An MVP-Less Justin Verlander Would Continue a Horrible Trend

I'm all for a pitcher winning the MVP award, and not just because I'm a former hurler myself. If a pitcher, Justin Verlander for example, is the most valuable player on his team, he deserves the award. He should not be excluded because “pitchers have their own award,”as some argue.

That’s just like saying Dominik Hasek should not have been named NHL’s Most Valuable Player because goalies have the Vezina Trophy. 

Historically speaking, Verlander’s 2011 season is on par with other magnificent seasons by pitchers; more specifically, Pedro Martinez and his 1999 season where he totaled 313 strikeouts, a WHIP of .923 and absolutely dominated every time he took the mound. 

Remember the hoopla surrounding Felix Hernandez winning the AL Cy Young in 2010 with a sub-par 13-12 record? Well, he won because he was the most valuable to his team, despite the low win total. 

I argue that Verlander was more valuable than either Jacoby Ellsbury, Jose Bautista, and Curtis Granderson. If any one of those three is removed from their respective teams, their clubs are more or less in the same position.

If Verlander is removed from the equation, the Tigers are absent from the playoffs and any playoff race. 

Dave Cameron of the Wall Street Journal makes a comment that I am in agreement with; 

“Verlander may benefit from the fact that no position player managed to put up the kind of season that traditionally gets voters' attention,”  Cameron said.

Verlander is the standout, and as the best pitcher with the best statistics, his inclusion in the conversation is not lost on the candidate himself according to a recent article on MLB.com,

"For me, the trend recently for the Cy Young has gone to the best statistical pitcher," Verlander suggested on Tuesday. "And for me, I think that bolsters the case for the MVP. Now, it's not the most valuable pitcher. It's the best statistical pitcher, which is a totally different thing. And like I said, that bolsters the case." 

With the results hours away, voters have a chance to do the right thing and give the award to the player who deserves it the most—Verlander. If not, the trend that considers pitchers less than MVP-worthy will continue, and that’s just not fair.

Devon is the founder of The GM’s Perspective

Devon is a former professional baseball player with the River City Rascals& Gateway Grizzlies, and is now an independent scout.