Longoria would be my AL pick.

I’m not applying courtroom rules of evidence to Geo Soto. I’m just using old fashioned common sense. ;)

Mather’s batting average was 28 points higher than he’d ever posted before. Soto’s was 80.

Mather’s HR rate doubled his previous career numbers–Soto quadrupled his HR rate.

Mather’s iso. slg. was 50% than his previous best; Soto more than doubled his previous high.

Mather’s improvement was (not surprisingly) accompanied by a marked improvement in plate discipline. In AA he walked 20-30% more than before, and cut his strikeouts by a similar amount–in short, he was swinging at better pitches.

Soto showed no breakthrough whatsoever in strikezone control during his (historically unprecedented) 2007 season at Iowa. Same walks, same K’s as he’d always had. (By the way, there’s a small myth going around that Soto’s massive career-altering improvement can be attributed to a big weight loss between 2006 and 2007. Seems unlikely, since BA’s prospect handbook listed Soto at 6′ 1″ 230 back in 2004/5, and he’s still listed at either 230 or 225, and looks it.

Soto was entering his third year of AAA ball as 2007 began, and in 6 minor league seasons had never at any level distinguished himself with the bat. He no doubt saw himself slipping into AAA journeyman status, maybe to never get a real shot at the Majors–if I were him, with literally millions of dollars at stake, I might well have done the same thing. It certainly makes much more sense on a risk v. reward level than what Giambi, Bonds, McGwire, Sosa, Clemens, et. al. did.

I would liken Soto’s offensive outburst last year in AAA to our own Joe Mather last year in AA/AAA. He was drafted around that same timeframe, and also took several years (didn’t he spend his first 4 or 5 years in A/A+? Sometimes with these high school draft picks it just takes several years for their bodies and power to develop. That’s why I’m not very concerned with Bryan Anderson’s lack of power so far – it’ll come, there’s no question about it.

AL:
1) Longoria
2) Ramirez
3) Aviles

NL:
1) Soto
2) Jurrjens
3) Votto
4) Kyle McClellan (he did lead MLB in holds despite blowing up at the end of the year…)

Does Jorge Campillo also qualify as a rookie? I haven’t looked up his stats so I don’t know how many innings he had pitched prior to this year. I do remember that he was an independent league journeyman and is just now starting to play regularly at 30 or so years old. So if he’s eligible, I’d put him at #3.

Either people really hate the Cubs or just want to start a good debate which in my opinion is not good…….

Geo Soto NL MVP…..
.868 OPS is 3rd in MLB at the Catcher position behind McCann and Mauer. Sorry Catcher is a more difficult position than 1B and Votto is not that much better than Geo OPS wise. I don’t get how people can vote for Votto?

Longoria in the AL

Top 3 AL
1. Longoria
2. Ramirez
3. Aviles

Wow, all infielders!

Top 3 NL
1. Soto
2. Votto/Bruce (take votes away from each other)
3. DeWitt