Cy Young and MVP Award Speculation

[RyCubsFan]

If the season were to end today, how would you dish out the league awards?

 

Here’s my take:

 

AL CY

Johan Santana

(Runner up: Colon)

 

AL MVP

Alex Rodriguez

(Runner Up: Ortiz)

 

NL CY

Chris Carpenter

(Runner Up: Clemens)

 

NL MVP

Derek Lee

(Runner Up: Pujols)

 

Agree? Disagree?

[wekse]

no way Lee wins the MVP

[RyCubsFan]

no way Lee wins the MVP

 

Oh, I agree that he won't win it. There are just my picks about who SHOULD win the awards. Since he and Pujols' offensive numbers are essentially a wash, I think Lee's defensive superiority SHOULD give him the award over Pujols. The Cubs minus Lee this year would lose more games than the Cards minus Pujols. Jones, who will probably be Pujols' biggest competition for the award, should be third in my opinion.

[wekse]

ah i see...i read it wrong

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Here's how I'd vote.

 

AL Cy: Johan Santana

AL MVP: David Ortiz

 

NL CY: Roger Clemens (though this one is close enough that I might change my mind in the next two weeks.)

NL MVP: Albert Pujols (I love Derrek, but Lee has cooled off considerably.)

[Chris]

Len addressed the subject of the NL MVP on the WGN baseball blog yesterday:

 

3) Derrek Lee is in position to win his 1st battle title. It would be a great to cap off a career year. At this point, he SHOULD win the MVP because statistically, he's had the best year of any hitter in the big leagues--1st in average in the majors, 1st in slugging and 5th in OBP. I fear the Cubs' record will really hurt his chances, but it shouldn't. He's been the best hitter in the game all year. Plus, he should win his 2nd Gold Glove.

[RyCubsFan]

Here's how I'd vote.

 

AL Cy: Johan Santana

AL MVP: David Ortiz

 

NL CY: Roger Clemens (though this one is close enough that I might change my mind in the next two weeks.)

NL MVP: Albert Pujols (I love Derrek, but Lee has cooled off considerably.)

 

I have to disagree with you about Ortiz. Yes, he's had a great year. But ARod certainly is more valuable. While their offensive numbers are equally impressive, ARod plays defense (and a good one at that), while Ortiz DH's. This tips it to ARod imo.

 

I put Clemens just behind Carpenter. Carpenter has 7 complete games. That's the primary factor that tipped it for me. He goes deeper into games. He's also been the leader of the Cards staff this year. And while W/L records should not mean much, there is at least something minimally to be said about the fact that his ratio of W/L is much better than Clemens.

 

And I'm sticking with Lee over Pujols. He may have cooled off, but his yearly numbers still equal Pujols'.

[imb]

Here's how I'd vote.

 

AL Cy: Johan Santana

AL MVP: David Ortiz

 

NL CY: Roger Clemens (though this one is close enough that I might change my mind in the next two weeks.)

NL MVP: Albert Pujols (I love Derrek, but Lee has cooled off considerably.)

 

I have to disagree with you about Ortiz. Yes, he's had a great year. But ARod certainly is more valuable. While their offensive numbers are equally impressive, ARod plays defense (and a good one at that), while Ortiz DH's. This tips it to ARod imo.

 

I put Clemens just behind Carpenter. Carpenter has 7 complete games. That's the primary factor that tipped it for me. He goes deeper into games. He's also been the leader of the Cards staff this year. And while W/L records should not mean much, there is at least something minimally to be said about the fact that his ratio of W/L is much better than Clemens.

 

And I'm sticking with Lee over Pujols. He may have cooled off, but his yearly numbers still equal Pujols'.

 

Ortiz is 5th in the AL in WS, behind ARod, Sheff, Manny and Brian Roberts. He's fourth in RC/G, behind Pronk, Giambi and ARod.

[TB_11]

Here's how I'd vote.

 

AL Cy: Johan Santana

AL MVP: David Ortiz

 

NL CY: Roger Clemens (though this one is close enough that I might change my mind in the next two weeks.)

NL MVP: Albert Pujols (I love Derrek, but Lee has cooled off considerably.)

 

I have to disagree with you about Ortiz. Yes, he's had a great year. But ARod certainly is more valuable. While their offensive numbers are equally impressive, ARod plays defense (and a good one at that), while Ortiz DH's. This tips it to ARod imo.

 

I put Clemens just behind Carpenter. Carpenter has 7 complete games. That's the primary factor that tipped it for me. He goes deeper into games. He's also been the leader of the Cards staff this year. And while W/L records should not mean much, there is at least something minimally to be said about the fact that his ratio of W/L is much better than Clemens.

 

And I'm sticking with Lee over Pujols. He may have cooled off, but his yearly numbers still equal Pujols'.

 

Ortiz is 5th in the AL in WS, behind ARod, Sheff, Manny and Brian Roberts. He's fourth in RC/G, behind Pronk, Giambi and ARod.

 

Yeah but A-Rod is also first in the AL in being an egotistical, self-centered jackass.

 

On a more serious note, the main argument I see supporting Ortiz getting the nod over A-Rod is Ortiz's "clutch hitting" this year. Their situational stats:

 

With runners on:

          AVG   OBP   SLG    OPS
Ortiz     .318  .427  .606   1.033
A-Rod     .299  .402  .546    .948

 

With runners in scoring position:

          AVG   OBP   SLG    OPS
Ortiz     .345  .455  .593   1.048
A-Rod     .291  .414  .491    .905

 

Cy Young votes:

AL: Santana

NL: Carpenter (I would give it to Clemens, but he got one last year when he didn't deserve it so he loses it this year)

 

NL MVP: Pujols

[sonicdethmonkey0]

if i was voting today, i'd vote like this:

 

NL MVP - Derrek Lee

NL CY - Roger Clemens

AL MVP - Alex Rodriguez

AL CY - Johan Santana

 

honestly though, the NL races are almost too close to call. i think A-Rod and Santana are the clear favorites in the AL, however

[Derwood]

how the writers will vote:

 

NL MVP - A Jones

NL CY - Carpenter

 

AL MVP - whoever has a better final series in BoS vs. NYY head to head

AL CY - I have no idea, but can't imagine them giving it to a guy who currently has just 14 wins (over ones with 20, 17, etc.)

[YearofDaCubs]

Disagree...Colon and Carpenter CY Young and Jones for MVP.

[Mike Aller]

AL Cy Young: Santana

NL Cy Young: Carpenter

AL MVP: Ortiz (.455 OBP with RISP is just crazy)

NL MVP: They'll give it to Jones.

[muntjack]

Although Lee has been the best player all year, it will be between Pujols and Jones. I can't see how the writers could not vote for Pujols.

 

We're all very used to saying that the cardinals lineup is loaded, but this year they lost Renteria to Boston, Rolen to injury, and Edmonds is declining. Pujols has carried the best team in baseball. He (if not Lee) should win the MVP.

[octoberdreamin]

Jones has seriously slumped over the last week and a half.

 

Unless he hits four or five more HR's before the end of the season to grab the attention of the writers, his now .267 BA and .351 OBP are just too low for his huge advantage in HR's and RBI's to compensate.

 

Pujols has proven himself to be the most consistently high performing hitter in the NL this season. Lee's drop off in numbers following the ASB while the Cubs fell out of post-season contention, doomed his MVP hopes.

 

As stated above, Jones continuing poor hitting other than HR's is rapidly taking him out of the MVP consideration so my bet would be on Pujols for MVP.

 

Regarding the Cy Young, I'm still not sure. I think it depends on the last few starts of the three main contenders. Which ever of the three pitches the best probably will be the winner. If it's a draw I would bet on Carpenter due to his W-L totals and over all other numbers.

[Tito Landrum]

Jones has seriously slumped over the last week and a half.

 

Unless he hits four or five more HR's before the end of the season to grab the attention of the writers, his now .267 BA and .351 OBP are just too low for his huge advantage in HR's and RBI's to compensate.

 

Pujols has proven himself to be the most consistently high performing hitter in the NL this season. Lee's drop off in numbers following the ASB while the Cubs fell out of post-season contention, doomed his MVP hopes.

 

As stated above, Jones continuing poor hitting other than HR's is rapidly taking him out of the MVP consideration so my bet would be on Pujols for MVP.

 

Regarding the Cy Young, I'm still not sure. I think it depends on the last few starts of the three main contenders. Which ever of the three pitches the best probably will be the winner. If it's a draw I would bet on Carpenter due to his W-L totals and over all other numbers.

 

what he said.

[Diffusion]

NL MVP -- Lee

NL CY -- Clemens

AL MVP -- Rodriguez

AL CY -- Santana

 

Simply put, they've been the most valuable hitters and pitchers this year. And I don't think any of them are particularly close.

 

Lee: .338/.422/.669

Pujols: .337/.433/.619

Jones: .267/.351/.590

 

The only real difference between Lee and Pujols is that Lee has 50 points of slugging on Albert, and he plays better defence at first base. Andruw Jones shouldn't even be in the discussion, Lee is essentially a massive 70 points ahead of him across the board. Jones' glove in CF doesn't bridge the difference.

 

Lee: 12.3 WARP

Pujols: 10.7

Jones: 9.0

 

As for the NL Cy, Clemens has a 1.89 ERA in over 200 innings. Enough said. Clemens has also managed that while pitching in a pretty hitter friendly stadium. It's not his fault that whenever he's on the mound his offence gets shutout or his bullpen blows it, or whatever. All that said, while Clemens deserves to win the Cy, he didn't deserve to win it last year at all, so it'd hardly moan about the injustice of it if Carpenter won.

 

As for A-Rod and Santana, I don't think I even have to explain those decisions. No-one touches them. Especially not Ortiz, a designated hitter in a much more hitter friendly stadium that hasn't even outhit A-Rod, who also plays an above average 3B. Santana, well, he's not been at his best all year but who else is there? Millwood? Colon? Buerhle? Give me a break.

[sweetpeteman]

NLMVP: Lee

Cy: Carp

ALMVP: ARod

Cy: Garland!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Just to be the most painful to Cubs fans)

 

Really: Santana

 

 

 

 

I say Lee for MVP due to the amount of publicity he's gotten this year. Pujols has been quiet again, and might not get the votes due to it (this does happen).

 

Jones doesn't get it due to average.

[Derwood]

Updated AL Cy Young stats:

 

Santana: 14-7, 2.98 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 217.2 IP, 171 H, 31 BB, 223 K's

 

Colon: 20-7, 3.34 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 212.2 IP, 200 H, 40 BB, 149 K's

 

Garland: 17-10, 3.51 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 207.2 IP, 200 H, 43 BB, 103 K's

 

Buehrle: 15-8, 3.28 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 222 IP, 233 H, 37 BB, 137 K's

 

Cliff Lee: 18-4, 3.90 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 194 IP, 188 H, 51 BB, 140 K's

 

 

Updated NL Cy Young stats:

 

Clemens: 12-8, 1.89 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 204.1 IP, 145 H, 59 BB, 180 K's

 

Willis: 22-9, 2.44 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 225.1 IP, 195 H, 50 BB, 155 K's

 

Carpenter: 21-4, 2.42 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 230.1 IP, 183 H, 47 BB, 203 K's