In recent memory, the players who have been able to call themselves MVPs have been power hitters, who probably didn't hit lead-off. Well, that can't be said anymore, as Dustin Pedroia, the Boston Red Sox 25-year-old second baseman, has now proved this theory wrong.
Pedroia is playing in only his second season as a starter in the MLB. On Nov. 18, Pedroia was able to add new hardware to his trophy case, being named the MVP of the American League.
In two seasons, the 5'9", 180-pound second baseman has become a World Series champ, the Rookie of the Year, and now MVP.
It's very rare to be able to accomplish all three of these achievements in an entire career, yet the undersized second baseman did it in only two seasons. Pedoria became the first Red Sox player to win it since Mo Vaughn in 1995. Even more amazing, he is the first second baseman in the AL to win since 1959, when Nellie Fox won the prestigious award.
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The AL MVP hit .326, with 17 homers, 54 doubles, 83 RBI, and even 20 stolen bases. He also won the Gold Glove for the AL Wild Card winning Red Sox.
Pedroia was a very consistent performer this season, which is what allowed him to win the MVP in his sophomore year. People say pitchers normally catch up to the hitters in their second season, which leads to a sophomore slump.
The complete opposite happened to Pedroia.
In the second half of the season, after the Red Sox surprised the rest of the league by actually dealing their power hitting left fielder, Manny Ramirez, the AL MVP winner stepped up his game to an even higher level. While Ramirez was opening people's eyes on the West Coast, the Red Sox leadoff hitter continued his success by hitting for a batting average of .345, 26 doubles, and eight homers in only 62 games.
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