MLB Awards 2010

[Rhonda Rousey's Sports Bra]

With the end of the season getting closer every day it's time to take a look at who might win the awards for MVP, Cy Young, Manager of the Year, and Rookie of the Year.

I'm going to look like the biggest homer ever here but these are my choices.

Albert Pujols wins the MVP over Joey Votto. Pujols has always been consistant and I think he can keep putting up the numbers through the season, and he has better rankings in the NL than Votto at the moment.

Adam Wainwright wins the Cy Young over Ubaldo Jimenez. Jimenez has cooled off since his Bob Gobson like start to the season where as Waino has kept racking up the wins.

Jaime Garcia wins the Rookie of the Year over Jason Heyward. Pitchers have always faired well in these awards over postiton players, at least that's how I've thought it was, I have no facts here.

Dusty Baker wins the Manager of the Year over Bud Black. Too close to really call yet.

As for the AL race, I haven't paid as much attention but here are my picks.

Miguel Cabrera edges out Robinson Cano for the MVP. I'll let Stormtrooper and Papa Grande talk this one.

C.C. Sabathia wins the Cy Young over Cliff Lee unless Lee stops getting pounded in Texas.

Brennan Boesch wins the Rookie of the Year over team mate Austin Jackson.

Ron Washington wins the Manager of the Year award over Joe Maddon.



This is just to get the ball rolling and my picks will probably change through the rest of the year but for now here they are. Close races in the NL for sure but I won't be suprised if the Cardinals come away with at least two of the awards.

 

[Big Sexy]

I agree with most of those. For AL Cy Young I'd give it to David Price or Clay Buchholz before Sabathia. Price has only two less wins then CC plus he has a better ERA and a better BAA. He also doesn't have as much talent around him. Buchholz actually leads the AL in ERA and is tied for second in wins with Price and a few others. His 2.26 era should not be overlooked at all.

I also would take Austin Jackson over Boesch for rookie of the year in the AL. Jackson has been the far more consistent of the two and has had right above a .300 batting average for the whole season. Boesch had a great start but his average is down to .273 and he is really slumping. Jackson has more doubles, steals, a better OBP, and far more runs scored. He is also the better fielder of the two.

 

[Megatron]

I think it's still a tad too early to be judging for awards, but if I had to go right now it'd go:

AL:
MVP - Miguel Cabrera - He's just been phenomenal all season, even though he's slightly losing out on the Triple Crown Chase now that Bautista reached #40 in HR's, he's still been the best hitter all year. And Hamilton should be #2, Cano #3. Hamilton probably will win it, though Cabrera would be my choice.
Cy Young - Cliff Lee - I'd still go with Lee, even if his win totals aren't high at all. His WHIP is less then 1 and his ERA is about equal to CC. He's been the best pitcher all season, even if his wins don't show it. Price would be #2, Sabathia #3.
Rookie of the Year - Austin Jackson - I know, 2 of 3 are Tigers, but he's been a better hitter then Boesch throughout the season. Boesch hit a low slump right after the AS Break while Jackson has been consistent all season. Boesch #2, Netfali Feliz #3.
Manager of the Year - Ron Washington - After all of the controversy that he had at the beginning of the season with the cocaine admission, for him to go and lead this team to a great lead over the division is great. They're going to be in the playoffs for the first time in over a decade, and he's been great. Francona #2, Maddon #3.

NL
MVP - Albert Pujols - I wanna go with Votto, but Albert is leading in two of the Triple Crown categories and is 3rd in average. The only way I could see it going to Votto is if he overtakes Pujols in RBI's and keeps his #1 spot in average, and the Reds make the playoffs while the Cardinals don't. While that's possible, Albert is #1 right now. Votto is #2. Adrian Gonzalez #3.
Cy Young - Ubaldo Jiminez - While Wainwright has been great and is certainly credible enough to win it, Ubaldo was simply dominant for the first half of the season, and that can't be forgotten. Playoffs don't really matter in this award, and while Ubaldo has fallen off a tad, he's still great. Wainwright #2. Halladay #3.
Rookie of the Year - Mat Latos - I'm pretty sure he's a rookie, and he's been the ace of the great Padres staff. He has 13 wins, top 5 in NL in ERA, and has really been underlooked. Heyward #2, Garcia #3.
Manager of the Year - Bud Black - This Padres team wasn't expected to do anything but be a cellar dwellar this season, and Black has led this team to the best record in the NL thanks to great pitching and timely hitting. What he's done with the low amount of talent that he had is remarkable. Baker #2. Cox #3.

However, a lot of these may, and probably will change by the end of the season. But that's what I'd say if the season ended today.

 

[Theo Mays]

NL MVP: Joey Votto
-Why Votto? I think Votto has been the most valuable player in the NL this year and the guy is a key part in the Reds success this year. I believe the Reds will win the Central and if that is the case I can't see someone other than Votto winning the award.

NL Cy Young: Roy Halladay
-Doc has been incredible for the Phillies this year. He is top five in the league in wins, strikeouts, and ERA. Yes Doc has plenty of L's on his record with 8, but he has more CG than anyone in baseball and despite having 8 losses, he still has a 2.16 ERA. Lack of run support from the Phils is the main cause for that.

NL Rookie: Buster Posey
-Seriously the NL has a deep as hell rookie class. Starlin Castro, Jaime Garcia, Stephen Strasburg, Pedro Alvarez, Jason Heyward, Mike Stanton, Travis Wood, Mike Leake, Tyler Colvin, etc... Tough call right here. Posey has been on a tear since getting the call up and has been the bat in the Giants offense.

NL Manager: Bud Black
-It will either be him or Dusty Baker. Both teams weren't expected to do much, yet both I believe will win their respective divisions. Going with Black solely based on the fact I think the Padres will have a better record come seasons end.

AL MVP: Josh Hamilton
-Hamilton has just been playing hot baseball all season long. A case could be made for Miggy C, but I think the fact Hamilton plays on a contender will play a factor into the results. He leads the league in BA and he is in the upper echelon of Homers and RBI's.

AL Cy Young: CC Sabathia
-Came down to him and Price for me. Sabathia has two more wins and their ERA's and K's are similar and they are identical with losses. Can't go wrong with either one, but come seasons end I think Sabathia will be give the edge over Price.

AL Rookie: Austin Jackson
-Jackson has been a consistent hitter this year and deserves the award. Like Big Sexy said he is above Boesch (who I have 3rd here) in most of the major categories and Neftali Feliz hasn't cooled down where he might slide in the voting.

AL Manager: Ron Washington
-Not many expected Texas to be the top team in the AL West, but they have been consistent all year and can hit the ball with the best of them. Washington has kept the team in checked and looks like he has a potential winner on hand.

 

[The People's Peep]

Since there is still plenty of time left, I'll be giving two for each award unless its a runaway (which there doesnt seem to be any this year).

AL MVP- Josh Hamilton or Robinson Cano. Right now, I'm leaning towards Hamilton. The Yankees would still be in the race with an average Cano, but the Rangers would be lost without Josh. Plus, what a great story if he wins.
AL Cy Young- David Price or C.C Sabathia. They are neck and neck right now with similar ERA's, Sabathia having more wins, and Price having more strikeouts. But I think CC will have the better September and get the award.
AL ROTY- Austin Jackson. For a while, I was saying Boesch, but he has slowed down significantly, so I'm giving it to Jackson.

NL MVP- Joey Votto or Albert Pujols. I think winning the NL central plays a big role in how this plays out. Whoever finishes strong and leads his team to a division title will leave a good impression on the voters.
NL Cy Young- Adam Wainwright. I think this guy is one of the most underrated pitchers in baseball and this year is just another great year. He leads the league in wins, ERA, and amazingly, his WHIP is below 1.00.
NL ROTY- Jaime Garcia. I dont know too much about the NL rookies, but I've heard a lot about Garcia. More than I have heard about any other rookie. Posey is a challenger, but I think he still needs more ABs.

Managers of the Year- Ron Washington and Bud Black. Both of these men have made there teams playoff contenders, if not championship contenders, out of nowhere. Both of their teams had losing seasons last year and turned it around. I'd give the nod to Black over Baker because I feel he is in the tougher division though.

 

[Megatron]

While I'm not bashing anyones choices, why isn't anyone mentioning Mat Latos as a potential ROTY candidate? I'm pretty sure he's a 'rookie' - I don't know what the specific guidelines are - and he's been more dominant then Jaime Garcia has. Not that Jaime hasn't been great - he has - but Latos is a potential ROTY and Cy Young candidate, imo. Just wondering why nobody's even mentioning him. Is it because he plays way out there in little San Diego? Honestly, I'm confused that he's not even getting a mention or two.

 

[Big Sexy]

Latos hasn't been mentioned because he isn't a rookie. He pitched more then 50 innings last year, therefore he has lost his rookie status. Otherwise he would be right up there with Garcia in the rookie of the year talks for the NL.

 

[BooCocky]

I am gonna go and talk about one award at the moment and that is the NL ROTY. The award should go to Neil Walker or Jose Tabata of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Neil Walker has been stellar since getting called up earlier in the season. He's learned a new position, picked it up in a minute and he plays solid defense over there. I believe there is one NL second baseman with a higher BA than Neil Walker. Now to Jose Tabata, the guy is like 21 years old, had a lot of problems in the minors and he picked up hitting in the majors in a snap. Also, he has one of the higher BA in the NL since the All Star game. He also plays solid defense, steal bases, has a great arm, and very disciplined at the plate for a fella so young. Shit, Tabata should get it though, which he wont. It's like watching McCutchen get robbed last year.

But more than likely it will go to Posey of SF or Garcia of Saint Louis. And Theo you mentioned the wrong Pirates. Alvarez hasn't played like Tabata or Walker. Yes, he hits homeruns, but both are far better at every other thing, like hitting for AVG, and all that good stuff.

 

[Megatron]

Latos hasn't been mentioned because he isn't a rookie. He pitched more then 50 innings last year, therefore he has lost his rookie status. Otherwise he would be right up there with Garcia in the rookie of the year talks for the NL.

It was only by 2/3 IP, and that's merely a guideline, not written in stone. Edinson Volquez wasn't a rookie by the definition in 08 but still got votes. Especially since he was not even an inning over the guidelines, I'm pretty sure he'll get some recognition.

 

[Theo Mays]

But more than likely it will go to Posey of SF or Garcia of Saint Louis. And Theo you mentioned the wrong Pirates. Alvarez hasn't played like Tabata or Walker. Yes, he hits homeruns, but both are far better at every other thing, like hitting for AVG, and all that good stuff.

I was just going off the top of my head and Alvarez was fresh on my mind, because my brother was talking about him. Tabata and Walker definitely deserve mention. Both have played excellent ball and Tabata ripped up my Phillies a game or two back when we played. And adding them into the mix shows just how strong the NL rookie class is this season.

 

[16mikeytot]

AL MVP: Josh Hamilton is having a fantastic season batting over 350 and is top five in the AL in home runs and RBI's.
AL Cy Young: Clay Buchholz is having a great season with his AL leading 2.26 era. Sabathia has two more wins over Buchholz as of now but CC isn't even in the top five of era's in the AL.
NL MVP: Very interesting race between Joey Votto and Albert Pujols right now Votto's Reds are in first place but Pujols has a legitimate shot at the triple crown so If Pujols wins the triple crown and The Cards don't make the playoffs Pujols still gets it. But if The Reds win the division I give to Votto as long as Pujols doesn't get the triple crown.
NL Cy Young: Oh my what has happened to Ubaldo Jiminez? He was a lock to win the Cy Young in the first half. People were talking about 30 wins but oh has he fallen back to earth. I don't really pay attention to alot of NL baseball but Wainwright has the most wins and lowest era. So I'd give it to him over Doc Halladay.
Managers: Dusty Baker and Ron
Washington.

 

[Big Sexy]

It was only by 2/3 IP, and that's merely a guideline, not written in stone. Edinson Volquez wasn't a rookie by the definition in 08 but still got votes. Especially since he was not even an inning over the guidelines, I'm pretty sure he'll get some recognition.

Determining rookie status:
A player shall be considered a rookie unless, during a previous season or seasons, he has (a) exceeded 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched in the Major Leagues; or (b) accumulated more than 45 days on the active roster of a Major League club or clubs during the period of 25-player limit (excluding time in the military service and time on the disabled list).

That is directly from the MLB's official info page regarding rules and regulations.

Here's the link: http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/about_mlb/rules_regulations.jsp

Regarding Volquez, even though he was placed on the ballot for whatever reason in 2008, he was not eligible for the award. He received 3 second place votes anyway but it was all irrelevant because even if he received enough votes to win it he wouldn't have received the award. No one is mentioning Latos because he has zero chance of winning an award that he is not eligible for.

 

[Dr. Stinger A. Zoidberg]

AL MVP: Robinson Cano: No, I'm not being biased here because I'm a Yankees fan. I honestly think that he deserves it. Coming into the season, he was being mentioned in possible trades, and nobody saw him as anything other than a second basemen. However, he is one of the Yankees leading hitters, and has been playing great defense. He has silenced his critics, and now is being seen as the future of the team. Especially when A-Rod, Berkman, Texeira, Granderson, and Swisher are injured or cant play a few games, Cano carries the team with his offense. The Yankees wouldnt be where they are now without him.

AL Cy Young: CC Sabathia Again, I'm not being biased here either. CC has won his last 10 home starts, and has allowed 3 runs or less in each of them. He is one of the most dominating pitchers in the American League right now. He has 17 wins, and an ERA of 3.02. Let's also not forget that he is the ace of the rotation, and he is a workhorse. Usually going 7+ innings in each outing.

AL ROTY: Austin Jackson He has been very consistent for the Tigers this year. While he isnt getting the power numbers he was expected to get, he is still very valuable to the Tigers, and has been playing excellent defense in centerfield.

You Just Got Stung!

 

[Stormtrooper]

I agree with most of those. For AL Cy Young I'd give it to David Price or Clay Buchholz before Sabathia. Price has only two less wins then CC plus he has a better ERA and a better BAA. He also doesn't have as much talent around him. Buchholz actually leads the AL in ERA and is tied for second in wins with Price and a few others. His 2.26 era should not be overlooked at all.

Peter Gammons (a bias Red Sox homer) said he is voting for CC over Clay. CC is 2nd in the league in Innings Pitched. I'm not at all discounting Clay, but I'd go with CC, because of the wins, excellent ERA, huge amounts of IP, and because he's the best pitcher on the best team.

Now, onto my picks:

AL MVP:
1. Josh Hamilton
2. Robinson Cano
3. Miguel Cabrera

Hamilton has been absolutely huge for the Texas Rangers all year long, and is likely the single reason they are winning the division. Cliff Lee has fallen off a Cliff since he came to Texas, and Hamilton is the one constant for the team. Cano would win the MVP in any other year, but Hamilton has been so awesome, and important to the success of the Rangers, that Cano will have to wait another year before getting his rightful MVP award. Cabrera is also having a great year, but team success does play a role, and it does not look like the Tigers will get into the playoffs.

AL Cy Young:
1. CC Sabathia
2. David Price
3. Clay Bucholtz

I already said why CC will win the Cy Young. However, David Price DEFINITELY deserves consideration, and I would not be surprised if he wins the award. This one may come down to which team wins the division. That, or he will win because he is NOT a Yankee.

AL Rookie of the Year:
1. Brennan Boesch
2. Neftali Feliz (if he's eligible)
3. Austin Jackson

This is a simple one for me. I claimed Brennan Boesch off waivers on my fantasy team (which is in first), and he's been a beast. I don't know if Feliz is eligible (I doubt it), but if he is, I could see him winning for the same reason CC would. Team success.

AL Manager of the Year:
1. Ron Gardenhire
2. Terry Francona
3. Ron Washington

Under normal circumstances, this goes to Ron Washington without question. However, Ron Washington admitted during Spring Training that he tested positive for cocaine. The people that vote on the award might not want to give it to him for that reason. Terry Francona has managed to keep the Sox alive all season long, despite losing seemingly 90% of the starting lineup. After doing research, how in the God damn blue hell has Ron Gardenhire NOT won a Manager of the year award. The Twins have been one of the best regular season teams EVERY year he has been manager. I saw it's about damn time to recognize that Ron Gardenhire is one of the top 3 managers in the game right now.

I am only gonna name 1 guy for the NL, cause I don't follow it as closely.
NL MVP: Joey Votto. Sorry Blue, but if the Reds win the division (which I see them doing), Votto SHOULD be MVP. He's been phenomenal all year long, and would lead a team no one expected to be good to the playoffs.

NL CY Young: Josh Johnson. Josh Johnson's on my fantasy team, and is in top 5 in seemingly every important category, for the Florida Marlins. How he can be so good for such a crap organization is beyond me.

NL Rookie of the Year: Jaime Garcia. He's been great and they haven't given the award to a pitcher since Dontrelle Willis in 2003. Therefore they will give it to him.

NL Manager: Bud Black. Both the Pads and Reds have been dramatic overachievers. However, people believed going into the year (and maybe now) that the Padres are less talented, meaning Black had to do more.

I'm going to look like the biggest homer ever here but these are my choices.
Albert Pujols wins the MVP over Joey Votto.
Adam Wainwright wins the Cy Young over Ubaldo Jimenez.
Jaime Garcia wins the Rookie of the Year over Jason Heyward.

And people have the nerve to call ME a homer? Child please. The Cardinals are not sweeping the awards.

Dusty Baker wins the Manager of the Year over Bud Black. Too close to really call yet.

What, not Tony LaRussa? I thought you would go with him.

 

[Megatron]

AL MVP: Robinson Cano: No, I'm not being biased here because I'm a Yankees fan. I honestly think that he deserves it. Coming into the season, he was being mentioned in possible trades, and nobody saw him as anything other than a second basemen. However, he is one of the Yankees leading hitters, and has been playing great defense. He has silenced his critics, and now is being seen as the future of the team. Especially when A-Rod, Berkman, Texeira, Granderson, and Swisher are injured or cant play a few games, Cano carries the team with his offense. The Yankees wouldnt be where they are now without him.

Actually, you are. Cano isn't even in the top 2 in RBI producers on his own team. Teixeira has had a great 2nd half and has helped take the load off of Cano. Cabrera and Hamilton are both having better seasons, and even though I think Cabby deserves the award, Hamilton will get it if the Rangers finish in the playoffs (which they will). All of his stats are better then Cano's, and he's been just as, if not more, important to his team then Cano has. Frankly, it's Hamilton-Cabrera at one-two, with Cano being a distant 3rd. He's having a great season, but both of these guys seasons have been even better then Cano's, and the Rangers are gonna make the playoffs.

Peter Gammons (a bias Red Sox homer) said he is voting for CC over Clay. CC is 2nd in the league in Innings Pitched. I'm not at all discounting Clay, but I'd go with CC, because of the wins, excellent ERA, huge amounts of IP, and because he's the best pitcher on the best team.

Wins = a whole lotta nothing in Cy Young. Grienke and Lincecum both had at least 3 less wins then guys below them but won the award last year. Lee has been, by far, the most dominanting pitcher all season. I'll bring up a post that I saw on another forum that backs this up:

1) Wins mean nothing.

2) You're looking at ERA. I'm looking at ERA FIP. (FIP = Fielder Independent Pitching. Basically, if all pitchers had the exact same defense, what would their ERA be?)

Lee - 2.54
Sabathia - 3.58

Point being ... Lee's defense lets him down. Sabathia's defense helps him.

Even if you look at other ERA stats, such ERA+ (ERA adjusted = It adjusts a pitcher's earned run average (ERA) according to the pitcher's ballpark (in case the ballpark favors batters or pitchers) and the ERA of the pitcher's league. Average ERA+ is set to be 100; a score above 100 indicates that the pitcher performed better than average, below 100 indicates worse than average. )

Lee is slightly better at 135, vs Sabathia's 133.

Even so, that FIP is too just large of a difference. Imagine if Lee had a competent defense.

3) The team's success doesn't really as much in the Cy Young award. It's a pitching award. Not the most valuable pitching award.

Fact is, Lee has been better, just hasn't racked up the wins because of the Rangers poor play when he goes out. His WHIP is under 1, ERA is about equal, and only has about 13 or so less innings pitched in 4-5 more starts. 7 CG's. And only 10 walks. And even if that's not the case, Price is the best pitcher on the best team.

AL Rookie of the Year:
1. Brennan Boesch
2. Neftali Feliz (if he's eligible)
3. Austin Jackson

While I love seeing two Tigers in the top 3, you should flip them both around. Boesch really has been hitting poorly since the ASB. He's been dropped from 5th to 8th in the lineup a few times, while Jackson has been their leadoff man for every game this season that he's started. He's been more consistent and is the top in AL Rookies in AVG, Hits, and Doubles.

I am only gonna name 1 guy for the NL, cause I don't follow it as closely.
NL MVP: Joey Votto. Sorry Blue, but if the Reds win the division (which I see them doing), Votto SHOULD be MVP. He's been phenomenal all year long, and would lead a team no one expected to be good to the playoffs.

Albert is 1st in HR's, RBI, and 2nd in AVG by .001. A-Rod won it in 03 and he played on a last place Rangers team. If Albert gets the Triple Crown, which is highly obtainable, he'll get it, even if the Cards miss the playoffs.

And people have the nerve to call ME a homer? Child please. The Cardinals are not sweeping the awards.

Pujols right now is #1 in MVP, Wainwright is 2nd in ERA, T-1st in wins, and 4th in K's. He's probably a favorite, at least top 3, in the awards. And Many people, including yourself, have Garcia as the ROTY winner.

I'm not trying to pick on you, but I need an argument and this looks like the right thread for one.

 

[Big Sexy]

AL Rookie of the Year:
1. Brennan Boesch
2. Neftali Feliz (if he's eligible)
3. Austin Jackson

This is a simple one for me. I claimed Brennan Boesch off waivers on my fantasy team (which is in first), and he's been a beast. I don't know if Feliz is eligible (I doubt it), but if he is, I could see him winning for the same reason CC would. Team success.

No way is Boesch ahead of Jackson at this point. Boesch's initial surge was great but he has fallen off significantly since the all star break. In July Boesch's average was just .209 and so far in August it is even worse at .197. He went from hitting .342 at the break to his current average of .275 in just over a month. Since June 27th he has only hit 2 home runs and he has only 12 rbi's since the all star break. Jackson has been consistent all year long. His average is at .309, he has hit 29 doubles, and has 20 stolen bases. He's one of the better lead off guys in the AL and has been great in the field as well. At this point he is most certainly ahead of Boesch.

Wins = a whole lotta nothing in Cy Young. Grienke and Lincecum both had at least 3 less wins then guys below them but won the award last year. Lee has been, by far, the most dominanting pitcher all season. I'll bring up a post that I saw on another forum that backs this up:



Fact is, Lee has been better, just hasn't racked up the wins because of the Rangers poor play when he goes out. His WHIP is under 1, ERA is about equal, and only has about 13 or so less innings pitched in 4-5 more starts. 7 CG's. And only 10 walks. And even if that's not the case, Price is the best pitcher on the best team.

Cliff Lee isn't even in my top 3 right now. I'd put Price, Bucholtz, and Sabathia ahead of him. He was tremendous in Seattle but his numbers in Texas are just average. In 9 starts in Texas he has a 4.18 era and only 2 wins. You can't really blame the team he's on either because the Rangers lead the AL West and are certainly better then Seattle. Lee got off to a great start but he just hasn't found his rhythm in Texas and has been surpassed by the three guys I named earlier.

 

[Stormtrooper]

Wins = a whole lotta nothing in Cy Young. Grienke and Lincecum both had at least 3 less wins then guys below them but won the award last year. Lee has been, by far, the most dominanting pitcher all season. I'll bring up a post that I saw on another forum that backs this up:

1) Wins mean nothing.

Since when? Last time I checked the 1 category that determines who makes the playoffs and who ultimately wins the championship are (get this) WINS. ERA, WHIP, K's, all that shit means nothing. Wins are the most important stat for a pitcher. Yes, they aren't completely individually based, but they are more important then anything else. I'd rather have a pitcher with a 5 ERA and a 17-3 record then a guy with a 3 ERA and a 10-13

2) You're looking at ERA. I'm looking at ERA FIP. (FIP = Fielder Independent Pitching. Basically, if all pitchers had the exact same defense, what would their ERA be?)

Lee - 2.54
Sabathia - 3.58

Point being ... Lee's defense lets him down. Sabathia's defense helps him.

I know about FIP. FIP means fuck all. It's just numbers made up by statisticians. The same morons who said Derek Jeter was the worst SS in baseball history or something, the year before he goes and destroys every other SS in the game and wins the Gold Glove for the 4th time. Yeah, they know what they're talking about. I found the formula for FIP. It's flawed beyond belief. Here it is:

(HR*13+(BB+HBP-IBB)*3-K*2)/IP.

So a hitter blasts a double off the wall, hits a scorcher down the line, or hits a bloop to a place no fielder will ever be, and they don't count towards his FIP. ERA may be flawed, but it's not like FIP is flawless.

I watch baseball. Cliff Lee isn't being mentioned because he's been pitching like shit. If he wasn't pitching like shit, he'd be mentioned. Instead of using convoluted numbers based on who the fuck knows what, I'll just watch a damn game and see that Cliff Lee hasn't been amazing (especially as of late), and CC has.

Even if you look at other ERA stats, such ERA+ (ERA adjusted = It adjusts a pitcher's earned run average (ERA) according to the pitcher's ballpark and the ERA of the pitcher's league. Average ERA+ is set to be 100; a score above 100 indicates that the pitcher performed better than average, below 100 indicates worse than average. )

Lee is slightly better at 135, vs Sabathia's 133.

So slight difference, with Sabathia being better in everything else, and not pitching like shit. Lets give it to Lee, because he's not a fucking Yankee. Yeah fuck that shit. Lee is not pitching well.

Even so, that FIP is too just large of a difference. Imagine if Lee had a competent defense.

He doesn't. Awards aren't imaginary, they are based off of REAL PERFORMANCE, which CC has killed Lee in.

3) The team's success doesn't really as much in the Cy Young award. It's a pitching award. Not the most valuable pitching award.

No it doesn't have everything to do with it, but if 2 players are too close, the tiebreaker would be team success, just like I've said about 953475 times before.

Fact is, Lee has been better, just hasn't racked up the wins because of the Rangers poor play when he goes out. His WHIP is under 1, ERA is about equal, and only has about 13 or so less innings pitched in 4-5 more starts. 7 CG's. And only 10 walks. And even if that's not the case, Price is the best pitcher on the best team.

No, they both are currently. Both teams are tied for the best record in baseball.

Pujols right now is #1 in MVP, Wainwright is 2nd in ERA, T-1st in wins, and 4th in K's. He's probably a favorite, at least top 3, in the awards. And Many people, including yourself, have Garcia as the ROTY winner.

I'm not trying to pick on you, but I need an argument and this looks like the right thread for one.

And yet I could have just as easily said Cano, CC, and Joe Girardi. I didn't, because I'm not being a total homer. Oh, and wait, here you are arguing that wins and ERA are important for pitchers, yet just before you were saying that wins aren't important, because I used them as part of the argument for a Yankee to get an award, which is illegal now apparently, God forbid a Yankee is the best pitcher in the league. Fucking anti-NY bias is gonna drive me insane.

 

[Megatron]

Since when? Last time I checked the 1 category that determines who makes the playoffs and who ultimately wins the championship are (get this) WINS. ERA, WHIP, K's, all that shit means nothing. Wins are the most important stat for a pitcher. Yes, they aren't completely individually based, but they are more important then anything else. I'd rather have a pitcher with a 5 ERA and a 17-3 record then a guy with a 3 ERA and a 10-13

But Wins don't mean a whole lot when determining Cy Young. Sure, a 5 game winner isn't gonna win it, but if you got somewhere b/w 15-16 wins and are having a great season, you'll probably get in contention.

I watch baseball. Cliff Lee isn't being mentioned because he's been pitching like shit. If he wasn't pitching like shit, he'd be mentioned. Instead of using convoluted numbers based on who the fuck knows what, I'll just watch a damn game and see that Cliff Lee hasn't been amazing (especially as of late), and CC has.

No shit. I'm pretty sure everyone in this thread watches baseball. And yeah, I think it was Rick Sutcliffe, Lee was pitching against the Yankees a few weeks ago, and said that Lee is the best pitcher in baseball atm. A former Cy Young winner thinks he's the best. I don't get this wild theory of yours that Lee is shit. So he's had a bad one or two outings that makes him shit? Well I'll be damned. Lee consistently holds teams to 3 runs or under, yet Texas's bats always seem to let him down when he pitches. From May 11 to August 11, every single start he made he went at least 7 IP. He had an 82% out rate on 2 strike counts this season. How in the holy hell is that shit? Oh, and look at his WHIP? Under 1, which is almost a quarter better then Sabathia's, which is a lot in a 162 game season.

So slight difference, with Sabathia being better in everything else, and not pitching like shit. Lets give it to Lee, because he's not a fucking Yankee. Yeah fuck that shit. Lee is not pitching well.

Lee maybe hasn't been great the past two starts, but other then that he's been the best damn pitcher in teh game. Just because he doesn't have a high win total doesn't mean he's shit. You know that.

He doesn't. Awards aren't imaginary, they are based off of REAL PERFORMANCE, which CC has killed Lee in.

How about this stat: .979 WHIP. 13.73 K/BB. 7 CG. Higher IP/Start. The only reasons his Win and ERA totals aren't higher and lower is because he played in Seattle, which has a shit offense, and Texas's run production/defense always seems to fail him when he starts.

No it doesn't have everything to do with it, but if 2 players are too close, the tiebreaker would be team success, just like I've said about 953475 times before.

Bullshit it does. Grienke was on the fucking Royals and Tim Lincecum beat out two guys that were on playoff teams who had, arguably, better seasons. Team performance doesn't mean shit.

No, they both are currently. Both teams are tied for the best record in baseball.

Oh, but you just said CC is the best pitcher on the best team, no?

And yet I could have just as easily said Cano, CC, and Joe Girardi. I didn't, because I'm not being a total homer.

That's because all 3 of the Cardinals are deserving. You're being ridiculous if you don't think that Pujols, Wainwright, and Garcia aren't in the top 3 in each of the categories.

Oh, and wait, here you are arguing that wins and ERA are important for pitchers, yet just before you were saying that wins aren't important, because I used them as part of the argument for a Yankee to get an award, which is illegal now apparently, God forbid a Yankee is the best pitcher in the league. Fucking anti-NY bias is gonna drive me insane.

I never said they were important. I said Lee should get the Cy Young. I was just pointing out how he was doing since you seem to think it's so out there that a team has a chance to sweep the awards. And grow up over this 'anti-Yankee' bias shit that you throw out there every single time someone goes against something NY-related. It's clear I don't like them but It's not like I'm not thinking they aren't great. I said CC and Cano were both in the top 3, it's just other guys have been better.

 

[Big Sexy]

Lee maybe hasn't been great the past two starts, but other then that he's been the best damn pitcher in teh game. Just because he doesn't have a high win total doesn't mean he's shit. You know that.

I won't say Lee is shit because he isn't and I'd still put him 4th right now in terms of AL Cy Young contention. However, his time in Texas has not been good enough for me to put him ahead of Price, Sabathia, or Bucholtz.

How about this stat: .979 WHIP. 13.73 K/BB. 7 CG. Higher IP/Start. The only reasons his Win and ERA totals aren't higher and lower is because he played in Seattle, which has a shit offense, and Texas's run production/defense always seems to fail him when he starts.

That is actually completely false. In Seattle he had 8 wins and a 2.34 era in 13 starts. In Texas he has only 2 wins and a 4.18 era in 9 starts. Even if he wins his next 4 starts he'll still have less wins in Texas then he had in Seattle in the same number of starts. The fact is that Lee just hasn't been great in Texas. He has been solid and good at times but that doesn't win you a Cy Young award.

 

[Megatron]

Lee's had about 5-6 starts where he's gone at least 7 IP and allowed 4 runs or less, only to lose the game one way or another. Sometimes he got a no decision, but, more often then not, those type of numbers should get you a victory. Yeah, he's had 2 crappy starts lately, but it's not like Sabathia has been spotless the entire season either. He had a 3 game stretch in the middle of May where he wasn't that great.

But, I guess, it's still only August, so I'm not gonna get too worked up about it.

 

[gd]

Let's take a shot at this.

NL MVP - This is between two men it seems, Pujols and Votto. Big Albert is really close to the triple crown, but the Reds are the better team at the moment. I think the Cards will eventually pick up the wild card though, and Pujols takes home yet another MVP.

NL Cy Young - I'd have to go Roy Halladay for sure. He eats up innings, has a bunch of wins, and his ERA is in the low 2s. He's truly been an ace for this staff.

NL ROTY - Really tough one here. I'm tempted to go with a Pirate and the top choice would probably be Walker, but I don't think he's done enough to win. I think the answer has to be Buster Posey, who completely turned around the Giants offense. Jaime Garcia is a close second.

NL Manager Of The Year - Easy call here, has to be Bud Black. Nobody thought the Padres would do anything this year, even as recently as a few months ago. They're basically running away with the West at this point, I believe they're up 5 or 6 games at this point.

AL MVP - Pretty easy call for me, has to be Josh Hamilton. He's hitting .356 with 30 HRs at this point, which is just ridiculous. He's carried the Rangers to first place. Cabrera for second, Jose Bautista for comedy's sake, and Robinson Cano if you want to get really funny.

AL Cy Young - Tough one, I'll probably have to go with Sabathia though. He might not technically have the greatest stats, but it seems the Yankees win every time he goes out there, which is really what it's all about.

AL ROTY - Christ if I know. I suppose Austin Jackson, he's a hell of an athlete and has improved as the year's went on, at least I think so. Feliz, the closer for the Rangers, is also in the running.

AL Manager Of The Year - My boy Ron Washington, I'd say. Great comeback story from all that crack stuff, taking the Rangers to the playoffs for the first time in forever. Joe Maddon is in the race as well.

 

[The Brain]

NL MVP: This is too close to call right now. I am leaning toward Joey Votto right now. Strange as it may sound Albert Pujols may actually be at a disadvantage in this category. Pujols is so great every year that his stats this year are just ordinary…for him. When someone else is able to put up the stats Pujols does he seems to get more attention. I’m not saying it’s fair, but that could come into play. I think this may come down to who wins the central. I’m a little biased toward Votto because I drafted him in the fourth round of my fantasy league and predicted an MVP type season. Whichever guy wins the division will probably win the MVP.

NL Cy Young: Another tough choice. If you would have asked me a month ago I would have said Josh Johnson. If you would have asked me two months ago I would have said Ubaldo Jimenez. Today I’m leaning toward Adam Wainwright. There’s still a month to go so by the end of the year I might change my mind again to Roy Halladay. I love that there’s so much competition for the award.

NL ROY: It’s nice to see some good competition for this award too. The future looks bright. I have to go with Buster Posey here. A rookie catcher hitting .332 is hard to ignore. I think Posey will have an advantage over Garcia in the voting because he is a high rated prospect who is living up to expectations. Garcia was more of a surprise and hasn’t gotten as much attention.

NL Manager: Oh how I underestimated the Padres. I mean really underestimated them. As in I picked them for dead last. Not just in the West. Not just in the NL. In all of baseball. I’m a little embarrassed to admit that as they sit with the best record in the NL at the end of August, but I can admit when I am wrong. I think this award goes to Bud Black hands down.

AL MVP: Have to go with Miggy here. Will he win the triple crown? Probably not, but he could end up as close as anyone in years. He’s been great all year and is deserving of the award. This guy’s a stud.

AL Cy Young: I want to mention a name who is quietly having a great season. He’s not getting any attention and I don’t expect him to win, but I want to mention Trevor Cahill. He’s 14-5 with a below average team. He has a 2.42 era and has given up only 110 hits in 156 innings. Is this guy for real? Time will tell. I just thought he deserved a shout out in this thread. Jered Weaver deserves a mention too. Sabathia will probably end up with the award.

AL ROY: This one I don’t have much of an opinion on. I’ll say Austin Jackson for being able to keep is average above .300 all year.

AL Manager: Washington looks like the popular choice, but I’m going with Ron Gardenhire. He’s one of the best managers over the past ten years and he has his team in first place again. A lot of people thought the Twins were doomed when Joe Nathan went down. Then they lost Justin Morneau. Despite losing two of his best Gardenhire just keeps on winning like he always does.

There’s still a month to go. Things can still change. It will be an interesting stretch run.

 

[Megatron]

Since we're inside of 8 games left of each team, time to revive this thread.

AL:
MVP - Miguel Cabrera - He's just been phenomenal all season, even though he's slightly losing out on the Triple Crown Chase now that Bautista reached #40 in HR's, he's still been the best hitter all year. And Hamilton should be #2, Cano #3. Hamilton probably will win it, though Cabrera would be my choice.

With Hamilton being away for pretty much the entire month of September, this has to go to Cabby. If he has another good week, he'll end up with (approximately) .330 Avg, 40 HR's, and 130 RBI's, and with playing in a pitcher-friendly park that is Comerica Park for half of the year, that's more then impressive. Especially since he's had no protection throughout the year, except for Jackson. And Cabrera makes this team an 85 win team. Without him, they have Ryan Raburn batting cleanup (more then likely) and are in a battle for the first pick in the draft. If Hamilton had stayed healthy and continued his numbers, there's no doubt he would've won it. But since he's missed so many games in stretch time, while Cabrera has continued to dominate in September, Miguel has to get it. Cano's #3.

Cy Young - Cliff Lee - I'd still go with Lee, even if his win totals aren't high at all. His WHIP is less then 1 and his ERA is about equal to CC. He's been the best pitcher all season, even if his wins don't show it. Price would be #2, Sabathia #3.

I'll admit, I swung and missed with this one. It was about right after this where Lee went on a slide and went on the DL.

With that said, my pick is now Felix Hernandez to win his first career Cy Young. King Felix has been, to put it best, dominant on the mound. Don't let the 12-12 record fool you, this guy HAS been the best pitcher in the AL. It was definitely NOT his fault for many, if any, of those losses. This guy has an ERA south of 2.35, a WHIP south of 1.10, is 3rd (behind Lee and Jared Weaver) in OBA, and simply has been the best pitcher in the league, which is what the Cy Young is about. And for those saying Sabathia, you give him the amount of runs scored that Hernandez has had, he won't be a 20 game winner, possibly not even a 15 game winner. The only dominating stat he has is wins, which is what the Cy Young isn't fully about, because when your offense is constantly getting you 4 and 5 runs a game compared to 1 and 2 that Hernandez has had, obviously your win total will be higher.

In fact, I might go as far to say he's not in my top 3. Lester #2. Price #3.

Rookie of the Year - Austin Jackson - I know, 2 of 3 are Tigers, but he's been a better hitter then Boesch throughout the season. Boesch hit a low slump right after the AS Break while Jackson has been consistent all season. Boesch #2, Netfali Feliz #3.

Sticking with this one as well. Jackson has played pretty much the entire season and has done a great job in his first year replacing one of the best Tigers hitters. He'll need to cut down on the K's, but he still is batting around .300 and has scored 100+ runs. He does have 26 SB's, and that should get higher as he gets more experience. Plus, his glovework has been pretty good as well. Feliz would be the only contender to this. Denny Valencia is #3 only b/c he's not even played 1/2 of the year.

Manager of the Year - Ron Washington - After all of the controversy that he had at the beginning of the season with the cocaine admission, for him to go and lead this team to a great lead over the division is great. They're going to be in the playoffs for the first time in over a decade, and he's been great. Francona #2, Maddon #3.

Sticking with this one as well. Sure, the west has been terrible, but someone had to win it, and they're closing in on 90 wins. Gardenhire #2, Maddon #3.

NL
MVP - Albert Pujols - I wanna go with Votto, but Albert is leading in two of the Triple Crown categories and is 3rd in average. The only way I could see it going to Votto is if he overtakes Pujols in RBI's and keeps his #1 spot in average, and the Reds make the playoffs while the Cardinals don't. While that's possible, Albert is #1 right now. Votto is #2. Adrian Gonzalez #3.

You have to switch this one to Votto. He's clearly been the reason why the Reds are going to the postseason. He's a top 3 guy in all major categories, and without him the Reds aren't going to the postseason. Had Tulowitzki continued his tear and the Rockies gotten into the playoffs, he MIGHT have snuck up in there, but they won't, and he won't. Pujols #2. Carlos Gonzalez #3.

Cy Young - Ubaldo Jiminez - While Wainwright has been great and is certainly credible enough to win it, Ubaldo was simply dominant for the first half of the season, and that can't be forgotten. Playoffs don't really matter in this award, and while Ubaldo has fallen off a tad, he's still great. Wainwright #2. Halladay #3.

REALLY tough decision here, imo, the toughest one to make. You could really make a case for a few of these guys. Playoffs don't matter when deciding this, just who's the best pitcher. Both Wainwright and Halladay have had great seasons. It's neck and neck between these two. If I had to decide, though, I'd go with Wainwright. His WHIP is slightly, and I mean SLIGHTLY lower. His ERA is lower, even if it's only by a .1 of a point. K's are =. OBA is slightly lower. This is the one race that could go either way and you wouldn't see a whole lot of complaints. It's really a toss up for who deserves it here, but I'll take the guy I had #2 about a month ago for this. Halladay obviously #2, and Mat Latos #3.

Rookie of the Year - Mat Latos - I'm pretty sure he's a rookie, and he's been the ace of the great Padres staff. He has 13 wins, top 5 in NL in ERA, and has really been underlooked. Heyward #2, Garcia #3.

After finding out Mat just missed out on the rookie cut, my #1 is Heyward. His OBP is way high, he's hit for power, he's gotten double digit SB's, and has 80+ runs scored. Buster Posey has had a monster year and has carried the Giants to a possible playoff run, but he's gonna play around 30 less games, which will hurt him in the end. Still, he's my #2, with Garcia #3.

Manager of the Year - Bud Black - This Padres team wasn't expected to do anything but be a cellar dwellar this season, and Black has led this team to the best record in the NL thanks to great pitching and timely hitting. What he's done with the low amount of talent that he had is remarkable. Baker #2. Cox #3.

This really all depends on how this final week ends out. If the Padres make it, whether it's via the division or Wild Card, this is Blacks. If not, it goes to Dusty. The Padres have a low payroll and weren't expected to compete at all, so if they were to complete this season and make the playoffs, he deserves it. Otherwise, it goes to Dusty. Cox stays at #3.

However, a lot of these may, and probably will change by the end of the season. But that's what I'd say if the season ended today.

Overall, 4 (possibly 5) of my 8 predicted, stayed the same. The AL Cy Young is really the only one I whiffed at, as I didn't have King Felix in the top 3. However, batting .500 is pretty good, and it should be exciting to see how these awards end out.