Giambi v Helton is a good question for 2020

Giambi looks like part of the big muddled mess of first basemen below the borderline. The peak is impressive - there haven't been many stretches from any hitter quite like his 2000-2002. At the same time, he offered nothing with the glove and the drop off from the peak gets steep, fast.

While their offensive profiles are difference, I do think Helton is an interesting comp. Helton has better contact and gap power as well as about a full season more PAs, Giambi had more dingers and a slightly higher peak. That being said, when you incorporate Helton's stellar glove compared to Giambi's lackluster one, I think Helton is a superior choice for a 2000s 1st baseman.

Giambi won't be on my ballot, but he'll be just off, in that 16-25 range. He'll likely be PHoM next year. I have him comfortably ahead of the group of Olerud, Berkman, Helton, who I do have bunched together in the 35-45 range.

A couple of reasons why I have Giambi higher than the consensus: My system is a little more peak-heavy than most voters, and Giambi has the best peak of any MLB hitter on the ballot. Secondly, according to my standard deviation adjustments, the AL was a below-average standard-deviation league throughout the Aughts, despite it being the clearly better league during this period as well, so this boosts all of his yearly numbers in my system.

I have Giambi as my sixth ranked first baseman. Olerud, Cash, and McGriff are all ahead of him in my system (along with Helton and Taylor, who will be on my ballot. Giambi is probably in the 50s for me (I don't get that granular that far down), but he's outside my top 40.

Played 112 games in LF and 70 at 3B (!!). I do not remember this.