MLB Awards: Picking the AL Award Winners Entering June

Two months of the 2012 MLB season are in the books. Amazingly, we're a third of the way through the madness.

Whoa...How did that happen?

Damned if I know. All I know is that the first two months were pretty sweet, especially in the American League. Fans of the Junior Circuit got treated to some truly awesome stuff in the first two months of the season.

They have some pretty awesome individuals to thank for that, and we are gathered here today to pay homage to a select few of those certain individuals.

If the season ended today, the following American League individuals would be headed home with shiny pieces of hardware.

Comeback Player of the Year: Adam Dunn, Chicago White Sox

In his first season with the White Sox in 2011, Adam Dunn hit .159 with a .292 on-base percentage, a .277 slugging percentage, and 11 home runs. All four of those figures represent career lows for the man they call the "Big Donkey."

Believe it or not, Dunn's WAR last season was -2.9, according to FanGraphs. To say that he did more harm than good would actually be an understatement.

Dunn is having no such problems this season. He's hitting .230/.378/.556 with 16 home runs and 37 RBI, putting him on pace to hit 51 home runs with 118 RBI.

Ah yes, now this is more like it. Those numbers look much more Adam Dunn-like than the ones he posted last year.

If he keeps this up, Dunn is a lock to win the Comeback Player of the Year award in the American League. 

Honorable Mention: Kevin Millwood

Manager of the Year: Joe Maddon, Tampa Bay Rays

I think Sparky Anderson put it best when he said, "A baseball manager is a necessary evil" (h/t Baseball-Almanac.com).

Joe Maddon is different. He approaches the game of baseball very much like a football coach would approach a football game. Whereas most managers fill out a lineup card and make moves here and there as required, Maddon is constantly pushing buttons in an attempt to effect the outcome of a given game.

Maddon has a lot of tricks up his sleeve. He's not afraid to mess with his lineups, even if it means batting Carlos Pena leadoff or Drew Sutton in the cleanup spot. He's also renowned for his use of infield shifts, which work more often than they probably should. This season, he's managed to make something of a bullpen that looks decidedly mediocre on paper.

Things haven't been easy for the Rays this season, yet they're tied atop the AL East with the Baltimore Orioles. They wouldn't be there if they had anybody other than Maddon managing the team.

Honorable Mention: Buck Showalter

Rookie of the Year: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels

Mike Trout has only been in The Show for a little over a month, but he's already established himself as the most exciting rookie not just in the American League, but in all of baseball.

Yeah, that Bryce Harper kid is a chump compared to Trout.

Trout's numbers are impressive across the board. He's hitting .303/.366/.521 with five home runs and 16 RBI, and he's tacked on eight stolen bases in 10 attempts. To boot, he's played outstanding defense in the outfield (primarily in left and center).

Trout played his first game for the Angels on April 28. In a total of 32 games since he joined the team, the Angels are 20-12.

If Trout keeps this up, the question won't be whether he'll be the Rookie of the Year. The question will be whether he has a shot at the Most Valuable Player award.

Just sayin'.

Honorable Mention: Yu Darvish

Cy Young: Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers

Last year, Justin Verlander ran away with the AL Cy Young award, winning 24 games with a 2.40 ERA and a league-best 250 strikeouts.

Verlander isn't quite running away with the award this year, but he's still leading the pack in the American League. His 5-3 record is just okay, but he has plenty of other stats to support his Cy Young candidacy.

Just to name a few, Verlander is first in the AL in innings pitched with 81.1, first in the league in strikeouts with 82, first in the league in WHIP at 0.89, and he's the only pitcher in the AL with three complete games.

His 2.55 ERA ranks second in the AL to Chris Sale, who has only logged 57.2 innings this season.

Verlander is the man to beat. Again.

Honorable Mention: Jered Weaver

Most Valuable Player: Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers

Josh Hamilton is not human. He's some sort of cyborg sent from the future to destroy the rest of humanity (but only on baseball diamonds).

Whatever Hamilton really is, he's in the middle of a truly amazing season. He leads the American League in home runs (21), RBI (57), slugging percentage (.764) and OPS (1.184). His .368 batting average ranks second only to Paul Konerko.

In addition to the numbers, Hamilton has heroics. Most notably, he slugged four home runs in a game against the Baltimore Orioles in early May, and he recently beat the Toronto Blue Jays with a walk-off home run.

The only argument that can be made against Hamilton as the AL MVP is that he happens to play on a loaded Rangers team.

This is true, but the Rangers wouldn't be the same without him. They have some good players, but they all look like little leaguers next to Hamilton.

Honorable Mention: Paul Konerko

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