Earlier in the season, Josh Hamilton dominated all American League MVP discussion. As June has progressed, though, Curtis Granderson is quietly making his case to be considered.
While Hamilton’s 22 home runs and 62 RBI still make him the favorite, Granderson’s 20 home runs and 39 RBI are also quite good.
Granderson’s case for the MVP award is backed by his consistency this season. In March/April, he launched eight home runs and hit .262. In May, he hit eight home runs with an average of .257. We’re currently half-way through the month of June, and Granderson has four home runs with an average of .250.
His consistency helped to keep the Yankee offense somewhat afloat during it’s rough stretches in April and May and, without his production, the Yankees may not be as well off as they are right now.
His 46 runs scored are good enough for fourth in all of baseball as well.
Unfortunately, there are several factors holding him back from winning the award.
Even without considering his competition in the league—Hamilton, Paul Konerko, Adam Jones—Granderson’s 73 strikeouts, .257 batting average and probable failure to drive in more than 100 runs will really hurt his case.
Barring any hot or cold streak, CBSSports.com projects that Granderson is on pace for exactly 100 RBI.
When all is said and done, Granderson will likely receive votes for the MVP award. Unfortunately, it’ll likely be the same result as last season when he finished fourth in the voting.
If he keeps hitting like he is, then neither the team or Granderson will likely care if he’s recognized for the award.
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