That was easy. Now comes the hard part.
Cliff Lee was a lock to win the AL CY Young from day one, though no one knew it at the time, and Evan Longoria was the clear-cut favorite for American League Rookie of the Year despite missing five weeks with a wrist injury. No one was going to deny Joe Maddon from the league's manager of the year honor for the job he did with the Rays, but who should win AL MVP?
The league rarely embraces a talented player on a lousy team.
Numbers are important.
The bigger they are, the likelier an MVP awaits. And a strong August and September tend to sit heavier on the mind of the voters than a strong May and June.
No brainers, really.
None of the playoff-bound teams had anyone really outstanding, carrying them not only down the stretch, but for the entire season. And as previously stated, the good players the other teams didn’t have a “Wow, this deserves some credit” year that A-Rod had in 2003.
It took some deliberation, but I came up with a list of potential candidates.
The breakdown will go as follows: "Frontrunners" followed by "You'd Think So, But No Way" and "Blew It" before finishing with "My Pick."
Frontrunners
Joe Mauer, C, Minnesota Twins
.328 AVG, 85 RBI, .413 OBP
Why He's Deserving
Mauer led the AL in batting average for the second time in three seasons reducing the gap between a catcher winning the award from 76 to one. Cool Joe was even better in pressure situations (two outs with runners in scoring position) batting at a .361 clip. Defensively, he committed three errors and threw out 36.3 percent of potential base stealers, third best in the league.
He mentored an inexperienced rotation heading into the season and developed it into a formidable fivesome, propelling the Twins to within a game of the playoffs when preseason expectations were on par with a blind date.
Why It Could Be Someone Else
Numbers talk. Mauer hit nine home runs. Statistically, he wasn't the best player on his team—a distinction held by first baseman Justin Morneau (who would have made the list if not for a 1-for-20 conclusion to the season when the team was vying for the AL Central title).
When it comes down to voting, the quality of the team is also considered. The Twins nearly made the postseason. Since 1990, only Alex Rodriguez, in 2003, and Cal Ripken, in 1991, have won the AL MVP and not made the playoffs.
Dustin Pedroia, 2B, Boston Red Sox
.326 AVG, 17 HRs, 83 RBI, 20 SB
Why He's Deserving
Injuries riddled the Red Sox lineup this season and Manny Ramirez left for Los Angeles. Pedroia was the hanger that held the lineup in place. He hit for power—slugging .547 after the All-Star Break—average and stole bases. The 5'9", 180 pound second baseman batted cleanup a few times. He played Gold Glove defense. And don't forget, the Red Sox played into October.
Why It Could Be Someone Else
0 Comments
Loading more comments...
This comment and all replies have been deleted This comment has been deleted Undo delete