The first half of the MLB season has come to a close and teams are about to gear up for the 2nd half.
Here are my choices for the major awards that are given out at the end of the season; if the season were to end today.
*Batting Stats AVG/HR/RBI
AL Comeback Player of the Year: Adam Dunn, Chicago White Sox
Stats: .208/25/61
As a person who had Dunn last year and this year in fantasy
baseball, he’s a no doubt pick for this award. His average is still horrific,
but he’s already doubled his homerun total and has 20 more rbi’s than last year
and has the White Sox holding a first place lead in the central at the break.
Honorable Mentions: Fernando Rodney, Edwin Encarnacion
NL Comeback Player of the Year: Johan Santana, New York Mets
Stats: 6-5, 3.24 ERA, 99 K’s, 1.17 WHIP
Santana has long been one of my favorite pitchers in the
game, and I’m extremely happy to see he is back to his Johan-self. He is having
an exceptional year and is helping the Mets stay in contention in the East.
Honorable Mentions: Stephen Strasburg, Buster Posey
AL Rookie of the Year: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels
Stats: .341/12/40 with 26 stolen bases.
Trout has improved leaps and bounds over his call up in
August of last season. Trout has turned the season around and now has them back
in contention.
Honorable Mentions: Yu Darvish, Yoenis Cespedes, Jarrod Parker, Scott Diamond, Will Middlebrooks
NL Rookie of the Year: Bryce Harper,Washington Nationals
Stats: .282/8/25 with 10 stolen bases.
I wanted to put Andrelton Simmons, but I can’t ignore Harper’s
effect on the Nationals. His hustle and effort has helped the Nationals hold 1st
place in the NL East for most of the season.
Honorable Mentions: Andrelton Simmons, Wade Miley, Lance
Lynn
AL Cy Young Award: Chris Sale, Chicago White Sox
Stats: 10-2, 2.19 ERA, 98 K’s, 0.95 WHIP
Chris Sale is what the Red Sox and Yankees hoped Daniel Bard and Joba Chamberlain respectively would be. He has taken the move from closer to starter (and then back to closer for about a week before being put back in the rotation) and ran wild with it. He’s been amazing this year and is on way to becoming a premier pitcher in the league.
Honorable Mentions: David Price, Jered Weaver, Justin
Verlander
NL Cy Young Award: R.A. Dickey, New York Mets
Stats: 12-1, 2.40 ERA, 123 K’s, 0.93 WHIP
Dickey has been unreal this year, thus making him the Cy
Young winner of the first half of the season. Typically “gimmick” pitchers don’t
have the consistent success that he has, but he’s doing it in every game that
he starts.
Side Note: Anyone who hasn’t read his book, “Wherever I Wind
Up”, you need to. I have started it and he is a great writer who knows how to
tell a story.
Honorable Mentions: Matt Cain, Stephen Strasburg, Craig
Kimbrel, James McDonald
AL MVP: Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers
Stats: .308/27/75
Since this is a first half award, I have to give it to
Hamilton. However, if Trout keeps up his pace then I will be at the forefront
of the Mike Trout for MVP campaign. Anyways, Hamilton is one of the greatest
baseball players we have ever seen. It’s a shame that he lost many year to his
off the field troubles, because we’d be looking at a Hall of Famer if he had
those years back. Hamilton is on place to eclipse his career highs in both
homeruns and RBI’s and may have his best season of his career.
Honorable Mentions: Mike Trout, Paul Konerko, David Ortiz,
Miguel Cabrera
NL MVP: Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates
Stats: .362/18/60 with 14 stolen bases
This was the toughest choice for me, the NL has many people
who deserve to win the award, but there isn’t one player who is a standout
choice. My vote goes for McCutchen. He
has given Pittsburgh, a city/team who hasn’t seen the playoffs in close to 20
years, hope as the Pirates hold the lead in the division at the All-Star
break. McCutchen is a 5-tool player and is only going to get better.
Honorable Mentions: David Wright, Ryan Braun, Joey Votto, Carlos
Beltran, Melkey Cabrera, Michael Borun, Giancarlo Stanton
