MLB: First Half Awards

(we're playing with the colors, bear with us)

All right, Saj, the All-Star Break has arrived. Time for some first half awards.

MVP

NL

National League MVP to date: Prince Fielder
Reasoning: The Milwaukee Brewers are in first place. The Milwaukee Brewers. Are in first place. Formerly consistent losers, the Milwaukee Brewers are in first place. Not only are they in first place, but at 4.5 games, they have the largest division lead in in the National League, and second largest division lead in the majors after the Red Sox domination of the AL East. Therefore, the Brewers' surprising success combined with their relative comfort on their perch makes me want to search their squad for the to-date NL MVP. Their best hitter, Prince Fielder, is headed to his first All-Star Game. He leads the NL in homeruns and slugging, he's second in RBI, and he's fifth in runs.
National League MVP at the end of the year: Carlos Beltran
Reasoning: The Brewers are going to lose their division lead. The Mets are going to pull away with the best record in the National League, and they're going to do it because their stud center-fielder will heat up like an oven.

Saj? NL MVP?

Completely in agreement. At this point in the season, Prince Fielder gets the award. By the end of the season watch out for the following two guys: Chipper Jones and Chase Utley. Jones is quietly putting together one of his best seasons and Utley is on pace to set new career highs in RBIs and Total Bases. While I can't see Beltran winning the award (if it's a Met, I think it'll be Wright or Reyes) I do think the NL MVP will come out of the East.

AL

American League MVP to date: Alex Rodriguez. I know the whole "the MVP has to play for a winning team" argument, but what Alex Rodriguez is doing this year is ridiculous. And once he's got his filthy hands around another MVP award it will be that much sweeter when he opts out and leaves New York for Chicago or LA. Go ahead, Ian. Make the argument for Magglio Ordonez.

American League MVP at the end of the year: Rodriguez. Ordonez's average will drop like a French hooker's panties on Bastille Day. And that, ladies and gentlemen, was my "Dennis Miller would make that joke" joke of the day.

American League MVP to date: Vladimir Guerrero

Reasoning: In 2003, Alex Rodriguez won the AL MVP while playing for the last place Texas Rangers. Tell me, Saj. How valuable is a guy whose team finished in last place? I mean, if he wasn't on their team, what place might they have come in? LasteR? Besides, aren't teams always better when he leaves?

The American League MVP to date is not Arod, nor is it Magglio Ordonez (and if it were Maggs, I'd have to pick someone else after your snide comment). The AL MVP to date is Vladimir Guerrero. The reason? The Tigers and Yankees have a MUCH better supporting cast to surround their best hitters. On the Tigers, Gary Sheffield, Placido Polanco, Carlos Guillen, and Pudge Rodriguez are all having very good seasons; even Curtis Granderson and Sean Casey bring something to the table. The Yankees simply aren't performing well, and I can't help but think of Arod was released today, the Yanks would go on a huge tear without him. The Angels after Vlad Guerrero do not have the supporting casts of the other division leaders in the AL, and yet they are within a half game of both the Tigers and the Red Sox for the league's best record. Thank Vlad.

American League MVP at the end of the year: Magglio Ordonez.

Reasoning: I suspect that Detroit Tigers will end up with the best record in baseball, and Magglio's great season will be why. Best player on the best team is usually a safe bet.

Cy Young Award

AL

American League Cy Young to date: Dan Haren

Reasoning: Just last week, Saj and I predicted that Josh Beckett would be names AL All-Star Game starter. A reader emailed us and begged to differ, stating it'd be Dan Haren. He was right. We were wrong. But he doesn't have his own blog, so here's my chance to rectify it. Dan Haren's ERA (2.30) leads the league. I've always been a fan of the lowest ERA winning the Cy Young, unless there's a reeeeeal good case made in other categories by one other pitcher (usually K's, Wins, WHIP). Since Haren is second in the AL in WHIP (1.00!), and fourth in wins, I can ignore his paltry ninth place ranking in K's.

American League Cy Young at the end of the year: Josh Beckett

Reasoning: Because he's going to get to the magic number: 20+ wins.

Ian, you ignorant slut. There's no way you can ignore a season like ARod's. No way. At least you're right about Haren being the Cy Young Award winner thus far. As for Haren's second half, he will fade and fade spectacularly. In his place will rise the most usual of suspects: Johan Santana. As I said in the previous post: "...I think Haren ends the season with an ERA above 3.50. And I think Santana drops his ERA another half run and wins the Cy Young Award..." It's pretty much fact that when I quote myself I'm right.

NL

National League Cy Young to date: Jake Peavy. Brad Penny has more wins, Chris Young has a lower ERA, but Peavy ranks second in both and leads the league in K, K/9, and awesomeness.

National League Cy Young at the end of the year: Jake Peavy. He's very good at what he does. Honorable Mention: Cole Hamels.

National League Cy Young to date: Peavy

Reasoning: Because he's the best pitcher in the National League to date.

National League Cy Young at the end of the year: Pedro Martinez

Reasoning: Just kidding. Jake Peavy

Good, sensible answer.

Rookie of the Year

NL

NL ROY to date: Much has been said about Hunter Pence of the Houston Astros and for good reason. The guy is leading the NL in batting (.342) and he runs kinda funny (evidence here). A great case can be made for Ryan Braun of the Brewers who is batting .350 in 40 games with 11 homers, but I'm giving the midseason nod to Pence because he's played 24 more games and Sportscenter anchors are wont to crack up during his awkward fielding highlights.

NL ROY at the end of the year: Braun. What he's done so far, extrapolated over a whole season is a 45 homer, 130 RBI season with an OPS+ of 173. And there's no reason why he won't continue to beat the crap out of major league pitching. Braun slugged .726 in the 113 at-bats he took in AAA this season (his only at-bats ever in AAA) and when he was drafted in 2005 he was considered to be the consensus best athlete available. Others drafted that year: Justin Upton, Alex Gordon, Ryan Zimmerman, Troy Tulowitzki, Jacoby Ellsbury, Craig Hansen, and Mike Pelfrey. Okay, the last two were jokes but those first five include a former National High School player of the year and the second-coming of George Brett. An infield of Ryan Braun, J.J. Hardy, Rickie Weeks, and Prince Fielder; this is like God rewarding Brewers fans for their patience. Imagine if Yi Jianlian and his agents relent, we're talking a duel sport revival in the "Cream City" (yes, that's an actual nickname for Milwaukee). Side Yi Note: Ian, if ten years ago you told me an NBA team would have a starting front court featuring a Chinese player and a big white guy from Australia I probably would have lost a lot of respect for you.

Saj, the thing about our relationship is, you never respect me until ten years after I say something. And since we've known each other since Fall 1998, we're just over a year from me earning your respect. I can't wait.

NL ROY to date: It's Pence. No rookie has any business leading the National League in hitting. Hitting takes too much trial and error to do well, especially at the major league level. A rookie beating out the likes of Matt Holliday, Chipper Jones, Chase Utley, Miguel Cabrera, and Todd Helton is out of this world impressive.

NL ROY at the end of the year: If he ends up winning the batting title, it HAS to be Pence. If he doesn't, The Next Big Thing Ryan Braun will take it home.

AL

AL ROY to date: Can I have a three way tie between three Red Sox? If yes, I award the ROY to Hideki Okajima, Daisuke Matsuzaka, and Dustin Pedroia. If not, I'll single out Okajima. In my estimation, he's the MVP of the Red Sox this year. Think about that. A middle reliever is the MVP on a team with the best record in the American League. He deserves it though, a 0.83 ERA, a 0.83 WHIP, he's holding opponents to a .191 Slugging Percentage (!!), and the only homerun he's given up all year was to the first batter he faced in his major league career.

AL ROY at the end of the year: Daisuke Matsuzaka has had a phenomenal second half to the first half of the season. He's pitching like an experienced veteran and has the potential to be the best starter in the AL in the second half of the season. That probably makes him the AL Rookie of the Year.

AL ROY to date: As valuable as Okajima has been to the Red Sox, I can't see giving the ROY award to someone who has thrown just 43 innings. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Okajima. In fact, I think I'm going to get 1,000 "Okajima is my Oka-jigga" t-shirts printed so I can sell them out of a box on Yawkey Way. That being said, and apologies to Reggie Willits and Dustin Pedroia, I have to give the midseason ROY to Daisuke. Before getting touched up by the Tigers in his last start, he went six starts giving up a total of six earned runs and striking out 51, lowering his ERA a whole run in the process.

AL ROY at the end of the year: I really want to give this award to Pedroia, but he's not on pace to collect the raw numbers (runs, RBIs, HRs) that people salivate over. If this last month and a half is any indicator of the future, it's going to be Daisuke, who looks like he could also make a serious run at the Cy Young.

Pence-Braun Note: Not to blow up your spot, Ian, but while Pence is leading the league with a .342 average, Matt Holliday is right behind him at .341, and Pence's OBP is a low (for his batting his average) .367. He's walked ten times in 64 games. As I've said before: Hell, even Bill Mueller's won a batting title.



One more knock on Bill Mueller and I'll have your balls in my Red Sox 2004 World Series Champion coffee mug. Mueller drove in Roberts, Saj. MUELLER DROVE IN ROBERTS!!