First Half Awards. Second Half Predictions

With the season at the All-Star break, I would like to hand out my Mid-Season Awards and give my predictions for the second half.

AL Cy Young - David Price, Tampa Bay

12-4, 2.42 ERA, 100 strikouts.
Price has a had a great year for the up and down Rays.
Apologies to:
Jerad Weaver
Cliff Lee

NL Cy Young - Ubaldo Jimenez, Colorado

15-1, 2.20 ERA.
UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!! What pitcher in recent history has been this good? Ubaldo is pitching like its 1968. This guy has a FAST ball with great movement.
Apologies to:
Adam Wainwright
Josh Johnson

AL MVP - Miguel Cabrera, Detroit

.346 avg, 22 homers, 76 rbi.
Nobody in the Majors has been as good as this guy. If someone said that a first baseman would be having a triple crown year, this isn't the guy I would have said. But Miggy finally has his head on straight and is crushing the ball and opposing pitchers.
Apologies to:
No one.

NL MVP - Joey Votto, Cincinnati

.314 avg., 22 homers. 60 rbi
Joey Votto? Yes, Joey Votto. He has been better than advertised. Better than the first baseman that are always talked about, your Pujols' and Howards and Fielders. Plus, his Reds are in first over Pujols' Cardinals.
Apologies to:
Pujols
Jimenez
Johnson

AL Rookie of the Year - Brennan Boesch, Detroit

.342 avg., 12 homers, 49 rbi.
For all those who are wondering, I didn't spell his name right the first time. No his numbers aren't that impressive, but with no one else to talk about, Boesch gets the nod.
Apologies to:
Neftali Feliz

NL Rookie of the Half - Jaime Garcia, St. Louis

8-4, 2.17 ERA. 80 strikeouts
Jaime Garcia has been an excellent addition to a team, who has two aces. He is a great lefthanded starter that many teams wish they had. With Jason Hayward missing a big part of this season with the thumb injury, Garcia joins Boesch as Rookies of the Half.
Apologies to:
Hayward
Stephen Strasburg

Second Half Predictions

AL East Champions - Tampa Bay Rays

With the pitching of David Price, the hitting will come around to be as good. With the offensive powers of Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria, the Tampa Bay Rays will win the East.

AL Central Champions - Chicago White Sox

In a division that will probably go down to a tie-breaker game, the White Sox will come out on top. Many of people think that the recent resurgence is a fluke, but this writer isn't one of them. Pauly and company will continue to hit the ball and drive Minnesota and Detroit further down the standings.

AL West Champions - Texas Rangers

With the recent addition of Cliff Lee to the rotation, Texas just got a whole lot more dangerous, with a lights-out offense and a legitimate ace the Rangers will walk away with this division.

AL Wild Card - New York Yankees

With the offensive powers of Robinson Cano and Alex Rodriguez the powers that be, the New York Yankees will come away with the AL Wild Card title. And with that offense they will be a tough one at that.

AL Awards

Cy Young - David Price
MVP - Josh Hamilton
Rookie of the Year - Brennan Boesch
Manager of the Year - Ozzie Guillen

NL East Champions - New York Mets

With the return of Carlos Beltran on tap, the Mets are going to be injected with some life. Enough to overcome the odds of the Braves and the Phillies. Beltran will give the Mets a viable bat with David Wright, that will also give Jason Bay a chance to see some fastballs.

NL Central Champions - St. Louis Cardinals

With Matt Holliday warming up and Albert Pujols finding his stroke the St. Louis Cardinals are a dangerous team in the second-half. Maybe the best lineup in the National League with a healthy, Ryan Ludwick and David Freese

NL West Champions - Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers will prove why they have been in the NLCS both of the last 2 years in the second-half and prove that the Padres are a fluke. With Manny Ramirez back in the lineup, it will give Joe Torre a chance to shift the lineup to where the better hitters can hit with players on base.

NL Wild Card - Atlanta Braves

Tim Hudson is pitching like he did with the A's. Troy Glaus is hitting like he did with the Angels and the Braves are playing like they did in the 90's. With Bobby Cox in his final year this team is really playing for him and will add a few more games to his career.

NL Awards

Cy Young - Adam Wainwright
MVP - Albert Pujols
Rookie of the Year - Stephen Strasburg
Manager of the Year - Jerry Manual

American League Division Series

Rangers def. Yankees 3-2
White Sox def. Rays 3-2

National League Divisional Series

Mets def. Dodgers 3-1
Cardinals def. Braves 3-1

American League Championship Series

Rangers def. White Sox
ALCS MVP: Cliff Lee

National League Championship Series

Cardinals def. Mets 4-3
NLCS MVP - Adam Wainwright

World Series

In the 2010 NLCS the St. Louis Cardinals will defeat the Texas Rangers 4 games to 1. Home team in CAPS
Game 1 - Cardinals 2, RANGERS 1
WP - Adam Wainwright. LP - Cliff Lee.
Home Runs - STL- None, TEX - Hamilton (1)
Game 2 - Cardinals 7, RANGERS 2
WP - Chris Carpenter. LP - Scott Feldman.
Home Runs - STL- Rasmus (1, 2), Pujols (1). TEX - None.
Game 3 - CARDINALS 5, Rangers 4
WP - Jaime Garica. LP - CJ Wilson. S - Ryan Franklin
Home Runs - STL - Pujols (2). TEX - Hamilton (2), Cruz (1).
Game 4 - Rangers 7, CARDINALS 1
WP - Cliff Lee. LP - Brad Penny.
Home Runs - STL - None. TEX - Hamilton (3,4)
Game 5 - CARDINALS 5, Rangers 4
Home Runs - STL - Rasmus (3,4 (Walkoff)
World Series MVP - Colby Rasmus