | 255 | |||
| AB | 164 | 219 | |||
| DSL rank | DSL rank | ||||
| AVG | 0.415 | #1 | 0.315 | #19 | |
| OBP | 0.497 | #1 | 0.404 | ||
| SLG | 0.774 | #1 | 0.525 | #7 | |
| OPS | 1.272 | #1 | 0.929 | #8 | |
| wRC+ | 238 | #1 | 161 | #8 | |
| R | 44 | 50 | T15 | ||
| H | 68 | T20 | 69 | T17 | |
| 2B | 16 | T14 | 13 | ||
| 3B | 2 | 9 | T1 | ||
| HR | 13 | #1 | 5 | ||
| RBI | 59 | #1 | 36 | ||
| TB | 127 | #1 | 115 | #5 | |
| BB | 26 | 30 | |||
| BB% | 13.1% | 11.8% | |||
| K | 29 | 40 | |||
| K% | 14.6% | 15.7% | |||
| SB | 3 | 10 | |||
| CS | 0 | 0 |
Are the voters prejudiced against Cubans? Did they raise the plate appearance bar to influence the outcome? Did they discriminate against Nuñez’ $300,000 bonus?
If not, what in the world could it be?
It isn’t their teams, either. Nuñez led the Blue to the Cardinals organization’s first-ever division title, with an impressive .708 winning mark that tied for third-best in the DSL. The Mariners were a second-place club, 13 games back in their division, with a .556 winning percentage that tied for 16th-best in the league.
Another better choice
Now, if the argument is that what matters is full-season performance in counting stats NOT called home runs, RBI and total bases, then Rodriguez still should not win. Another 17-year old outfielder, Joerlin De Los Santos of Cardinals Red, has a better case than does the Seattle outfielder.
Here is the same data from above, except with De Los Santos stacked up against the league’s choice as MVP, instead.
| NAME | Joerlin De Los Santos | Julio Rodriguez | |||
| TEAM | Cardinals Red | Mariners | |||
| POS | CF | RF | |||
| G | 64 | 59 | |||
| PA | 282 | 255 | |||
| AB | 234 | 219 | |||
| DSL rank | DSL rank | ||||
| AVG | 0.359 | #2 | 0.315 | #19 | |
| OBP | 0.459 | #5 | 0.404 | ||
| SLG | 0.500 | #8 | 0.525 | #7 | |
| OPS | 0.959 | #5 | 0.929 | #8 | |
| wRC+ | 174 | #5 | 161 | #8 | |
| R | 66 | #1 | 50 | T15 | |
| H | 84 | T1 | 69 | T17 | |
| 2B | 18 | T3 | 13 | ||
| 3B | 6 | 9 | T1 | ||
| HR | 1 | 5 | |||
| RBI | 28 | 36 | |||
| TB | 117 | #4 | 115 | #5 | |
| BB | 41 | 30 | |||
| BB% | 14.5% | 11.8% | |||
| K | 36 | 40 | |||
| K% | 12.8% | 15.7% | |||
| SB | 30 | T12 | 10 | ||
| CS | 9 | 0 |
As you can see, De Los Santos led the league in runs scored and tied for tops in hits. The 17-year old finished tied for third in doubles and fourth in total bases. He also swiped 30 bags, tied for 12th in the circuit.
In rate stats, De Los Santos came in second in the DSL in batting average and fifth in OBP, OPS and wRC+.
In every single statistical category mentioned in the preceding two paragraphs, De Los Santos bested Rodriguez. The Cardinal also was superior to the Mariner with a lower strikeout rate and higher walk rate.
Also note that De Los Santos had more plate appearances than did Rodriguez, so some arbitrary higher minimum could not apply. Both are Dominican Republic natives.
Rodriguez’ few advantages are in triples, home runs and RBI. He also finished just one spot ahead of De Los Santos in slugging. But again, if homers, RBI and slugging mattered most, then Nuñez would have been the clear choice as league MVP.
It seems obvious that Rodriguez would lose any rational, honest head-to-head comparison with either Cardinal – not to mention likely several other DSL players.
As a point of reference, Baseball America, not encumbered by whatever crazy justification the league is using, named Nuñez their 2018 DSL Player of the Year. Of course, they did!
Check it out yourself
If you are interested in validating the numbers presented here, among the sites that list stats for the DSL offensive leaders for 2018 are MiLB and Fangraphs.
In closing
This decision makes no sense whatsoever. Perhaps while the United States Department of Justice investigates wrongdoing in international player signings, they should also check into the DSL MVP voting process, because in 2018, a crime was clearly committed here.
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Brian Walton can be reached via email at brian@thecardinalnation.com. Follow Brian on Twitter.
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