MLB Award Predictions

Axtell

Now with the season half over, what are your predictions for the MVP and Cy Young in each league. Halladay looked a lock in the AL, but his missing a month at least will certainly curtail that.

NL MVP: Derek Lee
Someone mentioned that Pujols has to be asking himself 'what now?' Finishing behind Bonds during his career, he must have thought that finally this was his year. Then Mr. Lee decided to put his game together and make a serious run at the triple crown. Failing a complete collapse, I suspect he'll win the MVP (but not the triple crown).

NL Cy Young: Roger Clemens
This is a tough race, and I am sure it's going to come down to the wire. But with the Astros playing so much better, I can't help but think that Rocket will end up with 15-16 wins. And that ERA is nuts.

AL MVP: Alex Rodriguez
Yes, yes I am sure you are going to say my appreciation of his game is clouding my judgement, but currently leading the league in HR, 4th in RBI, 12th in BA, #1 in OPS.

AL Cy Young: Roy Halladay
I think Buerhle and Garland are going to end up stealing votes from one another, and Halladay will come back and finish with 18 wins or so...taking the Cy Young.

yawie99

I can't begrudge Lee a potential MVP nod, but piss on Clemens. Chris Carpenter is the best pitcher in the National League.

kuhlmann

I can't begrudge Lee a potential MVP nod, but piss on Clemens. Chris Carpenter is the best pitcher in the National League.

yeah and i can say pedro. LOL no bias in your post yawie? just kidding carpenter beat him head to head the other night so that will help him in the final voting!

got to look at pedro stats also leads legue in a bunch of stuff including k's whip k's per 9ip k's to bb ratio etc..

ctsoxfan

<< <i>I can't begrudge Lee a potential MVP nod, but piss on Clemens. Chris Carpenter is the best pitcher in the National League. >>



Whoa! Clemens is pitching his butt off, and usually gets no run support. Put him on the Cardinals, and he might have won over 20 games this season. At what, 42 years old? And yes, Pedro would get votes as well, especially if he stays healthy the last two months.

Derek Lee is putting up amazing stats, but I like Andruw Jones as a sleeper NL MVP.

Mac53

If Lee can keep anywhere close to his current stats, particularly BA, he's a lock for MVP. And who woulda thunk it?

yawie99

Of course I was being flip about Clemens as the guy is just amazing and deserves more than a measly 8 wins. But I don't think he deserves the Cy Young award this year. Carpenter isn't the living legend that Clemens is nor the media darling that the D-Train (who seems to be derailing anyway) is, but he's been quietly otherworldly the last two months: something like 6-0 with a 0.50 ERA. Plus I'm pretty sure he's up there in strikeouts. Maybe second to Pedro, who may warrant some consideration as well, depending on how the rest of the year goes.

And over to the A.L, I can't really argue with your picks, Axtell, though Halladay will have to get back soon and pick up where he left off in another tight Cy Young race.

On a side note, if there were such things as half-season awards, how 'bout the post-All Star performance of Barry Zito thus far? Guess it's time to trade him for a package of prospects.

frankhardy

Please don't look to the right to see which team that I follow......

I still think Albert Pujols will win the MVP. Sure, Derrick Lee is having an outstanding year, but I don't think that he can keep this up. Albert Pujols has singlehandedly carried the Cardinals offense this year. Rolen has been injured for much of the year. Edmonds production is down from a year ago. Sanders is injured. Walker hardly ever plays. PLUS, Pujols really hasn't got hot yet. I think Lee's average will drop 20 points before the year is over. That will drop him to .351. That only leaves Pujols 12 points to make up. He could do that in a month easily.

I just don't think that the Cubs will be in contention either. The Cardinals are running away with it. Without Pujols, the Cardinals offense would suffer dramatically.

Here is a bold prediction. Pujols will end up leading the league in batting average and either HR's or RBI's. Pujols will win the MVP.

NL Cy Young - it will be a battle between Clemens and Carpenter. Willis has a history of falling off the face of the earth in the second half.

AL MVP - Alex Rodriguez - the Yankees will win the east, and ARod will carry them.

AL Cy Young - Jon Garland could end up winning 25 games. I think he will pull away from Buerle. Halladay may be out to long. I think Garland will win it.

frankhardy

Oops - I meant, "don't look to the LEFT."

My four year old son even knows his right from his left. He also knows that Pujols will win the MVP this year too!!!

WinPitcher

Frank I thought it was your "other right"

Skinpinch

If Clemens doesn't win the Cy this year because of lack of run support, then it makes up for him winning last year because run support is what cost Randy Johnson the award. Carpenter and Pedro are both worthy candidates, and there is still a ways to go yet. It will be an interesting race.

GOsh, I'm still waiting for Garland to implode and he keeps going. Wouldn't it suck for Sox fans if both Garland and Buerhle came back down to reality just when the calendar turns to October? They will come back to reality either at the end of this year, or next year. Both are pitching well above what their ability has shown. Buehrle has been a good pitcher for the last couple of years, but not THIS good. Garland? I would temper expectations on him keeping up being this good. How long will it last?

yawie99

<< <i>GOsh, I'm still waiting for Garland to implode and he keeps going. >>



I've been saying the same thing about Derrek Lee. I don't think it's going to happen, frankhardy, but one could still make a compelling case for Pujols based on his value to a first-place team. We'll see.

Brian48

<< <i>If Clemens doesn't win the Cy this year because of lack of run support, then it makes up for him winning last year because run support is what cost Randy Johnson the award. Carpenter and Pedro are both worthy candidates, and there is still a ways to go yet. It will be an interesting race. >>



I was thinking the same thing towards the first half of the season. It was going to be Willis or Carpenter, but now I'm not so sure. Even with the horrible lack of run support (the worst for an individual pitcher in over 80+ years according to ESPN), Clemens has continued at an amazing level. If he stays steady, this would the lowest ERA for a starting pitcher pitching in a full season since Bob Gibson's 1.12 back in '68. If he can keep this up and manage, or rather the crappy Astros, can manage to get him at least 18 wins, I'd say Clemens has an extremely good chance of winning yet another one.

Arguably, this may be Clemens best season yet, although the numbers certainly don't show it. Johnson may have been great last year, but Clemens has been unbelievable this season. I can just imagine his record if he was on a different team like St. Louis.

frankhardy

If Clemens wins 16 games, and has the same ERA, I think he will win.

frankhardy

I had better just shut up. Since I made that prediction, Pujols is 0 for his last 10!

CardsFan

If the Cubs make the playoffs Lee gets the MVP and if they don't I think Pujols will. His numbers should be close enough to Lee's by the end of the season that being on a playoff team will put him over the top.

Even though I'd like to make another homer pick for Cy Young I think Clemens will do it again. If Carpenter stays as hot as he's been and can win well over 20 games he may get it, but Clemens numbers are just incredible. 2 earned runs on the road all season is just stupid.

megatron

<< <i>If the Cubs make the playoffs Lee gets the MVP and if they don't I think Pujols will. His numbers should be close enough to Lee's by the end of the season that being on a playoff team will put him over the top.

Even though I'd like to make another homer pick for Cy Young I think Clemens will do it again. If Carpenter stays as hot as he's been and can win well over 20 games he may get it, but Clemens numbers are just incredible. 2 earned runs on the road all season is just stupid. >>



There will be debates as to who will get the MVP in the NL. My opinion is that without Lee, the Cubs are not even in the wild card race. But if the Cubs continue to slip in the wild card race and Pujols puts up some great numbers, he will be rewarded. Add in that Pujols has finished in second to Bonds during his recent MVP years, I think he will have the legacy factor on his side.

But one point I do not think is debatable is the Gold Glove at 1B. Lee is the best defensive first baseman in the NL. The play that ended the game last night illustrated this.