2008 MLB Awards

As most people would agree, handing out awards at the end of the season is an inexact science. The arguments on both sides, though, make this such an interesting topic of debate. Seriously, what baseball fan does not love to go back and forth, arguing their respective picks at the local watering hole or screaming at the talking heads on Baseball Tonight?

In my opinion, choosing award selections is one of the most enjoyable parts of writing about baseball (click here to compare my mid-season award picks). And I invite you to disagree with my selections for this year’s hardware in each league by leaving a comment below.

American League

Most Valuable Player:

As I am sure you are aware by now, 2008 is a weird year for MVP candidates in the American League, as two of the strongest five potentially playoff-bound teams—the Los Angeles Angels and Tampa Bay Rays—do not have a legitimate candidate. When Jason Bartlett, with his sub-.700 OPS, gets elected by local writers as the MVP of the champions of baseball’s most competitive division, clearly this is not the average year. To make matters more difficult, one of the other teams, the Chicago White Sox, lost their best bet when outfielder Carlos Quentin went down with a season-ending injury a few weeks back.

The Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins, though, have four players with the potential of getting elected by the voters.

Justin Morneau is a name commonly being thrown around in the discussion. Most of the voters have already turned in their ballots, meaning that his chances of winning will not be affected if Chicago manages to play its way into the postseason later this week. And, in his favor, voters are infatuated with one statistic above all others—RBIs—and he is second in the league with 129. Hey, this is why he won the award back in 2006, when there were several stronger options, including his teammate, Joe Mauer. He has been the key cog in a Twins’ offense that has been tremendous with runners in scoring position (even if some pundits dismiss it as a statistical fluke), hitting .302/.375/.502, with 21 homers. But I still do not think that he deserves the award this year, as Mauer once again has been more valuable to his team and he does not even rank in the top 30 in the league in OPS.

Regardless of how you feel about OPS as a stat, an MVP candidate at a corner infield position should at least rank in the Top 10. Period.

Assuming that Mauer does not put up an 0-for-the day if a one-game playoff does occur later this week, he is, quite incredibly, going to win his second batting title. With one possible game remaining, he is hitting .330/.415/.454, with 44 extra-base hits and 85 RBIs. When you consider that he also ranks among the premier defensive catchers in the game and has received plus scores on how he has helped handle and worked with a young group of Minnesota pitchers, it makes it all the more impressive. And, he is still only 25 years old. At such a defense-first position, his offensive output is outstanding, though he still has room to continue to hit for more power.

To put into simple terms: finding 20-homer, 120-RBI, sub-.900 OPS production from a first baseman like Morneau is much easier to find than a catcher who fields his position well and can post a .400-plus on-base percentage and .869 OPS like Mauer.

Without Mauer having played in so many games behind the dish, the Twins would be not be in such a good spot right now. Even still, he does not get my vote—like my opinion matters—in MLB awards article 23,421 entering the sports blogosphere today.

Cleveland Indians outfielder Grady Sizemore put together a fine season as well, but will be hurt by the weak underperformance of his teammates. Sizemore, playing an excellent center field, hit .268/.374/.502, with 33 home runs and 90 RBIs. Although he will not get many votes because his team finished so far out of contention, he added as much value to the Indians as any of the aforementioned players did for their teams. Is it his fault that Trafis Hafner got hurt? Or Victor Martinez? Did he make Fausta Carmona regress so severely? No, all he did was perform, providing top-notch defense and an .876 OPS and 101 runs scored. The young star places fourth on my make-believe ballot, and perhaps deserves to be ranked higher.

Which means that I am choosing a member of the defending World Series Champion Boston Red Sox as the junior circuit’s most valuable baseball player. But, no, it is not Dustin Pedroia, the diminutive second sacker who accumulates extra-base hits like it is his job. Well, I guess it is, quite literally, his profession, but you get the point. Pedroia is certainly a fine choice here, though. Although he is generously listed at 5’9—he is closer to 5’6—he has performed like a 6’4, 220-pound slugger, posting a line of .326/.376/.493 and bashing 20 home runs.

Pedroia has also made tremendous improvements in his defense at a keystone position in every defensive metric out there. And when the injury bug bit the Boston lineup, he picked up the slack to help the Red Sox hold their strong lock on the AL Wild Card, delivering several huge hits down the stretch while playing his consistent, excellent defense at second base. Like Mauer, he has an .869 OPS, an impressive number considering his defensive position. And, as of right now, I would bet with confidence that the writers end up selecting him, as the story comes close to matching his on-field production.

Still, as important as he has been, another Boston player is more deserving, a one Mr. Kevin Youkilis.

Youkilis’ .958 OPS ranks fourth in the AL. But of the hitters ahead of him—Milton Bradley (only 414 at-bats), Quentin and Alex Rodriguez), he is the only player with a chance to take home the majority of the votes. Justifiably so, too. He finished the year with a line of .312/.390/.569, with 29 home runs and 115 RBIs, adding to the legend of the “Greek God of Walks.” While several Boston players get more glory, he gets the job done and is turning into one of the most underrated players in the majors. Not only has he posted strong offensive totals, he is among the best defenders at first base, can also play third base effectively (filling in when Mike Lowell went down) and has been a constant presence in the Red Sox’s lineup was banged up. When compared to Morneau, he has added more value to his offense while giving his club better glove work.

Youkilis gets my vote, though he has perhaps the worst chance of the candidates listed above to actually win. Honorable mention also goes to Bradley, who led the league in OBP and OPS but missed too much time due to injury, Josh Hamilton, who paced the circuit with 130 RBIs, and Rodriguez.


My picks:
1. Kevin Youkilis
2. Joe Mauer
3. Dustin Pedroia
4. Grady Sizemore

Cy Young:

Unlike the MVP race, this is pretty easy here. Cliff Lee has gone from a demotion to the minors to the best pitcher in the league in less than a calendar year. Lee has truly been brilliant, posting a 22-3 W/L mark, the lowest ERA (2.54) in the AL and a ridiculous 170-to-34 K/W ratio. The Cleveland Indians left-hander proved that his early-season success—he went 12-2 with a 2.31 ERA before the All-Star break, earning the start at Yankee Stadium—was not a fluke. Despite his loss to Boston at Fenway Park last Tuesday, he has been nearly perfect in the second half by winning 10 decisions as Cleveland played its way to a respectable finish. To sum up his slam-dunk case: he is first in the league in ERA, winning percentage (.880) and wins, second in complete games (4), innings pitched (223.1) and WHIP(1.11), and ninth in strikeouts.

Although Lee is the only choice here, there is a decent case to be made for Roy Halladay as well. Halladay, one of three pitchers in the league to win 20 games, anchored a Toronto Blue Jays pitching staff that finished with the lowest group ERA on the circuit. As he does every year, it seems, he continued to put up zeroes on the scoreboard in Toronto, posting a 2.78 ERA in a league-leading 246.0 innings pitched.

While CC Sabathia has thrown his share of complete games for the Milwaukee Brewers, Doc Halladay has him beat, as he finished the season with nine complete games on his own. There are a lot of teams that would be happy to have that total dispersed among the entire starting rotation, let alone one pitcher. Pitching in the ridiculously competitive East division, he also led the league in WHIP (1.05), using his excellent control and command to shut offenses down every fifth day.

Credit also must be given to Mike Mussina, who joined the 20-win club for the first time of his Hall-of-Fame career on Sunday by beating the Red Sox. Mussina had one of his best seasons ever to anchor a New York rotation decimated with injuries, going 20-9 with a 3.37 ERA for a defensively challenged Yankees team.

Daisuke Matsuzaka should also garner some votes, after finishing 18-3 with a 2.90 ERA despite walking 94 in 167.2 innings.

Francisco Rodriguez shattered the single-season saves record, but set the record for most opportunities as well. Rodriguez has actually had better seasons before, but just without as many save opportunities, and would not even get my pick for Rolaids Relief Man of the Year—which I would give to Mariano Rivera or a few other relievers. I would have no problem voting for a closer, by any means. But just not in this particular example, as his save conversion rate is not even in the top three in the AL.

My picks:
1. Cliff Lee
2. Roy Halladay
3. Mike Mussina
4. Daisuke Matsuzaka


Rookie of the Year:

Evan Longoria is perhaps an easier choice than Lee in the Cy Young category. Since Longoria was promoted to the Rays in early April, he has done nothing but produce and has emerged as one of the best young third baseman in the game. Although he missed some time on the disabled list and is still nursing his wrist injury, he put up excellent numbers for a rookie: 27 home runs, 85 RBIs, .874 OPS. Not to mention, he has played excellent defense at third base, allowing Akinori Iwamura to move across the diamond to second. His arrival, combined with a few other defensive changes, has enabled the Rays to make the move from worst-to-first in team defense. The Rays’ run prevention efforts, in fact, are the ulitmate reason why the Rays won the AL East for the first time in their 11-year history.

And Longoria’s play has been a major reason why the club converted more balls put into play into outs than any other team in the majors, as the Rays finished the regular season with the best defensive efficiency rating. Throw in a slash stats line of .272/.343/.531 and a lot of big hits along the way, and then you have Tampa Bay’s real MVP and the easy choice for top rookie.

Fans in Chicago probably have a different take, though, as Alexei Ramirez has exceeded all expectations with his first-year performance for the White Sox. Ramirez, a nifty defender in his own right and a sensational athlete, currently has 20 homers, including several big grand slams, and 73 RBIs headed into Game 162 against the Detroit Tigers this afternoon. However, he needs to improve his on-base skills (.313 OBP) and has not been as productive as Longoria.

Armando Galarraga deserves some love here, too. While Dontrelle Willis was seemingly walking nearly ever hitter, Gary Sheffield was sitting near replacement-level, the Tigers’ pitching staff was in shambles, Carlos Guillen showed that he could not handle either corner infield spot defensively, Brandon Inge played out of position and Justin Verlander was busy dropping 17 decisions, the disappointing version of the 2008 Tigers had one pleasant surprise in Galarraga. The rookie right-hander went 13-6, with a 3.68 ERA, 126 punchouts and a 1.19 WHIP in 28 starts.

A case could be made for Joba Chamberlain and Jacoby Ellsbury, pre-season favorites, as well, in addition to Minnesota speedster Denard Span and Oakland Athletics reliever Brad Ziegler, whose scoreless innings streak provided one of the year’s highlights.

My picks:
1. Evan Longoria
2. Alexei Ramirez
3. Armando Galarraga
4. Joba Chamberlain

Manager of the Year:

Ron Gardenhire has again done a tremendous job of getting the Twins to play hard day in, day out, helping his team exceed all expectations with the departure of Torii Hunter and Johan Santana. But my pick is Joe Maddon, who has instituted a culture of winning into the Rays’ clubhouse. Every move, it seems, has worked out for him this year, as the Rays have gone from the joke of the league to AL East champions. He did a heck of a job, really, and was able to motivate his players to buy into the 9=8 concept, meaning that nine players—a team, essentially—will help the Rays become one of eight playoff teams. Well, though he received some tremendous help by a front office that provided him with a much-improved roster designed to shine at run prevention, he did exactly that.

Fittingly enough, Gardenhire and Maddon may square off on Thursday, if the Twins end up winning the Central division, in the opening round of the Division Series at Tropicana Field. Each team has a similar style of play, and is much better at home, in a domed environment, than on the road. Which should be an interesting matchup, with two managers who have been excellent at getting the most out of their respective clubs.

My picks:
1. Joe Maddon
2. Ron Gardenhire
3. Terry Francona
4. Mike Scioscia


National League:

Most Valuable Player:

The term valuable is interpreted loosely when it comes to baseball, and many people think that a player must play for a contending team to garner attention for the award. After all, a last-place club could still finish last even if their star first baseman did not mash 50 homers, right? I do not necessarily agree with that mindset, though, as often times too many legitimate candidates miss out on winning awards like this because of the poor performances of their teammates.

With that being said, it is hard not to seriously think about naming CC Sabathia the MVP in the National League after his masterful performance on Sunday. Although Sabathia has not spent even half of a season in the league, he has been sensational (insert hyperbolic word here) in his new surroundings by going 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA. Not only that, he has practically resurrected the Brewers’ quest to reach the postseason for the first time since 1982 on his own. If it was not for Sabathia giving so many quality innings to Milwaukee, it is hard to imagine them even sniffing the Wild Card down the stretch. Sure, he has only been around since July and only gets to pitch every (for him, third perhaps) fifth day, but the larger-than-life lefty has been otherworldly. How many times can a pitcher deliver on three days’ rest? Hey, we may find out this postseason.

Although the Brewers parted ways with top hitting prospect Matt LaPorta, the return on investment—just by ending the playoff drought—was well worth it, as Sabathia has turned in one of the best post All-Star break runs in baseball history. I would not vote for him, but he deserves to at least be in the discussion.

Ditto for Manny Ramirez, who has had a similar effect on the Los Angeles Dodgers. Since coming over from Boston at the trade deadline, Ramirez has singlehandedly transformed Los Angeles’s lineup from average to dynamic. He has posted Nintendo-like numbers in the so-called “JV league,” hitting .396/.489/.743, for a whopping 1.232 OPS, with 17 homers and 53 RBIs. As ugly as his departure from Boston was, he has also reportedly been a much better teammate, too, helping to add a new sense of calm in the Dodgers’ clubhouse. While the local writers may tend to over exaggerate that angle because it makes for a better story, it is hard to argue with his production. And, most likely at Scott Boras’ request, he does appear to be hustling himself to a new, lucrative, multi-year contract this winter.

While not a single team in the NL West is truly deserving of reaching the playoffs, because the division has been so embarrassingly terrible, Ramirez made the difference for Los Angeles as the young talent began to flourish. Hey, he has made a believer out of former Sportscenter anchor Charlie Steiner. And, with the return of a few key players coming back from injury, this team could make a surprise run in the crapshoot that is called the postseason, a la the St. Louis Cardinals in 2006. But, Manny has not been around long enough to get my vote, as even Sabathia practically has a month on him.

My choice, then, is Albert Pujols, who has been the best player in the majors all year. Pujols helped the Cardinals remain in contention until around 10 days left in the season, which exceeded all pre-season expectations for the organization. In perhaps a typical Pujols year, he finished with a .357/.462/.653 line, 37 home runs, 116 RBIs and 104 walks to pace the game with a 1.114 OPS. Not only that, he is a great defensive first baseman. Without his bat in the lineup for 148 games, St. Louis would have fallen out of contention by July. He will lose out on votes because his team missed out on the playoffs, but, as the best player in the game, he has made more of an impact for his team. Period.

Ryan Howard led the league with 48 home runs and 146 RBIs, getting hot at the right time (1.274 OPS in September) to help the Philadelphia Phillies to their second consecutive NL East championship. But, the games in the first half count too, and I have a difficult time voting for a player with a .339 on-base percentage. Pujols has the edge in the stats that really count, and is also a better defender.

While I am a big Howard guy, for those Phillies fans who disagree, ask yourself this: would your team have been better with Howard or Pujols? And, if Pujols had Howard’s teammates, would he not be the slam dunk pick here?

Case closed.

My picks:
1. Albert Pujols
2. Ryan Howard
3. Manny Ramirez
4. CC Sabathia

Cy Young:

Again, though he only made 17 starts in the NL, Sabathia will garner some votes for carrying the Brewers on his back and pitching them into the postseason.

Brandon Webb, because of his high wins total, is perhaps the favorite. Webb, Mr. Consistency, put up another fine year on the mound: 22-7 record, 3.30 ERA, 183-to-65 K/W ratio, 1.20 WHIP. The 2006 Cy Young struggled at an inopportune time down the stretch, though, which may hurt his case. Yet, along with Dan Haren, he deserves credit for helping the Arizona Diamondbacks stay competitive, even when things got ugly for that offense.

Although either pitcher cannot match the win total belonging to Webb, Tim Lincecum of the San Francisco Giants and Santana of the New York Mets are more deserving of the award, in ’08. Again, this proves why record is a misleading, ineffective method for judging a pitcher’s overall effectiveness. Seriously, it is 2008, and we know better.

Lincecum, pitching for the lowly Giants, went 18-5 with a 2.62 ERA, second to Santana, and a league-best 256 strikeouts. Scouts may fear that he will break down eventually, as his mechanics are certainly unorthodox. But since he has come into the league, he has been one of the most successful starters in the majors, and it all came together for him this season as he struck out 10.35 batters per nine innings and limited opponents to a .223 batting average and .614 OPS. For the traditionalists who are infatuated with wins, because baseball is a “team game” they say, consider this: Lincecum left the game with the lead on five different occasions, destined for a win, yet saw his bullpen fail to hold it. Team game, indeed.

Still, my pick is Santana, who came over to the Mets in the blockbuster trade this offseason and then went on to sign a huge deal to stay in New York. And, boy, did he earn his paycheck? While New York missed out on the playoffs, again, by blowing a late-season lead, do not point any fingers at the dominant southpaw. He finished with the lowest ERA (2.53) on the circuit, striking out 206 in 234.1 innings pitched. And, while his 16-7 record is nothing too sexy, go back and read the preceding paragraph. The man pitched well enough to win 20 games, easily, and saw a mediocre bullpen, featuring the likes of Luis Ayala, Scott Schoenweis and Brian Stokes, blow several of his leads.

Even though the New York media was calling Santana’s first year in Queens a bust at the break—despite his 2.84 ERA—he shut them up with a great second half, going 7-0 with a 2.37 ERA and .231 opponents’ batting average in his final 14 starts. And he delivered in big spots, too, like on Saturday, when he saved the Mets’ season (at that point) by putting together a complete game victory on three days’ rest. So, with sincere apologies to Lincecum, Santana gets my vote, as he did not have the benefit of pitching in the West.

An under-the-radar candidate deserving of honorable mention is Brad Lidge, who was by far the most dominant closer in the league. Lidge was invaluable to the Phillies, going a perfect 41-for-41 in save opportunities and posting a 1.95 ERA. K-Rod may be getting the press, but Lidge had the better campaign—he just had fewer save chances. And, just ask the Mets: how valuable can a stud relief pitcher be? When Billy Wagner went down, it seems, so did the season for them. So, though he is a dark horse, do not be surprised when he gets some votes.

My picks:
1. Johan Santana
2. Tim Lincecum
3. Brad Lidge
4. Brandon Webb

Rookie of the Year:

Geovany Soto has a better chance of winning this award than Vincent Chase has of getting some in the next episode of Entourage. Soto, the first rookie catcher to start the All-Star game for the National League, is perhaps the most valuable player on the best team in the NL. Playing a defense-first position, he batted .285/.364/.504, with 23 bombs, an .868 OPS and 86 RBIs. For that production, while putting on the mask for 131 games at catcher and handling the Cubs’ staff, he deserves some MVP consideration as well. And the best years are head for the 25-year-old stud as he continues to establish himself as the best offensive catcher in the league.

Like Longoria in the other league, Soto is the clear-cut pick here. But Joey Votto comes in second, in my opinion. Despite receiving less fan fare and attention than his fellow rookie teammate on the Cincinnati Reds, Jay Bruce, Votto has put together a nice first campaign: .297/.368/.506, with 24 homers and 84 RBIs. The 25-year-old first baseman, with Bruce, is one of the key pieces of a nice young nucleus that the Reds have to build around for the future.

Jair Jurrjens had a nice debut season on the mound for the Atlanta Braves, going 13-10 with a 3.68 ERA.

But Soto is the only pick for this, and he perhaps has a chance to win the award unanimously.

My picks:
1. Geovany Soto
2. Joey Votto
3. Jair Jurrjens
4. Jay Bruce

Manager of the Year:

Part of me wants to give this award to Joe Torre, who left New York for the West Coast and helped guide a diverse group of youngsters and veterans to the NL West title. But, it is exactly that: the Dodgers, who gave up so many prospects in pre-deadline deals, absolutely needed to win the inferior West. If not, the season would have been labeled an absolute failure, especially considering they were playing in the AAAA league. But, they did end up as the best of the worst, as Ramirez helped them unseat Arizona for the division title.

My pick, though, goes to Charlie Manuel, who led the Phillies to another division title. Manuel may not come off as the most intellectual baseball manager, but he does the most important thing that a manager can do: earn his players’ respect. And, from making an example out of Jimmy Rollins after he failed to run out a ground ball earlier this summer to keeping the clubhouse loose, he got the best out of his players.

Fredi Gonzalez and Manny Acta are also excellent managers, though they were not exactly left with any talent on their rosters to work with. A manager really needs the proper players—as a carpenter needs supplies—to ever have a chance of competing at this level. Which is why bad teams can have great managers sometimes, and great teams can have bad managers.

But, in Chicago, the Cubs have both in Lou Piniella. While the Cubs have a huge payroll, a great market, and a talented club, he has done a fine job, yet again, steering Chicago to the best record in the NL.

Still, Manuel gets my vote.

My picks:
1. Charlie Manuel
2. Lou Piniella
3. Fredi Gonzalez
4. Joe Torre

To voice your disagreements with my picks, send an email to [e-mail]. To check out my blog, go to tylersarticles.blogspot.com.