Justin Verlander vs. Robinson Cano: Who Is Best Dark-Horse AL MVP Candidate?

As the 2011 MLB season draws to a close, fans are starting to speculate over which players will win the major awards.  In terms of the AL MVP race, there are multiple men who could win it.

Will it be Boston Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, who can basically do anything?  Or will it be his teammate, Adrian Gonzalez, whose clutch hitting helped the team out of an early-season slump and into playoff contention.  And of course, let's not forget Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Jose "Joey Bats" Bautista and his 42 home runs.

However, there are two dark-horse candidates who have been the subject of discussion, especially for the past month.  In terms of the MVP award, what about Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander and New York Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano?  Both have been having phenomenal seasons and have kept their team in the playoff race from the get go, so shouldn't they be considered as well?

Both are extreme dark horse candidates, but let's give them both their due credit and analyze their chances of winning the award by looking at each aspect of contributions they make to their team.

Justin Verlander: Overall Contribution

Now, let me just say that Verlander is having an incredible season.  As of last night, he is 23-5 with a 2.36 ERA, has thrown four complete games, struck out 238 batters and has an impeccable WHIP of 0.92.  On top of that, the man last lost on July 15 and has won 11 consecutive starts since then.

However, despite that, the odds are stacked against Verlander in terms of winning the award.  A pitcher has not won the AL MVP award since 1992, when Hall-of-Fame closer Dennis Eckersley took it home.  Were Verlander in the National League, the odds would be against him even more seeing as how the last pitcher to be named MVP in that league was Bob Gibson back in 1968.

This is because some baseball minds have recently determined that since pitchers already have the Cy Young Award, plus the fact that they don't play every day, they are less deserving of being named MVP.  Such logic is the reason Roger Clemens was not named MVP in 2001, despite going 20-3 on the season.

Still, it shouldn't be ignored that in games where Verlander does not pitch, the Tigers are 64-54, compared to the 24-8 record in games he does start.

Robinson Cano: Overall Contribution

Considering all the big names in the lineup with him, Robinson Cano has been having a phenomenal year while flying under the radar.  As of last night, he is batting .305 with 26 home runs and a career-high 111 RBI.

While he isn't the dominating force that Verlander is, Cano is still easily the most clutch hitter in the Yankee lineup.  He answers the bell in tough situations more often than not, and while I hate to sound like one of the closed-minded voters, he goes out and gives his all every day without days off in between.

His .346 OBP leaves something to be desired, but it cannot be denied that Cano is the definition of clutch, leading us to our next slide.

Justin Verlander: Clutch Performance

Not to sound like a hater, but saying that Justin Verlander is a big-game pitcher is like saying that the sky is blue.  This man's stuff is so dominating that if he doesn't win his start, one is left wondering why.

That isn't to take away from his skills—he's easily the best pitcher in all of baseball this year.  Yet, considering how the Tigers play in the easy AL Central and don't have to do much in terms of competition during the regular season—along with the fact that they've basically sewn up the division at this point—it's hard to say that Verlander has been clutch down the stretch.

Has he been great?  Yes.  Is he a game-changer?  Not by a long shot.

Robinson Cano: Clutch Performance

As I said in his previous slide, Robinson Cano is the most clutch hitter on the Yankees.  He has gotten more game-changing hits than I can count, leading his team to victory on multiple occasions.

On top of that, he has been a beast when the bases are loaded.  This season alone, he has hit three grand slams while hitting over .400 in those situations.  Two nights ago, broadcaster Michael Kay compared Cano's clutch hitting and bases loaded dominance to former Yankee first baseman Don Mattingly's 1987 campaign, when he hit six grand slams and hit .327 with 30 homers and 115 RBI on the year.

Considering how Mattingly is easily one of the most beloved Yankees in team history, that is a great honor for Cano.  Throw in the fact that he does this all while playing every day, and his case for MVP grows.

Justin Verlander: Leadership

There is no doubt that Justin Verlander is the fearless leader of the Tigers' pitching staff.  For the past three years, he has been one of baseball's most dominant pitchers as well as the best in Detroit.

On days that he pitches, his team seems to play with extra confidence because with him on the mound, they know victory is possible if they give him the support he needs.  To give an idea of how much support Verlander gets from his teammates, the Tigers have only scored less than four runs in four of his 32 starts.

He may only pitch every few days, but the fact that his team can rally behind him like that is very telling.

Robinson Cano: Leadership

As much as I love Robinson Cano, I'll be the first to admit that he has zero leadership qualities.  In some cases, he may carry the team with his hitting, but that's about it.  On the field and in the clubhouse, he more often than not appears to stand in the shadows of his fellow infielders, namely shortstop Derek Jeter.

Simply put, this just bothers me.  Cano will turn 29 during the playoffs this year and considering how Jeter and Alex Rodriguez are reaching the twilight of their careers, he needs to step it up.  There is no doubt that team management will want to extend him at some point and unless he can start being something of a mentor to the younger crop of players coming in, he could be in for a shocking surprise when that time comes.

Justin Verlander: Playoff Performance

As good as Verlander is, he has only been to the playoffs once while pitching for the Tigers.  This was back in 2006, when the Tigers lost the World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals.  Verlander was just in his second season as a regular starter then, but let's look at how he did.

In the entire 2006 postseason, Verlander started four games and went 1-2 with a horrific 5.82 ERA and terrible 1.66 WHIP.  This can be attributed to him being 23 years old at the time, but there's a limit.

Also, as I said before, the Tigers play in an easy division and often struggle on days that Verlander doesn't pitch.  I hate to say it, but their World Series run in 2006 was dumb luck.

In the division series, the New York Yankees underachieved at the plate so the Tigers were able to run the table.  In the ALCS, they faced an Oakland Athletics squad that was known more for its pitching than its hitting.  They faced a well-balanced St. Louis Cardinals squad and were eliminated in five games.  In that round of the playoffs, Verlander was 0-2 with a 5.73 ERA.

That being said, had the teams the Tigers faced before the World Series that year been at their best, we wouldn't even be having this discussion now.

Robinson Cano: Playoff Performance

Cano's postseason track record, to say the least, is inconsistent.  For his career, he has hit .248 with six homers and 20 RBI in the playoffs and his OBP is a less than desirable .296.

Yet, last year alone, Cano hit .342 before the Yankees were eliminated by the Texas Rangers.  However, in 2009, when his team won the World Series, he hit just .192 for the entire postseason.  Sure, Cano has greatly improved as a player since making his debut in 2005, but his lack of consistency is somewhat disconcerting.

With the Yankees on track to make the playoffs again this year, I guess all we can do is wait and see which Cano shows up.

Justin Verlander: Final Thoughts

No matter what your opinion may be on pitchers winning the MVP award, it still cannot be argued that Justin Verlander is having a phenomenal season.  His Detroit Tigers are going to win the AL Central largely because of his contributions, and he is on pace to finish the season 25-5.

However, the playoffs will be his true test to prove to the voters that he is deserving of being named the American League Most Valuable Player.  If he can step it up and take the Tigers to the next level despite being the underdog, then he will garner some serious consideration.

Robinson Cano: Final Thoughts

Come playoff time, Robinson Cano has to do just one thing: keep hitting the way he has during the regular season.  It is unclear who the Yankees will face but if history has taught us anything, the team's offense has had the unfortunate habit of disappearing during the postseason in recent years.

Given how clutch the All-Star second baseman has been this season, he needs to be ready to put the team on his back and use his hitting to spark the rest of the lineup.  If he can do that and carry the team to glory, then the voters will need to give him some serious consideration for the award.

And the Winner Is...

And you may all start sending your hate mail....now.

Sorry folks but if I had to choose between these two now and give one of them the AL MVP award, I'd have to go with Cano.  I have nothing against Justin Verlander and congratulate him on his career season, but the fact remains that pitchers don't play every game.

Cano has been an unstoppable clutch force this season and without him, the Yankees might not even be in the position they are now.  If anything, they'd be fighting to hang onto a wild card berth.

On top of that, and I hate to say this, but there is a reason the Detroit Tigers only do extremely well with Verlander on the mound.  Besides him, they really aren't that great of a team.

Thus, when it comes to dark horse MVP candidates, the winner is Robinson "Don't Ya Know" Cano.