And the S58 award goes to...

Jack Torrance - Contributing Reporter

And the Award goes to...

You can generally find the runs, HRs, RBIs, and AVG listed on the website when voting but we'll cover a few of the player's advanced stats; including their Cash points (fantasy points - offense focused), weighted SBs (when relevant, attempted 15 or more), extra base hits, a player's wOBA (weighted on-base average), wRC+ (weighted runs created), and even a player's wRAA (weighed runs above average). All in the effort to see how each individual effected the games they played. 

MVP

We'll start off with the MVP race, listed by Skynet's favorites (ie. listed in order from website). We are starting a new thing where the leader in that category is underlined. 

• AL - Kyle Crain (C/DH) is working on his 4th straight but will Louie Weiss (DH/1B) or Wei-Yin Wan (1B)'s shortened season prevent that? They both failed last season. Once again they are joined by Matty Moss (2B) and new comer / fellow teammate Dee Vale (1B).  
• Kyle Crain (C)
• Missed Silver Slugger this year but that's because he balances time between C and DH. Triple Crown winner (HR, RBI, AVG)
• Cash points - 694.5
• xBH - 84
• wRAA - 83.49
• wOBA - .486
• wRC+ - 205
• wSB -  irrelevant
• Wei-Yin Wan (DH) 
• Silver Slugger at DH
• Cash points - 629
• xBH - 83
• wRAA - 58.15
• wOBA - .430
• wRC+ - 150
• wSB - irrelevant
• Louie Weiss (1B) 
• Silver Slugger at 1B
• Cash points - 736.5
• xBH - 98
• wRAA - 8.17
• wOBA - .464
• wRC+ - 173
• wSB -  irrelevant
• Matty Moss (2B)
• Silver Slugger at 2B
• Cash points - 552.5
• xBH - 58
• wRAA - 39.42
• wOBA - .401
• wRC+ - 149
• wSB - 9.05
• Dee Valle (1B)
• Gold Glove winner at 1B
• Cash points - 472
• xBH - 46
• wRAA - 22.77
• wOBA - .370
• wRC+ - 128
• wSB - 4.25
• NL - After being snubbed last season, we find outselves with Omar Gonzales back on the voting ballot. Plenty of new names this season, perhaps a changing of the guards is coming in the NL. Warren Cobb (2B), Anibal Castillo (CF) back on the ballot for the second year straight, joined by other first timers Ernest Page (1B) and Brad Vernon (2B). 
• Omar Gonzales (1B)
• Silver Slugger at 1B
• Cash points - 692
• xBH - 84
• wRAA - 75.51
• wOBA - .454
• wRC+ - 158
• wSB - -0.03
• Warren Cobb (2B)
• Silver Slugger at 2B, missed tying the record for most 2Bs in a single season by 1. 
• Cash points - 670
• xBH - 104
• wRAA - 7.04
• wOBA - .449
• wRC+ - 169
• wSB - 2.04
• Ernest Page (1B)
• Cash points - 494
• xBH - 55
• wRAA - 44.36
• wOBA - .421
• wRC+ - 181
• wSB - irrelevant
• Brad Vernon (2B)
• Cash points - 494
• xBH - 56
• wRAA - 18.65
• wOBA - .359
• wRC+ - 121
• wSB - irrelevant
• Anibal Castillo (CF)
• Silver Slugger at CF
• Cash points - 559
• xBH - 77
• wRAA - 4.56
• wOBA - .409
• wRC+ - 156
• wSB - 0.24

Cy Young

Next we have the Cy Young award. This time we'll be looking at a few advanced stats such as ERA+, FIP, Weighted Cash points to neutralize park factors. In the future, if we can figure out why our WAR numbers are so off, we'll include those as well. But for now we'll include K/BB and Quality Starts or Inherited Runners Scored as well. A reminder on ERA+, the average is 100 and anything above 100 indicates the pitcher performed better than average while below performed worse than average. Score of 150 would be 50% better than average. The FIP focuses solely on the events a pitcher has the most control over: K, BB, HBP, and HR. 

• AL - Your choices are an Expo (Damaso Ethier, Alcides Johnson) or a Tropic (Nigel White, Roger Simon, Brett Humphries). White looking to recapture the award his first year back in the AL. 
• Nigel White 
• The NL is thankful he's back in the AL. 
• ERA+ - 184
• FIP - 2.68
• Cash - 438
• K/BB - 3.14
• QS% - 56%
• Damaso Ethier
• Always a bridesmaid, never a bride. Is this his year?
• ERA+ - 132
• FIP - 3.75
• Cash - 430
• K/BB - 2.38
• QS% - 66%
• Roger Simon
• One of the best starters in the AL since being called up. 
• ERA+ - 158
• FIP - 3.11
• Cash - 498
• K/BB - 2.91
• QS% - 64%
• Alcides Johnson
• One of the best starters in the AL since being called up, having the most quality starts of the majors this season. 
• ERA+ - 111
• FIP - 3.79
• Cash - 452
• K/BB - 1.87
• QS% - 68%
• Brett Humphries
• Seems a notch below the rest on this list. 
• ERA+ - 162
• FIP - 3.72
• Cash - 395
• K/BB - 2.54
• QS% - 50%
• NL - What an interesting group this year, at the top is Danys Solis (NO) who has a Tandem B most all season with starter Santo Estrella & setup man Stretch Story of OKC making the list, along with the Columbus ace Midre Benavente and their closer Kevin Kashmir who has really excelled since being named closer of the franchise.   
• Danys Solis
• Made just 4 starts but came in tandem for another 36; stealing away 24 wins this season. Deserved, maybe that's for you to decide. Still threw 172 innings this season so they weren't short relief appearances. 
• ERA+ - 151
• FIP - 3.86
• Cash - 333
• K/BB - 2.27
• IR% - 25%
• Santo Estrella
•  10 complete games, most have any pitcher this season; throwing 255+ innings. 
• ERA+ - 130
• FIP - 3.68
• Cash - 483
• K/BB - 1.93
• QS% - 73%
• Kevin Kashmir
• Similar to the OKC duo, I wonder how many times the team went straight from Benavente to Kashmir. 
• ERA+ - 183
• FIP - 3.15
• Cash - 309
• K/BB - 2.54
• IRS% - 30%
• Midre Benavente
• Lost just 3 games in 32 starts this season. 75% starts being of quality is something to write home about, giving his team the best chance to win games. 
• ERA+ - 149
• FIP - 3.82
• Cash - 394
• K/BB - 2.82
• QS% - 75%
• Stretch Story
• Diamond in the Rough and ace set-up man; pitching in over 100 games this season with 180 innings. How many times did a team have to face Estrella and then Story? OUCH! I've seen closers win the award but this setup man would be a Cobbfather first. 
• ERA+ - 139
• FIP - 3.28
• Cash - 433
• K/BB - 3.54
• IRS% - 29%

Rookie of the Year

Adding this one back in by demand. 

• AL - More of a power year of Rookies, let's see whose the best. 
• Octavio Salas (1B)
• 21 2Bs, 47 HR, and 28 SBs! Two stolen bases away from a 40/30 season. 90% success rate in steals. 
• Cash points - 554.5
• xBH - 71
• wRAA - 35.02
• wOBA - .398
• wRC+ - 131
• wSB - 2.72
• Alan Carpenter (RF)
• He and Salas are the two power rookies of the season!
• Cash points - 445
• xBH - 71
• wRAA - 40.75
• wOBA - .411
• wRC+ - 145
• wSB - irrelevant
• Lonny Martin (DH)
• Cash points - 336
• xBH - 51
• wRAA - 29.32
• wOBA - .412
• wRC+ - 139
• wSB - irrelevant
• Mo Archer (DH)
• Cash points - 397.5
• xBH - 60
• wRAA - 19.94
• wOBA - .369
• wRC+ - 120
• wSB - 1.61
• Bartolo Balentien (RP)
• The only pitcher on the list for the AL and he came out of relief for Helena. 
• ERA+ - 149
• FIP - 4.21
• Cash - 153
• K/BB - 1.96
• IRS% - 30%

• NL - Wide range of options from a tandem starter, to closer, to set-up man, to two 1Bs. 
• Rubi Pujols (Tandem B)
• Served as a the second half of a tandem in New Orleans and did suburb. Picked up 16 wins and only 2 losses in 43 appearances. He was once compared to Cy Young candidate Danys Solis.
• ERA+ - 201
• FIP - 2.99
• Cash - 290
• K/BB - 4.00
• IRS% - 33%
• Harry Javier (RP)
• Closer for Salem, though they barely missed the playoffs. Saved 37/39. 
• ERA+ - 247
• FIP - 3.62
• Cash - 269
• K/BB - 2.50
• IRS% - 33%
• Eugene Marshall
• By far the best player in Cobbfather is this guy. Vote for him. Did the commish pay us to write that? Maybe. 
• Cash points - 411
• xBH - 55
• wRAA - 9.21
• wOBA - .346
• wRC+ - 108
• wSB - 1.49
• Dexter Ellis (SP)
• Filled a big need for Buffalo, pitching 205 innings in 33 starts. 
• ERA+ - 101
• FIP - 3.59
• Cash - 342
• K/BB - 2.42
• QS% - 61%
• Junichi Satou
• Very similar to Marshall just less hits in less at bats. 
• Cash points - 303.5
• xBH - 49
• wRAA - -0.51
• wOBA - .325
• wRC+ - 104
• wSB - 2.24

Cash Points

The top 20 hitters players under the Cash system are:

1. 737 - Louie Weiss (Hun)
2. 695 - Kyle Crain (Atl)
3. 692 - Omar Gonzales (Tok)
4. 670 - Warren Cobb (Har)
5. 629 - Wei-Yin Wan (Hun)
6. 599 - Dario Lester (Hou)
7. 579 - Mickey Barmes (Hele)
8. 569 - Rip Bromberg (Hun)
9. 568 - Shea Crowe (OKC)
10. 562 - Max Escuela (Hel)
11. 559 - Anibal Castillo (Colu)
12. 555 - Octavio Salas (Bos)
13. 553 - Matty Moss (Atl)
14. 550 - Carlos Soto (Hou)
15. 549 - Dilson Rojas (Sal)
16. 535 - Juancito Martin (Bos)
17. 530 - Al Cervantes (Phi)
18. 524 - Douglas Laxton (NO)
19. 519 - Olmedo Nunez (Colu)
20. 512 - Chuck Rupe (Phi)

And the bottom 5 hitters with at least 300 ABs are. It's generally filled with SSs who often but not always provide solid defense to make up for it. Let's see who we've got this year. Even more tanking than last year, numbers continue to drop!   

1. 55 - Brooks Jarvis (NY - 3B)
1. -53.26 wRAA
2. 82 - Esteban Castro (Mil - SS)
1. -29.56 wRAA
2. Second year on this list. 
3. 83 - Rob Webster (Philadelphia - SS)
1. -26.67 wRAA
4. 84 - Didi Mendoza (Charleston - SS)
1. -20.50 wRAA
5. 87 - Reynaldo Vasquez (Tacoma - SS)
1. -13.56 wRAA

The top 20 pitchers under the cash system are:

1. 498 - Roger Simon (Hun)
2. 483 - Santo Estrella (OKC)
3. 476 - Mitch Dillard (Hou)
4. 472 - Pascual Mijares (Buf)
5. 455 - Alan Street (Atl)
6. 452 - Alcides Johnson (Atl)
7. 451 - Aneury Polanco (MC)
8. 451 - Bruce Choice (Cha)
9. 449 - Harold Foltynewicz (Sal)
10. 438 - Nigel White (Hun)
11. 438 - Garabez Castillo (Atl)
12. 433 - Stretch Story (OKC)
13. 430 - Damaso Ethier (Atl)
14. 430 - J.C. Wall (Tok)
15. 429 - Pedro Puello (OKC)
16. 421 - Domingo Rodriguez (Tac)
17. 417 - Carmen Arnold (Hou)
18. 412 - Ed Wood (OKC)
19. 412 - Jesse Fields (OKC)
20. 411 - Alton Drew (Tok)

Similar to position players, let's look at the bottom 5 pitchers with a minimum of 50 IP. 

1. 41 - Shooter McCovey (Pitt)
2. 42 - Kenneth Tepera (NY)
3. 52 - Edgar Navarro (CSP)
4. 58 - Ricardo Park (NY)
5. 66 - Dorrssys Castro (Tac)