2006 MLB Award Wrap-up: MVP
| 16
|
by user Timothy Moreland(Bball3345)
Over the final weeks of the season, I will be taking a look at each of the awards in-depth. For each, I will share three segments. First, my preseason picks. Second, my own ballot. Third, who I think will take the hardware home.
| Preseason Predictions |
|
AL MVP: Alex Rodriguez NL MVP: Albert Pujols |
AL MVP: Well, I thought ARod would follow-up his MVP 2005 season with another MVP award. Unfortunately, he is having his worst overall season since 1997. This is not to say he has been bad, which his 30 HRs/100 R/ 100 RBI numbers show otherwise, but he has not had his usual Hall-of-Fame caliber year.
NL MVP: Again, I picked 2005's MVP. How could you ever vote agaist Pujols or ARod coming into the year? Despite missing a couple weeks with an oblique injury, Pujols again has shown himself to be the heir to Barry Bonds as the best hitter in the game. Imagine how much MVP hardware Pujols would own if he hadn't been playing in the same league as Bonds since 2001.
| AL MVP |
|
Yes, I still have Jeter first. Jeter places among the top ten overall offensive players this season, before considering his position. American league shortstops have combined for a line of .281/.334/.415. On the other hand, AL 1Bmen hit .277/.350/.464 and DHs .264/.349/.470. Having a SS like Jeter (.346/.423/.492) gives the Yankees a substantial advantage over opponents. As well, Jeter is among the best baserunners in the game, stealing 29 bases in 32 attempts.
Hafner is by far the best hitter in the American League. Unfortunately, a broken hand forced a premature ending to his season. He will more than likely drop down my ballot by the end of the season.
After being threatened for not having Dye in my top five last edition, his career year jumps him to number four on my ballot.
Johan Santana stands a good shot at winning the AL Pitching Triple Crown. His third straight Hall-of-Fame caliber season squeeks him in ahead of Thome. Thome has a slight edge in offense, but Morneau's defense at first places him ahead of Thome.
| NL MVP |
|
This is truly a three-man race in my book. There is a clear dropoff to Howard for one reason: the top three play a defensive position well. Howard would be better served playing DH instead of standing at first. I will admit, however, Howard is the best hitter in the league, behind Pujols.
After a down year, Beltran has put together a tremendous year at the plate, on the bases, and in the field. He has shown the play New York paid for.
At just 23-years-old, Cabrera keeps getting better. His OBP this year stands at a whopping .430. His HR numbers have dropped a tad, but an increase in doubles has led to an increased SLG.
Oh, and Mets fans, that's three, count 'em, three players in the top ten. Please, no complaining ;)
Now for my predicted winners...
| And The Winners Are... |
|
AL MVP: Derek Jeter NL MVP: Ryan Howard |
The AL MVP will more than likely have a large split between Ortiz, Dye, Morneau, and Jeter. My guess is Jeter barely edges out Ortiz for the award.
The NL MVP looks like a two-man race in the media with Howard winning by a considerable margin. As great a hitter as Howard is, Pujols remains the BEST hitter in the league and plays the same defensive position significantly better.
So, that's my wrap-up on MVP. Sometime soon I will take a similar look at the Cy Young Award.
| Other Bball3345 Articles You Might Enjoy | |||||||||
| Best | Reexamining Clutch | Pirates Deadline | Rebuilding the Royals | Do the Cameron Crazies Give Duke An Advantage? | |||||
| Ranking the MLB Drafts | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | ||||||
| Ranking the MLB Lifers | Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | |||||
| Teams of the Future | NL Team of the Future | AL Team of the Future | |||||||
| Player Articles | Dwight Gooden | Albert Pujols | Travis Hafner | Carlos Zambrano | Ryan Howard | Adam LaRoche | |||
| Ken Griffey Jr. | Carlos Guillen | Corey Patterson | Edgar Renteria | ||||||
Date
Thu 09/14/06, 5:23 am EST
