At this point of the year, I would like to send out some hardware. Well, actually they won't be getting anything, but I've decided to say who I think deserved awards for their first half performance. So without further ado...
AMERICAN LEAGUE
MVP: Joe Mauer, Catcher, Twins
I know that a lot of you are screaming homer at this pick, but seriously? Who else would you throw here. Not only is Mauer flirting with .400, he's also added a power aspect to his game. Not to mention the fact that Mauer handles one of the youngest pitching staffs in baseball and gets good results out of most of the pitchers he works with. Torii Hunter may be a close second, followed by Jason Bay and Nelson Cruz.
Cy Young: Justin Verlander, Tigers
This is a bit of a puzzle to me. Zach Grienke has been amazing so far, but where is his team in the standings. Same deal with Roy Halladay. I pumped up Kevin Slowey to be an all-star, but his ERA is WAY too high to be considered for the Cy Young award. To this, I gotta give it to Verlander. He's the Tigers ace, and last time I checked they were on top of the AL Central. Which means...
Surprise of the first half: Detroit Tigers
I didn't think the Tigers had anything going. They dealt away a lot of their prosepects and even lost Gary Sheffield right before the season started. The result? Edwin Jackson has developed into a solid #2 pitcher and Miguel Cabrera has carried the offense on his back. The deeper into the season that the Tigers are in first place, the bigger the surprise they become.
Dissapointment: Cleveland Indians
I thought that the Indians would have most of their big guns back after a year in which they were destroyed by injuries. Turns out, they still haven't recovered. Even their best player, Grady Sizemore, has spent significant time on the DL. The rebuild is on in Cleveland.
Manager of the Year: Ron Washington, Rangers and Cito Gaston, Blue Jays
The Rangers are in the thick of things despite throwing in a hitters park and having a bunch of no-names in their lineup. Nelson Cruz has been a huge surprise and he'll get better with the return of Josh Hamilton. As for the Jays, Gaston weilds the most dangerous lineup in baseball and he's remained competitive even though 7 pitchers have landed on the DL at some point this season.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
MVP: Albert Pujols, Cardinals
Um...duh...
Cy Young: Tim Lincecum, Giants
A late first half surge has Lincecum the front runner for this award. He's just nasty and he'll continue to get better as the second half of the season wears on.
Biggest Surprise: San Francisco Giants/Colorado Rockies
Both of these teams weren't supposed to do much, but they've found themselves in the thick of the Wild Card race. The Giants have more staying power with their rotation, but the Rockies have some great bats in their lineup.
Dissapointment: New York Mets
Time to go the ESPN route on this. The Mets have had so many injuries that it's obvious they would miss a beat. If the Mets can get healthy in the second half, they could make a run. Question is, will it be too late?
Manager: Joe Torre, Los Angeles Dodgers
He's handled the Manny ordeal ideally. Now, he's the captain of the ship that is the best team in baseball. At least so far....
No comments:
Post a Comment