Altuve or Pedroia: Who are you taking?
The Bastards of Boston weigh in on which player would you choose for your dynasty?
JASON KELLY:
If I was starting an MLB dynasty and had to choose between Jose Altuve or Dustin Pedroia, I am choosing Altuve every single time.
Sorry, Red Sox fans, I know that hurts to hear but it’s the correct choice.
I, like many of you, always loved Pedroia’s grit and toughness on the field. He was the true definition of a “Dirt Dog” when he played. He gave 100% effort on every single play in the field and during every single at-bat.
It’s also fair to say that the 2007 World Series championship may not have happened without Pedroia. He was an integral part of that team, not to mention his rookie year, which made it even more impressive.
There was a stretch of time between 2007 and 2013 where you could argue that Dustin Pedroia was the best second baseman in all of baseball. However, Jose Altuve’s reign of dominance would begin in 2014 and it hasn’t stopped since.
Altuve already has over 2,000 career hits, over 200 career home runs, an MVP title, three batting titles, and two World Series rings, and the kicker is that he’s still playing and adding to those totals every day.
Pedroia also has an MVP title, two World Series rings, and a Rookie Of the Year award to his credit, but his playing days ended too early because of his injury.
He was a great player, but Jose Altuve is a generational player who will likely be a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee when it’s all said and done.
Choosing Altuve is not a knock on Dustin Pedroia, it is merely just a recognition of the world class talent that Jose Altuve is.
JEREMY SCHILLING:
I'm taking Altuve.
Both are champions, great players, similar in stature, and played the game hard.
The biggest difference is Pedroia caught the injury bug which ultimately shortened his career and Altuve cheated.
Ultimately they are pretty even. However, Altuva's longevity puts him over the top.
CHARLIE SMITH:
I’m picking Pedroia for the simple reason that Altuve doesn’t pass the morality test and plays with a Double-A short porch left field.
Pedroia always played the game with integrity and grit. He also won the World Series twice the right way. The same cannot be said for Altuve.
Pedroia played in the more difficult division with inferior stats, obviously.
I know that I’m in the minority, but if you had to build your team around someone, would you want to build it around a guy with heart? Or build it around a guy who with of a joke left field for 81 games a season?
Ask yourself that.
TERRY CUSHMAN JR:
Both players won an MVP. Both players won two World Series rings. Both players are gold glovers. And both players were elite at what is historically the weakest offensive position on the field, second base.
However, only one of those two players will be going to Cooperstown.
And only one of those players regularly showed up in October, and more often than not, put the team on his back .
That man is Jose Altuve, and he is the type of player you build your franchise around.
The icing on the cake: Both players were involved in controversies of various magnitudes, but Altuve never ratted out his teammates.
Altuve is my guy, and it’s not even close.