San Francisco Giants: 5 Most Valuable Players Heading into September

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA - AUGUST 28: Andres Torres #56 of the San Francisco Giants scores to tie the score at 3-3 in the bottom of the tenth inning on a single by Mark DeRosa #7 of the San Francisco Giants (not pictured) during a game between the Houston Astros

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Entering September, the San Francisco Giants find themselves in a pretty large hole, with injuries at every position and still six games back of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Thankfully, the Giants take on Arizona this Friday, launching an extremely important three-game series.

Before that series gets underway, let's recap the season so far. Here are the five players who have been the most valuable for the Giants this season.

No. 5: Nate Schierholtz

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 28: Jimmy Rollins #11 of the Philadelphia Phillies throws to first base in front of a sliding Nate Schierholtz #12 of the San Francisco Giants at Citizens Bank Park on July 28, 2011 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Drew Hal

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HR: 9

Runs: 42

RBI: 41

SB: 7

Avg: .278

While Nate Schierholtz doesn't have the greatest numbers of any Giant this season, he has been the most clutch player by far.

There have been countless occasions where Schierholtz has come through with a hit in a two-out situation with runners on base, making him an invaluable asset to the Giants.

Additionally, he's made a number of fantastic plays on defense, and I think he deserves a lot of recognition for it.

No. 4: Sergio Romo

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JULY 10: Sergio Romo #54 of the San Francisco Giants reacts after the end of the eighth inning of their game against the New York Mets at AT&T Park on July 10, 2011 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

ERA: 1.60

WHIP: 0.64

K: 56

BB: 4

In 39.1 innings pitched this season, Sergio Romo has been nearly unhittable. He has proven himself to be one of the best relievers in baseball.

Romo's strikeout-to-walk ratio is amazing, with only one walk for every 14 strikeouts. Relief pitchers can go unnoticed at times, especially when Brian Wilson is in the same bullpen, but Romo has clearly stood out this season.

No. 3: Pablo Sandoval

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - AUGUST 31: Pablo Sandoval #48 of the San Francisco Giants celebrates with Carlos Beltran #15 after hitting a home run against the Chicago Cubs in the fourth inning during an MLB baseball game at AT&T Park on August 31, 2011 in San Fra

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HR: 16

Runs: 43

RBI: 51

Avg: .301

Pablo Sandoval has clearly been the best hitter for the Giants this season, even with his brief stint on the disabled list.

Sandoval has been pretty well-rounded this season and looks more like himself than he did last year. This is a great sign for things to come in the future; another year of experience will do him wonders.

Although I believe Sandoval is the offensive MVP, this team is built around pitching, so he only makes No. 3 on my list.

No. 2: Ryan Vogelsong

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - AUGUST 30: Pitcher Ryan Vogelsong #32 of the San Francisco Giants looks on from the dugout against the Chicago Cubs in the fifth inning during an MLB baseball game at AT&T Park on August 30, 2011 in San Francisco, California. (Photo b

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ERA: 2.63

WHIP: 1.27

K: 112

BB: 54

About a month ago, I would have considered Ryan Vogelsong the most valuable player for the Giants.

Unfortunately, Vogelsong has lost four of his last five starts and hasn't been that effective. His overall stats are still outstanding and he may very will lead the National League in ERA by the end of the season.

I've been so impressed with Vogelsong so far, but there's one player I'm even more impressed with.

No. 1: Tim Lincecum

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - AUGUST 29: Tim Lincecum #55 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Chicago Cubs in the first inning during a MLB baseball game at AT&T Park August 29, 2011 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Ima

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

ERA: 2.58

WHIP: 1.16

K: 193

BB: 74

When I was formulating my list, I was about 75- to 80-percent sure that Tim Lincecum would NOT be my No. 1 most valuable player.

Then I looked at his stats.

Fans have been all over Lincecum this season, but he's actually having a fantastic year. He will almost certainly make the top five in ERA and top three in strikeouts.

While his record isn't that great at 12-11, it obviously stems from a lack of run support in many cases. While he won't be the Cy Young winner this season, Lincecum has had another fantastic year and is the MVP for the Giants as of now.

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