Monday, July 10, 2006
MLB Awards - ASB Version
The All-Star break is upon us and with that comes the Home-Run Derby @ 8 ET tonight on ESPN followed by the actual game, tomorrow at 8 ET on Fox. If a player from your team or fantasy team is participating in the Home-Run Derby I highly recommend you cheer against that player, so the notorious Derby Jinx isn't cast upon him. Now to my mid-season awards...
American League
Most Valuable Player - David Ortiz Ortiz is having another monster year in Boston. With 31 HR and 87 RBI going into the break, Ortiz is on pace for career-best numbers (58 HR, 164 RBI). Not only that, but
Ortiz is once again proving he is MVP worthy with his collection of game winning hits. Can a DH win the MVP? If Boston wins the East, I think so.Cy Young - Roy Halladay With the signing of A.J. Burnett, Halladay thought things would be easier on him this season and he wouldn't have to put the entire Blue Jays rotation on his shoulders...he was wrong. Burnett has been hurt basically all year and Halladay has responded, keeping the Blue Jays in contention with his 12-2 record and 2.92 ERA. Halladay is 2-0 vs. the Red Sox and Yankees, ironically his only two losses have come against Tampa Bay and Florida.
Rookie of the Year(s) - Francisco Liriano & Jonathan Papelbon Papelbon has salvaged an otherwise below average Red Sox bullpen. 26 saves and an ERA of .59 are absurdly filthy. Liriano has been just
as spectacular , going 10-1 with a 1.83 ERA. It would be impossible to take one over the other so I am picking both right now. Manager of the Year - Jim Leyland This is really a no contest. The Tigers could go .500 in the second half of the season and Leyland would still get this award. This team was 71-91 last season and 72-90 two seasons ago. The Tigers are much improved and Leyland deserves a majority of the credit.
National League
Most Valuable Player - Albert Pujols David Wright is and will give Pujols a run for his money for this award throughout the second half, but assuming Pujols
stays healthy he will ultimately end up with the hardware. Pujols has missed 17 games this season and is still leading the National League in home runs and is second in RBIs! Look for St. Louis to run away with the Central and Pujols to claim his second MVP in as many seasons.Cy Young - Brandon Webb This award is a toss up. Candidates include Glavine, Schmidt, Penny, and Arroyo. But Webb has been the ERA leader all year long and until he stops pitching at a Cy Young level, it is his award to lose. At 27 years old and a 3.22 career ERA, Arizona should be happy they have him locked up until 2009.
Rookie of the Year - Prince Fielder The rookies in the National League certainly aren't playing as well as the American League young studs, but Prince Fielder is having a good enough year to win the award. Sure his .265 average isn't anything special, but with 16
homers and 46 rbis thus far, his big bat is adding a lot of power to the otherwise impotent Brewer lineup.Manager of the Year - Joe Girardi This team has a total salary of approximately $15 million and at 38-48 is exceeding all expectations and the Marlins have a ton of young players who have extremely bright futures. Florida isn't playing "moneyball", but more like "welfare ball".
9 Comments:
I think the list is pretty good, except...
I think Thome may actually be the MVP over Ortiz. I hate to give it to a DH at all, but these two may change my mind. Imagine where Chicago would be if they didn't have Thome in their lineup with the way Detriot (and most recently Minnesota) has been playing.
AL Cy Young may be a toss-up at this point for me between Halladay and Santana...I would actually lean towards Santana, because although a worse record, he beats Halladay in almost every other category.
As for NL ROY, I would have given it to Fielder but as I know from my fantasy team I have him on, he's fallen off a lot lately. On the other hand, as shown by the Yankee series and the fact they're going to build the team around him, Zimmerman may be my NL ROY at the midway point...but it's close
I think the list is good, but I wonder whether the AL Manager of the year would be Leyland or Joe Torre. Although Torre seems to do this every year and Leyland took a team from 90 losses to maybe 90 wins or something like that, the way Torre is managing this team with barely any pitching (only two consistent pitchers- Mussina and Rivera) and a battered lineup makes me give him a slight nod over Jim Leyland. But we'll see what happens in the second half.
Torre was SUPPOSED to have a good team. It's the Yankees. The Tigers had no hope coming into this season, yet they have the best record in the Majors.
Leyland by a landslide.
AL MVP – Both Hafner and Thome have better numbers than Ortiz if you’re going to give it to a DH and last I checked, if you want to make the “best numbers on a winning team argument” Thome’s White Sox are better. It’ll also be hard to argue that the White Sox line-up is better than that of the Red Sox. Heck, Ortiz isn’t even the best player on the Red Sox, that honor goes to Manny.
Since I’m pretty much in the “no DH can win an MVP” I think you have to give it to Joe Mauer. The “Chairman” is a beast: .378/.446/.535 from a catcher. That’s just not right. Manny, Vernon Wells and Jeter can enter the conversation as well as the top 3 pitchers (see below)
AL CY Young – I can see Halladay. I’d have him in my top 3. I see it as a Minnesota battle, with my preference currently going to Santana over Liriano just due Santana’s 50 extra innings. Santana/Halladay are very close in all regards except for strikeouts, where Santana has about twice as many.
AL ROY – Liriano hands down. With Verlander a very impressive third and don’t forget a streaking Jered Weaver.
AL Manager – I’ll agree with you on Lelyand here.
NL MVP – Poo-holes. Hehehe…poo-holes. He’s the man. Miggy, Berkman and Beltran also in contention.
NL Cy Young – It’s Webb, no question. Shmidt, Arroyo and Capuano in the conversation.
NL ROY – Here’s a comparison:
Player A: .307/.366/.510 13 HR, 94 H, 57R
Player B: .265/.320/.479 16HR, 87H, 41 R
Your NL ROY…..Uggla, Dan Uggla, that sexy stud of a Marlin 2b.
NL Manager – Nobody really yet. I feel like the Braves are going to make a big move, win the WC and Cox is going to win this, but that’s just a gut feeling.
To all:
I agree, both Thome and Hafner certainly have to be discussed in the AL MVP talks. And I also agree that Santana and even Liriano could end up winning the Cy Young. And sure Zimmerman and even Dan Uggla should be considered, but who really cares because the AL rookies are so much better it isn't even funny.
Kevin, you are so right and Boston7066 you are so wrong! Leyland has to be the Manager of the Year. Look at the payroll differences. Take away the Yankees injuries and their team still should outperform a Tigers team that was awful last year.
MC, fine we can even consider Joe Mauer an MVP candidate :)
Dodgers rookie Andre Ethier isn't looking too bad with his .352 BA and .948 OPS. I have a feeling that by the end of the season, it will be another Dodgers rookie, Russell Martin that is the favorite to win NL ROY.
Thanks for the comments Insomniac! If you are right about Martin, I will certainly give you props.
Wow Insomniac! You really are one, look at that post time! A-Rod very MVP! Trust me, you will see.
right on with the rookie(s)
people are saying jered weaver... I want to see if Papelbon can keep it up in the second half.
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