Hope Solo has officially entered Pippa Middleton territory, and we now have a contender for "Game of the Year." But today's blog isn't about that incredible women's soccer game between the USA and Brazil. Nor is it about Derek Jeter, the newest member of baseball's 3,000-hit club (what a way to do it, huh?). No, with the All-Star Break upon us, it's time to hand out the midseason awards.
Let's start in the American League:
MVP: Adrian Gonzalez, Red Sox-This is an easy one. This is what happens when you get a guy out of San Diego and put him in Fenway Park. Boston's the best team in the American League, and Gonzalez has been their best player. He leads the AL with a .352 batting average and the Majors with 77 RBIs. He's also the Major League-leader in doubles (28) and hits (126), and has added 17 home runs for good measure. Plus, he's a Gold Glove-caliber first baseman. Curtis Granderson, Jose Bautista, Asdrubal Cabrera and Miguel Cabrera are the runners-up, but none are even close.
Cy Young: Justin Verlander, Tigers-Unlike AL midseason MVP, there are plenty of contenders for he half-year Cy Young. But I'm going with the Tigers' ace. The raw numbers are impressive: 11-4, 2.26 ERA, 38 strikeouts in 143.1 innings. Then you add on the opponent batting average (.187) and WHIP (0.88) to see just how dominant Verlander's been. And, more importantly, name another starting pitcher on the Tigers. He's the only guy in that rotation that's worth anything, yet Detroit is in first place. The argument can be made for Jered Weaver, Josh Beckett or CC Sabathia, but the Angels aren't very good and the Red Sox and Yankees both possess other quality starters. Not so in Detroit, which is why I give the edge to Verlander.
Rookie: Michael Pineda, Mariners-Another easy one. The Mariners still have no lineup to speak of, yet are in contention in the AL West. The reason is their pitching, which now consists of more than just Felix Hernandez. Pineda gives Seattle a pair of aces, and he makes the Mariners dangerous if they're still in it in September. His record is only 8-6, but Pineda has a 3.03 ERA and an impressive 113 strikeouts (compared to a mere 36 walks) in 113 innings with an opponent batting average of .198. Pineda's also a rather large fella, so I'd be hesitant to go against him. Runner-up honors go to Jeremy Hellickson and J.P. Arencibia. I'm not sure if Alex Avila qualifies as a rookie, but if he does, he's in the discussion too. And if his next three months are as good as his first six weeks in the Majors, the Royals' Eric Hosmer could also be in the discussion at the end of the year.
Manager: Manny Acta, Indians-Who expected the Indians to be good this year? I certainly didn't. I picked them last in the AL Central. And who expected the guy leading the charge to be a manager that was once fired by the Nationals? Yet here we are at the All-Star break with Cleveland squarely in contention. Acta deserves his share of the credit. This is the toughest of the four American League awards to pick right now. The arguments can be made for Eric Wedge (Mariners), Joe Girardi (Yankees), Joe Maddon (Rays) and Terry Francona (Red Sox), but Cleveland's success has been the most unexpected, which gives Acta the edge.
Now we move on to the National League:
MVP: Jose Reyes, Mets-I was tempted to go with the Dodgers' Matt Kemp, who's emerged as a Triple Crown contender despite that ridiculous situation in L.A. But no player in the National League means more to his team than Jose Reyes. I'm spoiled getting to watch him in New York, which is why it's such a disappointment he's going to miss the All-Star Game. Possibly the only guy who likes hitting in Citi National Park, he's got a ridiculous 15 triples! Reyes leads the Majors with a .354 batting average and National League-bests with 124 hits, 65 runs and 30 steals, despite missing the last week with a hamstring injury that's put him on the DL. Did I mention he'll be a free agent at the end of the year?
Cy Young: Jair Jurrjens, Braves-This is a Roy Halladay World and we're all just living in it, but consider Jurrjens' numbers for a minute. 12-3 record, 1.87 ERA, 1.07 WHIP. He only has 65 strikeouts compared to Halladay's 138, but the record and ERA are both better. Sure, the Braves still have Tommy Hanson and Tim Hudson, but they aren't having anywhere near the type of ridiculous season that Jurrjens is having. That's why Atlanta leads the wild card race and is within striking distance of Halladay and his pitching buddies up in Philly. Without Halladay, the Phillies would be just fine. Without Jurrjens, the Braves wouldn't be in the position they're in.
Rookie: Danny Espinosa, Nationals-With Stephen Strasburg out for the year and Bryce Harper still in the minors, we all thought it would be at least another year before all of Washington's young talent got together to start making the Nationals relevant. We were all wrong. Espinosa put together a borderline All-Star candidacy by crushing 16 homers and driving in 52 runs. He's already the first rookie second baseman to crush 16 home runs in a season, and 30 looks like a real possibility. And he's played a decent second base. He hasn't locked up this race by any means, but Espinosa's numbers are slightly better than Freddie Freeman's right now.
Manager: Clint Hurdle, Pirates-Ladies and gentlemen, miracles do happen. The Pittsburgh Pirates have a winning record at the All-Star Break! They have a talented young roster, but in a division with the Cardinals, Reds and Brewers, nobody would've expected the Pirates to be contending in the NL Central. But leave it to the man who took the Rockies to an unexpected World Series appearance four years ago to change the attitude in Pittsburgh. Kirk Gibson (Diamondbacks), Tony La Russa (Cardinals) and Terry Collins (Mets) all deserve a mention, but when was the last time we were talking about the Pirates in July? Exactly.
There you have it. Of course, this is all subject to change over the next three months.
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