MLB Two Month Awards
By Joe Nelson
No one will remember the top performers of the first two months of the baseball season by season’s end, but these players deserve recognition for great starts to 2010. Several familiar candidates for major awards are in the mix at this point so there is a chance that some of the current front-runners could hold on. Here is a look at our winners for the Cy Young, MVP, and Rookie of the Year awards through two months of the season.
American League Cy Young:
Andy Pettitte – New York Yankees
At this point, some votes would certainly go to Pettitte’s younger teammate Phil Hughes who has very similar numbers, but at 7-1, the veteran Pettitte has to be the sentimental choice. Playing for New York should allow for a possible 20-win season and perhaps a career year for the soon-to-be 38-year old. Unlike some of his peers in the steroid era, Pettitte has been able to gracefully deflect his HGH-flap and the voters would likely come to embrace the veteran should he finish with a strong season. Pettitte has won 21 games twice before in his career and his 2.48 ERA has him in line to have his lowest ERA since 2005 in Houston when he finished with a 2.39 ERA. Others will amass more strikeouts than Pettitte, but right now the lefty looks locked in and the Yankees are 9-1 in his starts.
The other serious contenders for this award are all quite young so projecting a full season of success would have some risks. At this point, the Cy Young almost appears certain to fall to a AL East arm as several pitchers are having great starts despite the run-scoring potential of the teams in that tough division. The other top contenders would be Hughes, Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester from Boston, David Price from Tampa Bay and Ricky Romero from Toronto. Going with a proven veteran like Pettitte seems like a safer choice, but any of those young future stars could deliver their breakout season this year.
National League Cy Young:
Ubaldo Jimenez – Colorado Rockies
At 10-1 with a 0.78 ERA and a no-hitter under his belt, Jimenez is the clear front-runner for this award. Jimenez has shown plenty of potential in the last few seasons, but everything appears to be coming together this season, even though the Rockies really have not got on a great roll yet this season. In his only loss of the season, Jimenez allowed just two hits and one run over seven innings and he has not allowed more than two runs in any of his eleven starts. Opponents have only scored two runs twice this season and every outing has lasted at least six innings. Jimenez does not lead the league in strikeouts, but he is in the conversation and although several other pitchers are off to fine starts, Jimenez has a big early lead in this race.
Roy Halladay would have been the obvious preseason choice and he is certainly a contender. The perfect game last week was icing on the cake for the veteran who has already won an AL Cy Young in his career. Halladay owns a 1.99 ERA for the season and if the Phillies offense gets back on track he should reach a healthy win total. Tim Lincecum appeared on track to make a bid for a third consecutive award and while he still leads the NL in strikeouts he has had a couple of marginal starts of late. Adam Wainwright, Josh Johnson, Tim Hudson, and Jon Garland could also figure into the conversation by season’s end.
American League MVP:
Justin Morneau – Minnesota Twins
Many were furious that Morneau won the MVP in 2006 over Derek Jeter and while Morneau’s season did not do enough to separate himself as the clear top candidate, he certainly out-performed Jeter statistically. If Morneau keeps up this pace, there will be no arguing the voter’s decision as he has enjoyed a remarkable start, very similar to the start his teammate Joe Mauer had in his own MVP campaign last year. Morneau is hitting .377 with 11 home runs and 36 RBI. His on-base percentage and slugging numbers have been among the best in baseball and he is walking more than striking out. Morneau is also getting great reviews for his improved defense this season. Morneau has not always finished as strong as he has started so it is unlikely he maintains this pace, but if the Twins stay on top of the AL Central he will likely be a prime candidate for the award.
There are several players who can also make a strong case for the award as Evan Longoria has great numbers across the board playing for the team with the best record in baseball. Miguel Cabrera is having a fine all-around season, but he may need the Tigers to overtake the Twins to get into the discussion. Vladimir Guerrero has also been the key reason for the Rangers sitting on top of the AL West. If the Yankees get hot, Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano could also be in the mix by season’s end.
National League MVP:
Andre Ethier – Los Angeles Dodgers
A short trip to the DL might hurt Ethier’s overall numbers by season’s end, but he had a hot enough start that no one has really been able to pull away from him. Slightly fewer at-bats than the competition also might help him maintain a league-leading batting average, currently at .380 though technically just ineligible without enough at bats. The slow start for the Dodgers has been erased by Ethier’s bat and while many would like to see him walk more often, he has also just struck out 16 times in 129 at-bats. With the NL West very much up for grabs at this point, Ethier’s candidacy could hinge on Los Angeles being a playoff contender and obviously he must show that he is back from injury with no ill-effects.
Albert Pujols has to also figure into this conversation. His numbers don’t stand out at this point and are somewhat below his career averages, meaning that he could be due for a major hot streak soon. Ryan Braun has also quietly posted solid numbers even though the Brewers have struggled greatly. If Washington can stay relevant, Ryan Zimmerman should also get a bit of support. Rookie Jason Heyward is also right on the fringe of being a serious candidate here as well. The biggest wild card could actually be Jimenez, who has had a strong enough start to deserve serious consideration even starting pitchers rarely have won this award.
American League Rookie of the Year:
Neftali Feliz – Texas Rangers
Like Andrew Bailey did last season, Neftali Feliz could snag this award by assuming the closer role for his team. The Rangers have been a competitive team and the move to the 22-year old Feliz in the ninth inning has been a big part of the success. Feliz has solid, but not eye-popping numbers; if he stays in the closer role and picks up 30-plus saves with a respectable ERA, he will receive a lot of votes. Feliz likely could move to a starting role down the line given his great strikeout rate, but if the Rangers are in contention it would be unlikely that the team would make that transition mid-season and Feliz could post some of the better closer numbers in the league.
There have not been many standout position players in the AL so Feliz will be the favorite, but Austin Jackson has been a sparkplug for the Tigers. Jackson had a red-hot April, but cooled off a bit in May, yet is still hitting .330 for the season. By batting leadoff, Jackson likely will not end up with the home run and RBI numbers that grab attention, but if he can maintain that average and play strong defense for a contending Tigers team, he will be in the mix. Another Tiger could enter the race as Brennan Boesch has impressed since being called up. Wade Davis is also compiling solid numbers in the Tampa Bay rotation. The AL field does not look nearly as strong as in the NL among rookies, so this award is likely still up in the air.
National League Rookie of the Year:
Jason Heyward – Atlanta Braves
While Heyward had a lot of buzz out of spring training and has not disappointed, he is not a lock for this award just yet. Heyward is among the NL leaders in home runs and RBI while hitting a solid .292 which should make him a cinch to win, but there are several other rookies performing at a high level. When the Braves were greatly struggling on offense in April, Heyward carried the team and now that his teammates are hitting as well his numbers could get even better. Whether Heyward can maintain this pace over the course of a full MLB season remains to be seen but he has met every challenge so far.
If not for the amazing start from Jimenez, the NL ERA lead would belong to rookie Jaime Garcia who has provided a huge boost for the Cardinals in the rotation. Garcia pitched in ten games last season and did not show the same type of promise, but so far in 2010 he has allowed just nine earned runs in ten starts. Garcia only has five wins and he has not been allowed to go deep into games, but if Heyward would falter he could have the numbers to win this award if he stays in the rotation. Reds pitcher Mike Leake is 4-0 this season after skipping the minor leagues altogether and he has been a force for Cincinnati’s surge in the standings. David Freese has also been steady for the Cardinals at third base. Stephen Strasburg will debut next week and even if he fares well, it will be tough to catch this quality crop of rookies in the NL.