A few days into the season, no better time to make my awards picks for baseball, and as always, see how wrong they are.
Let's have a go:
American League
MVP: Miguel Cabrera -
He's pretty much been Albert Pujols light for the last four seasons, which is intended as high praise, and since he's out of Pujols' league (not to mention Pujols' Cardinals ought to be wretched) he's pretty much been the most consistent hitting who is now in the AL (though A-Rod might have something to say about that). Cabrera percieved lack of work ethic may hurt him with voters, as well as his possibly sub-par D (though nowhere close to as bad as his fellow Marlin Hanley Ramirez), but overall he's got a great storyline coming to a new team, which voters love, plus his team ought to be in the hunt at the very least.
Other contenders: A-Rod, Grady Sizemore, Victor Martinez, David Ortiz
Cy Young: Justin Verlander
Yeah, I'm picking someone from the same team as the MVP. But it happens more than you think (or at least more than I think you think), happening last just two years ago as Johan Santana and Justin Morneau took home honors for the Twins (see if you can guess which went to which), just one year before that Chris Carpenter and Albert Pujols did it for the Cards, and in 2002, Barry Zito and Miguel Tejada did it for the As. Verlander has dynamite stuff, has firmly established him as the ace of a staff on a team that should be contending, and is primed to win at least one of these things sometime.
Other contenders: Josh Beckett, CC Sabathia, Eric Bedard, Fausto Carmona
Rookie of the Year: Jacoby Ellsbury
After being thrust in the spotlight and delivering last fall, he seems set to continue on that path as a burgeoning star in
Other contenders: Joba Chamberlain, Clay Bucholtz, Evan Longoria, Billy Butler
NL to come soon!
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