Who Should the win the MVP? Shohei Ohtani or Francisco Lindor? - The Michael Kay Show TMKS

[Music] hey guys uh thanks for taking the call um big Mets fan um I was uh I was um at work uh catching the game listening to it whenever I could and then uh and then picking it up on on the way home my son was txed to me telling me they're getting no hit I mean I don't I called in a few weeks ago maybe a week week and a half ago okay and the discussion was um the Mets don't make a the playoffs are you content with uh the Way the season went um I called and I answered that yeah and uh and uh you know I have I have a a Sunday plan so you know I've I've got money invested in in in in being a fan with the Mets um but um couple questions for you guys so you know I'm a bit biased so you know I'm def if I had a vote I'd give Lindor the MVP vote um with regards to Otani I mean there's there's no doubt about what type of talent Otani is that being said he's not pitching this year and I'd never give a DH a vote I mean the guy would have to I mean he'd have to he'd have to surpass the Barry Bonds home run total um yeah but 5050 is kind of like 50 5050 is kind of like special that's like a Barry bond season but then you look at Lindor and and and only Alex Rodriguez and uh I think he tied some I forget who was he tied with five seasons of 330 I mean the guy's playing after the catcher position he's playing the toughest position in all of baseball we're not going to argue with you he he's having an MVP type season we thank you for the call the only thing that's going to stand in his way is that you're having a guy who's a unicorn uh who's having a season that's never been done before no one's ever done 50/50 and his team is also going to win the West the Mets aren't going to win the East so as great as lindor's been he hasn't catapulted them over the the Philly so I think he's going to finish second and in most other years he'd win but Don I think the 50/50 thing is too much of an impediment to overcome yeah I I I think Lindor will get votes because there will be guys that think like the caller I'm not going to give it to a DH and there may be some who just feel like the true definition of MVP yes otani's the better player better batting average more home runs uh he's going to go 50/50 but could the Dodgers find a way to make the playoffs if Otani didn't play don't know they've had so many injuries Don maybe they couldn't I know maybe not but I could tell you watching Lindor every day and watch Otani every day but watching Lindor every day I can say with the utmost confidence that if not for Lindor this team would not get a sniff right he turned it around once he turned it around the team turned it around he's been a leader he's an A+ Defender he has been clutch so I think he'll get votes but it's unfortunate for him it comes in a year where Otani is going to do something that just absolutely so special that even though he's a DH he'll win and I guess he'll become the first DH to do it well I think I I I looked that up the other day I guess the guy who d8 the most and won the MVP was Don Balor and that was a year that many people thought Ken Singleton should win but Don Bor played in the field some but the majority of his games were were as a DH but and that's a long time but Otani has not played in the field once not once now obviously you say he's a unicorn well not this year because he has a pitch well he is a unicorn and the fact that he is 50 on runs going to steal 50 bases right absolutely but also again I'm not taking anything away but I think you're going to s start seeing you know when they when we had 30 for 30 30 30 for 30 um for 303 years with like strawberry and with uh Howard Johnson it was relatively new because most people that had power didn't have speed right it's easier to steal bases now than it's ever been so and he's taking advantage of it I don't want to take anything away and I I'm conceding the fact that he's going to win it but I I do think Lindor shouldn't just be completely dismissed because I think he is really having a special season even though the numbers don't suggest he's even in the same Stratosphere with with Otani if there were an award Michael best player MVP I think Lindor might get the MVP but because there isn't a split it's going to be Otani I I I would tend to agree with you but I would also say that otani's been pretty darn valuable to the Dodgers because remember Muki bets missed about three months most of their starting staff has been hurt true so I mean he's been pretty it's not like he's just putting up numbers you know the way you know Andre Dawson did or the way Ripken did when they finished last these are numbers that are important but these this team is is loaded okay even with the injuries that they've had they've got some really really good players they were the favorites to to win their division the Mets were looked upon as a team that let's be honest Michael many thought even though they didn't talk that way many thought they were taking a knee this year and for them to be above not not just above 500 80 wins I think 90 is on the table right I mean they got 16 games left they can go 10 and six he kind of want them to go 10 and six yeah they so even if 10 and six isn't enough for them uh to be able to make the playoffs which it might not be I mean who who had them penel in for 90 wins and maybe north of that to start the season so all these things apply isn't that amazing though because I think teams were built by their models to win about 86 87 games and everybody thought well that'll get us into the postseason it's not going to 90 might not they as you said they could go 10 and six and not get and last year what was the Diamondbacks had 84 yep you know so yeah I think you want to try to strive for 90 and I I I the last I looked Michael I'm going to check now the last I looked I think the Mets would be the second wild card in the American League yeah right yeah they they have the exact same record as Kansas City 80 and 66 in Kansas city is the second Wild Card uh War what is it good for no war for Lindor 6.5 and what is it for 7.2 close now it's close but here's the thing that's how special otani's been offensively that without playing the field because War also factors in how you play defensively so Lindor is a gold glove short stop and that's factored into a 6.5 and yet Otani who hasn't stepped on the field with a glove is still beating with a 7.2 and you know a lot of people look at War as the determining Factor on who is going to win the MVP and you know what then in addition to the H hockey to a podcast yeah you could start your met podcast war with Lindor this is going to be a big come together how much how much you pay me for that Michael the same thing ESPN pays you for the hockey now is there enough time for Lindor to surpass yes he can get well Otani has to shut it down and stop getting points because each day you you kind of add more if you do something so Lindor would have to just go off on a toot which he did today I bet I bet you that doesn't include the home run right well baseball reference so I'm not they might have they might have updated they might have updated but the thing is is that that's still a major lead for Otani not being in the field it is it really it's very telling because Lindor isn't just a good short stop he's outstanding and he's just AC crew that much war and also the fact that Lindor had a terrible April also hurt him I loved it I I rubbed it on myself because if he had a normal April Dawn he'd be closing in maybe on a seven and a half War then you could talk yeah that then then I think it'd be on