 |
|||||||
|
By Jackson Govatos, Section MLB
The MLB MVP is one of the most prestigious individual honors among every team sport. It signifies not only putting up great numbers, but also raising the overall level of your team's play. Usually, there are only two or three main contenders in each league for this award. But this year, players left and right are producing unbelievable numbers. We've got sluggers on pace for 60 homers, average machines, and plenty of difference-makers on contending teams. But who will win? Here's my take as of now.
National League MVP1. Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies: Getting Howard out recently has been tougher than making it through an entire episode of "America's Got Talent" without changing the channel. He has been the definition of MVP, carrying the Phillies on his back despite their recent trade of outfielder Bobby Abreu. Howard has made people forget about that trade with his astronomical performance the past two months. Since the All Star break he has 24 homers and 62 RBIs, both the best in the big leagues. Those numbers have helped Howard to league-leading totals in the power categories, with 52 and 133. After his remarkable 4-4, three homerun performance on Sunday, Howard is on pace for 62 homers this season. This is more important than you might think considering that he could break the all-time non-roided homerun record. In case you need more convincing, he's second in the league in OPS with 1.061, second in slugging with .661, and has been the major reason for the Phillies' resurgence up the standings. The most amazing part of all this is that Howard, who's only 26, has just hinted at his potential. 2. Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals: It looked like Pujols had this award wrapped up by May, when he was on a record-setting pace. But the Cardinals have faded, and Pujols has been passed by (slightly) better competition. He showed signs of his April self with a three homer, five RBI game on Sunday that carried the Cardinals to a win. Those totals gave him 42 homers and 114 ribbies on the year, numbers nearly identical to his 2005 year, when he won the MVP. Albert also leads the NL in slugging and OPS, and is top-5 in batting average and on-base percentage. He's playing as good as ever, and the Cards have broken out of their slump as well. But what Pujols is doing is expected, while what Howard is doing is extraordinary. 3. Carlos Beltran, New York Mets: Beltran might have been the top contender at about noon today, but he has been steamrolled by Pujols and Howard after their incredible efforts. However, Beltran has many merits that still deserve serious MVP consideration. He has career highs in every major category and has done a 180 from last year's enormous disappointments. His 113 runs lead the majors and he has been the leader of the NL's best offense. Beltran is a major reason that the Mets are cruising through the NL, and he remains one of the greatest power/speed threats in the game. Also he works well in the field, with just two errors in centerfield the entire season for a fantastic .994 fielding percentage. However, Beltran ranks slightly behind Howard and Pujols in every major offensive category, and hasn't been a one-man show in the lineup like they have. He has the luxury of hitting behind Jose Reyes and in front of Carlos Delgado and David Wright, and that could very well cost him this award. 4. Alfonso Soriano, Washington Nationals: Where did this come from? We've always known Soriano to be one of the game's premier power/speed threats, but not to this degree. He is on pace for career highs in homers and steals, ranking in the league's top five in each. Soriano is looking to become the first player this millennium to record a 40-40 season, and the first player ever to record 50-40. This two-way performance separates him from just about every other player and made him one of the most sought-after players at the trade deadline. However, Soriano's Nationals are one of the worst teams in the NL, and he is not doing too well in left field. But he's still one of the better all-around players in the game, and he's finally getting the attention he deserves this season. 5. Lance Berkman, Houston Astros: Though the `Stros aren't going anywhere this season, Berkman has quietly demolished opposing pitchers. He has 112 RBIs and 81 walks despite almost no protection in the Astros' lineup. Berkman gets on base easier than Matt Leinart gets dates, as he is on pace for his 6th straight season with over a .400 OBP. He hits for average, hits for power, and is an OPS hog. But that won't get him the award this year in what seems to be a loaded NL race. Honorable Mention: Miguel Cabrera, Florida Marlins Jose Reyes, Mets Andruw Jones, Atlanta Braves Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies
American League1. David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox: Thankfully, the news came out today that Big Papi's heart is fine and he is ready to return to the lineup this week. Injury problems were just about the only thing that could stop him from getting the MVP he deserves. While Boston has seemingly dropped out of the playoff race, Ortiz has done everything he can to carry the team this year. He has been dominant in every form possible, with league leading ranks in homeruns (47) and RBIs (121). Those numbers almost equal his entire 2005 season, when many thought he deserved the MVP. Papi's OPS and slugging are career highs, and did I mention that he performs well in clutch situations? In case you were wondering, his OPS is 1.247 in "close and late" situations, and he has plenty of walk-off homeruns on his resume. While the Red Sox are all but out of it, Ortiz's numbers just cannot be overlooked. 2. Jermaine Dye, Chicago White Sox: Earlier this year it seemed that Jim Thome was the White Sox's best player, but while Thome has been out recently Dye has been performing. He hit 10 homers and 30 RBIs in August to move himself into the AL's top five in each. He has been a consistent tour de force the entire season, and has one of the most solid lines in baseball to show for it: a .328 average, 39 homers, a .646 slugging, and a 1.039 OPS. Each is good for a top AL ranking. Right now the White Sox lead the AL Wild Card race, and if they win it Dye will be a tempting choice for the top spot. 3. Travis Hafner, Cleveland Indians As far as pure hitting goes, Hafner might be having the best season of any player. He is a consistent monster that has powered Cleveland's excellent lineup. His OPS (1.097) and slugging (.659) rank numero uno in the league. His 42 homers and 117 runs driven in both rank second to Ortiz. Hafner also produces more walks and runs than almost any other player, with 100 of each. Unfortunately the Indians, who are light years away from the playoff picture, are the main problem in Hafner's MVP campaign. The AL's best all-around hitter hasn't been able to lift the Indians from pure mediocrity. 4. Justin Morneau, Minnesota Twins: While teammate Joe Mauer has gotten more attention for having the "perfect" swing, Morneau has actually had the better season. He drives in runs like a machine, with 114 on the year and more than twenty for four straight months. Also, thanks to a .410 July, he is hitting .318 for the year despite a pitiful .208 April. Since that month he has hit .341 and slugged .619. Basically, Morneau is a beast. He has outperformed Mauer in just about everything and is the main reason the Twins' offense is productive. 5. Vladimir Guerrero, Anaheim Angels Just two years removed from an MVP campaign, Guerrero is having another great year. His .332 batting average, 106 RBIs, and 15 steals make for an impressive line. He has been probably the only Angel who has actually done anything offensively this year. And he has the momentum with a .393 average, 1.176 OPS August. This will just be a case of a stud losing out to even bigger studs. Honorable Mention: Manny Ramirez, Boston Red Sox Jim Thome, Chicago White Sox Jason Giambi, New York Yankees Derek Jeter, New York Yankees Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins Many people think Jeter or Mauer deserve top consideration for the MVP. I disagree. While they have each put up a great batting average, they have been outclassed in every other category by the above players. Their homerun and RBI totals aren't close to the top, and they haven't been the best players on their own offenses. If you want a player with a great average to win the award, pick .328 Dye or .332 Guerrero. That said, they at least deserve mention in this article.
Source: ESPN.com Story writing contestLog in or create an account to vote for this story!
All trademarks and copyrights are owned by their respective leagues and associations. The Rest © Sportscolumn.com / Cow Hollow Media, LLC. Please read our Terms of Service. Sportscolumn.com is powered by Scoop.
|
Related Links |
||||||
