I have never heard so much talk about defense and WAR (Wins above replacement) in an MVP debate in my life. Sure Justin Verlander won MVP last year, but that was on a completely different level as a defensive player. It’s always been in the past the three offensive categories that are always been focused on (Batting Average, Home runs and RBI), whether they are lineup dependent or not, and hitting in the clutch (see: Ryan Braun over Matt Kemp in 2011).

