Wednesday, June 29, 2011

And the Winner is....

With the halfway point of the season rapidly approaching I have decided to hand out my midseason awards a week early.

AL MVP: Adrian Gonzalez, 1B, Red Sox. Nobody can argue with this one. Gonzalez has taken to being away from PetCo Park like a duck to water. Through Tuesday, Gonzalez was leading the American League in batting, hitting at a .356 clip to go along with 16 homers and 71 RBI's. He leads the league in hits and is also second in the AL in doubles. Runners Up: Jose Bautista, OF/3B Blue Jays, Curtis Granderson, OF, Yankees.

AL Cy Young: Justin Verlander, SP, Tigers. He is 10-3, has added another no-hitter to his resume, owns a MLB leading 0.84 WHIP, has whiffed 124 batters, and possesses a 2.38 ERA. He has been one of the reasons the Tigers have made up all the ground on the Indians and are now battling for AL Central control. Runners Up: Jared Weaver, SP, Angels, James Shields, SP, Rays.

AL Rookie of the Year: Michael Pineda, SP, Mariners. Pineda has been one of the AL's dominant starters, forming a lethal tandem with Felix Hernandez. Pineda owns a 1.03 WHIP, 2.65 ERA, and 99 K's in 102+ innings. He will be mentioned in Cy Young conversations if he keeps this up. Runner Up: Jeremy Hellickson, SP, Rays.

NL MVP: Jose Reyes, SS, Mets. Reyes is setting himself up to be the first ever Mets player to win an MVP award by leading the Majors in triples with 15, hits with 119, is second in stolen bases with 30, and owns a .352 batting average, good enough for second in the majors. If he hits a single, it becomes a double. Reyes is, the most interesting man in baseball. Runners Up: Prince Fielder, 1B, Brewers, Matt Kemp, OF, Dodgers.

NL Cy Young: Roy Halladay, SP, Phillies. What? You expected R.A. Dickey? Halladay is 10-3 with a 2.40 ERA, has 123 K's, and leads the NL in complete games. They will probably rename the NL version of the award after Halladay in a few years. He is the new Greg Maddux. Runners Up: Jair Jurrgens, SP, Braves, Cole Hamels, SP, Phillies.

NL Rookie of the Year: Craig Kimbrel, RP, Braves. Twenty-three saves, a 2.63 ERA, and 1.12 WHIP earn Kimbrel the honor here. He also has struck out 65 in 41 innings. Runner Up: Danny Espinosa, 2B, Nationals.

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