MLB Midseason Awards (American League)
As the All-Star break rapidly approaches, I thought it was time for some midseason awards. I’ll go over my picks for the MVP, Cy Young, and Rookie of the Year awards in the American League.
American League
MVP – Adrian Gonzalez (First Baseman/Boston Red Sox)
Gonzo has been everything the Red Sox ever dreamed of and then some this season. He leads the league with a ridiculous .356 batting average as well as hits, rbi’s, and total bases. Many would contribute Gonzalez’s success to the friendly hitting confines of Fenway Park but a closer look at the statistics say otherwise. In fact, Gonzalez has more home runs and rbi’s away from Fenway Park so far this season.
In the Running – Curtis Granderson, Jose Bautista
Cy Young - Justin Verlander (Starting Pitcher/Detroit Tigers)
The Tiger’s ace and arguably baseball’s best pitcher has been sensational thus far.Verlander leads the A.L. in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and innings pitched. He sports a phenomenal 2.32 ERA to go along with his two shutouts. If that’s not enough, Verlander has already thrown a no-no, flirted with another, and had a 14 strikeout game. Enough said.
In the Running – Jered Weaver, Josh Beckett, James Shields, C.C. Sabathia
Rookie – Michael Pineda (Starting Pitcher/Seattle Mariners)
Pineda has been sensational this season. He’s been the Mariners best pitcher so far, which is high praise considering King Felix is in that rotation with him. Pineda leads all rookies in ERA with a sparkling 2.65 as well as strikeouts per 9 innings pitched, and total strikeouts. The rising star also has a tremendous 1.029 WHIP, again leading all rookies. Simply put, Pineda is a no-brainer for Rookie of the Year midway through the season.
In the Running – Jeremy Hellickson, Zach Britton, Jordan Walden, Eric Hosmer
