On Saturday, I read an article on ESPN.com by the Hall of Famer Peter Gammons. He wrote about the Chicago Cubs rookie catcher Geovany Soto. As a Cubs fan, I was intrigued by the article and read on.

Gammons wrote that, while his numbers may not be the best in the league, it's the little things that help his team win ball games. Most of the baseball world might not be familiar with Soto, who is the only rookie catcher ever to start for the National League in an All-Star Game.

He has solid numbers: .286 BA, .499 SLG, .367 OBP, with 18 homers and 69 RBI. His fielding % is a solid .995 and he throws out 41% of attempted base stealers. But, according to the pitching staff and Gammons, his maturity is what makes him a legit MVP candidate.

He handles the staff and the rest of the team like a salty veteran who could go 0-for-5 with five strikeouts and have four passed balls, but if the team won he would be the happiest guy in the clubhouse. He connects with the pitchers and has a way of bringing the best out in them.

On a hot July afternoon at Wrigley Field, a high-tempered Carlos Zambrano was struggling with his command and had men on first and third with one down in the inning. Soto went out to the mound to calm Z down—from the television broadcast it looked like Soto was talking strategy—and, after a pat on the back, he went back behind the plate.

The very next pitch went for a double play and the inning was over. After the game, Soto was asked about what he told Big Z. He said, "Nothing. I went out there, pretended like i was talking...but I wasn't, I said nothing i was just trying to get his mind off the runners and back on me."

Zambrano was asked the same question, and he replied with the same answer.

The words "Most Valuable Player" say and mean nothing about the best numbers. It's about doing everything it takes to make your team compete for a win day in and day out. Soto will likely finish the year without an MVP title, but Rookie of the Year for a true professional is only a small reward for the job he does. The Cubs would not hold the best record in the National League if it weren't for Soto, but because he doesn't put up gaudy numbers like a Ryan Braun or a David Wright or a Ryan Howard, he will be deprived of the true recognition he deserves.