The votes are in, and every response has been counted. Your faithful TGP staff members have carefully made their choices. The results of the 2013 Phillies MVP can finally be revealed!
Here's the breakdown of the reader vote:
455 votes
Cliff Lee -- 48% (217 votes)
Chase Utley -- 24% (107 votes)
Domonic Brown -- 21% (94 votes)
Delmon Young -- 4% (16 votes)
Darin Ruf -- 2% (7 votes)
Cole Hamels -- 1% (4 votes)
Kevin Frandsen, Ben Revere, and Michael Young each received two votes. Ryan Howard, Erik Kratz, John Mayberry, and Jimmy Rollins received one vote each.
All I'm going to say is that some of you may want to take some time to thoughtfully reflect on the choice you made in this poll. And by some of you, I mean the 16 who voted for Delmon Young.
The results of the staff vote didn't reflect the reader poll, but I think that's ok. We can all agree that Cliff Lee and Chase Utley are pretty awesome. Here's the breakdown of the staff vote:
12 votes
Chase Utley -- 7.5 votes
Cliff Lee -- 3 votes
Domonic Brown -- 1.5 votes
(Confused by the split vote? See dajafi's ballot below.)
88Lindros88 -- Cliff Lee
Who else would you choose? Lee was easily the most valuable player on the team by advanced metrics and was SUPER CLUTCH down the home stretch with that amazing September featuring the absolutely insane 54:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Ben Horrow -- Cliff Lee
Lee was not only the best pitcher on the Phillies in 2013, but he was the most coveted player via trade on the team. If everyone on your team and rooting for that team loves you, and everyone else in the country wants you, you're probably the MVP. In this case that definitely holds true. Thank god $25 million was actually put to good use this time.
Cormican -- Chase Utley
Really, for me, it's him or Lee and I can't logically get to the point of voting for a guy who plays once a week as MVP.
dajafi -- Domonic Brown/Chase Utley (tie)
When the team flounders, you need hope--in the form of performance on the field. Brown's emergence and Utley's revival were the two biggest reasons to believe 2014 might turn out better than the last two lousy seasons.
DanyS -- Domonic Brown
A youthful player who is providing some hope and excitement.
David S. Cohen -- Cliff Lee
He wasn't OMG Cliff Lee (whatever), but he was still the most reliable player on the team from day 1. If Utley had played a full season, maybe he'd be here, but as it is, Lee was worth 1.2 more wins than Utley was (1.3 if you include his hitting!). That's your MVP
Jaypoozle -- Chase Utley
Because he is Chase Utley? Because he battles through a degenerative knee condition and puts up the numbers he has at 2nd base? He is the reason that all kids born after 2005 will be named Chase.
John Stolnis -- Chase Utley
I went with Chase over Domonic Brown because of Chase's superior defense and Dom's streakiness. This was one of the few preseason predictions I made about the Phillies that turned out to be true. Yay for small victories.
Liz Roscher -- Chase Utley
I mean, can you blame me? A case can certainly be made for Cliff Lee, but starting pitchers only play once every five days. I can't justify picking a pitcher over a position player. And so my choice was clear -- Chase Utley. His knees stayed in check all year. He bounced back at the plate. Chase Utley, you are the MVP of my heart. And of everything else.
Phrozen -- Chase Utley
Uh, because? You know, if you look up "Most Valuable Player" in the dictionary, do you know what you'll find? No, not a picture of Chase Utley, this isn't second grade. You'll find the definition of Most Valuable Player, which Chase Utley happens to be. QED.
schmenkman -- Chase Utley
More than twice the fWAR of the #2 and #3 Phils (3.9 vs. 1.6). Also the best hitter on the team (wOBA of .356, ahead of Ruf's .354 and Brown's .351).
Wet Luzinski -- Chase Utley
He is a badass baseball player. He annoys other teams and pitchers and their fans. He's about the only guy who diverts my attention to a baseball game from sidelong to full. He is nearly pathological about not making the last out in the game. The Phillies wisely realized they cannot spare him despite his creaky knees. He is kind to dogs and would kill Michael Vick with his icy stare. I believe he is now the bench coach.