LCS Summer 2020: The Three Ways to Define MVP of the Split
By Josh Tyler
With the LCS Summer Split drawing to a close, let’s take a look at who fits the three different definitions for MVP ahead of the voting.
The LCS MVP award for the “Most Valuable Player” will probably be the most hotly-contested award for the 2020 Summer Split. With top-tier pros playing at their peak, young rookies bursting onto the scene, and scrappy veterans helping an underdog team make a miracle run, voters for MVP will have a difficult choice to make.
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This is because the term “Most Valuable Player” calls for voters to make a subjective determination as to what makes an LCS pro “valuable.” Is it carrying a team full of less-talented teammates or taking advantage of a great situation to dominate the league? Does it matter if you were the only good player on a mediocre team or is the award reserved for the best player on the best team?
From my review of the discussion over MVP, both with regards to the LCS and other major sports leagues, there appear to be three prevailing definitions voters use to determine the winner of this award:
- Who was the best player in the league, regardless of competition and teammates?
- Who was the most valuable player at his position, compared to the most valuable players at all other positions?
- Who was the most valuable player to his team?
Using these three definitions, along with our statistical ranking model for LCS players, we can see that these three definitions provide us with wildly different answers to the question of who is the most deserving MVP candidate.