Kuzul

Most years, when it comes time to select the MVP of each league, there is one standout candidate. Almost no one raised any dispute to the selections of Joe Mauer and Albert Pujols as the most valuable players of their respective leagues in 2009, and Pujols was similarly incontrovertible as the NL MVP in 2008.

In the American League this season, the super-stud is Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton. Hamilton has missed time with injury, but belted 31 home runs and posted a .361/.414/.635 line through Sunday’s action.

But what if Hamilton were less dominant? Better yet, what if (and it isn’t a stretch to suggest it) the voters don’t recognize his many dimensions of voluminous value? Who would win? Who WILL win?

If the answer isn’t Hamilton, then justice will not have been served, Still, it can’t hurt to dream a little bit. Here are the best cases to be made for four American League maulers who have garnered less fanfare than Hamilton, and an argument for the man himself.

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The 2010 Major League Baseball season has produced a very talented rookie class.

In any sport it is hard to join the elite level and have an immediate impact on your team. Baseball is especially hard because it is a day-to-day grind and fear of a slump can consume your mentality. Many players will never make it to the “The Show” and some that do won’t last longer than an alcoholic trying not to drink in a brewery.

But there are rookies who have a great impact on their team, and I’ve assembled this year’s crop for my list of Rookie of the Year candidates.

Gaby Sanchez, 1B / Florida Marlins

Sanchez has played better than I expected this season and is a nice addition to all of the young talent in South Florida.

Sanchez is hitting .294 with, 52 RBIs, and 49 Rs. The most impressive stat from Sanchez is his .816 OPS – .355 OBP and .461 SGL.

If Sanchez can bring up that HR total a bit next season, he could become a familiar face in the Marlins new stadium, if they ever open that fish tank.

Starlin Castro, SS / Chicago Cubs

Castro is who I hope will be the new face of the Cubs. This kid has some pop in the bat, speed on the bases, and plays pretty well in the field.

Once he learns how to draw a few more walks and steal bases, this Castro will be giving teams another Cuban Missile Crisis.

Castro is hitting .308 with 20 DBLs and 33 RBIs. Now, if the Cubs would just get rid of some of these bums who couldn’t hit a parked car in a Buick…

Mike Leake, SP / Cincinnati Reds

As I predicted, the Reds are competitive this season and Leake is one of the big reasons why. Early on in the season, this kid was pitching lights out every fifth day, but has slowed recently.

Leake may need to rekindle that early season magic if he wants to taste the post season in his first year in the majors.

In 20 games started, Leake has pitched 126 innings, resulting in a 7-3 record with 3.86 ERA. Apparently, baseball rookie hazing means giving your rookies a lack of run support.

Jaime Garcia, SP / St. Louis Cardinals

Oddly enough, Garcia and Leake will be pitching for not only ROY honors, but also to help their clubs win the NL Central. Garcia has given the Cards a legit third man in the rotation.

The Cards already had two dominant right handed pitchers that can mow down batters like a Rambo movie. Garcia gives them a lefty side kick who has only surrendered six long balls all season.

Garcia has started 21 games this season, thrown 121 innings, and posted a 9-5 record with a 2.53 ERA.

Austin Jackson, OF / Detroit Tigers

Jackson’s arrival to Detroit this season was highly anticipated and he has delivered. The outfielder still has some rough edges, but he’s done a lot for his team, which, until a week ago, was in a pennant race.

Jackson has been the team’s lead-off hitter and has done OK so far. To become a premiere lead-off hitter he will have to strike out less and draw some more walks.

However, Jackson is hitting .307 with 26 DBLs and 16 SBs in 101 games. Jackson reminds me of Willy Mays Hayes from Major League. Not such a bad comparison.

Buster Posey, C / San Francisco Giants

In only 61 games, Posey has been very impressive and given the Giants a much needed offensive jolt. Posey could become the NL’s Joe Mauer.

I probably would have picked Posey to be my MVP had he played a little earlier in the season. And when it’s all said and done, I still might if he helps the Giants into the playoffs.

Posey is hitting .342 with 8 HRs and 37 RBIs. I am most impressed with his .907 OPS – .518 SLG and almost .400 OBP.

Jason Heyward, OF / Atlanta Braves

I heard about this kid in the off-season and had no idea what to make of all the hype surrounding someone so young. I watched his first AB, and he went yard. Heyward has followed that up with game-winning hits and spectacular play in the outfield.

I predicted the Braves would win the NL Wild Card before the season started and wasn’t really sure how they would do it with so little offense. Heyward has been a big reason why 100-plus games into the season I think they still have a chance.

Bobby Cox and Chipper Jones are both on their farewell tours and have had nothing but wonderful things to say about this young man.

Heyward’s numbers aren’t overly impressive, with a .261 BA, 11 HRs, 50 RBIs and 8 SBs, but from day one he has been a contributor on one of the best teams in baseball. With about 50 games left to play in the season, Heyward is my Rookie of the Year.

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With the second half of the Major league baseball season under way, here are some predictions as to what could end up happening when the regular season is all said and done. There will also be two bold predictions at the end, those of which would shock the sports world, and could happen if events fall a certain way.

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For those of you  familiar with my MLB Power Rankings, you usually see the top 10 players at the bottom of the page. Those who most deserve the four major individual awards. These awards are the National and American Leagues Most Valuable Player Awards and Cy Young Awards—given to the Leagues’ best pitcher of that year.

As we head into the All-Star break, I’m going to do something a little different. I’m going to expand this a lot and give you my 25 guys for all four awards. I did some research, I typed in a few numbers and here’s what I came up with:

National League MVP Award Race

1. David Wright (NYM): .314 avg., 14 HR, 65 RBI, 15 stolen bases
2. Joey Votto (CIN): .314 avg., 22 HR, 60 RBI
3. Albert Pujols (STL): .307 avg., 21 HR, 64 RBI, 9 stolen bases
4. Carlos Gonzalez (COL): .312 avg., 17 HR, 58 RBI, 12 stolen bases
5. Hanley Ramirez (FLA): .289 avg., 13 HR, 53 RBI, 17 stolen bases
6. Chris Young (ARZ): .262 avg., 15 HR, 61 RBI, 16 stolen bases
7. Matt Kemp (LAD): .263 avg, 16 HR, 50 RBI, 15 stolen bases
8. Ryan Braun (MIL): .289 avg., 12 HR, 53 RBI, 12 stolen bases
9. Martin Prado (ATL): .329 avg., 10 HR, 39 RBI
10. Corey Hart (MIL): .289 avg., 20 HR, 63 RBI
11. Angel Pagan (NYM): .311 avg., 6 HR, 40 RBI, 11 stolen bases
12. Ryan Howard (PHI): .295 avg, 17 HR, 65 RBI
13. Brandon Phillips (CIN): .298 avg., 12 HR, 30 RBI, 10 stolen bases
14. Matt Holliday (STL): .300 avg., 15 HR, 48 RBI
15. Shane Victorino (PHI): .253 avg., 14 HR, 48 RBI, 17 stolen bases
16. Aubrey Huff (SF): .295 avg., 17 HR, 54 RBI
17. Adam Dunn (WSH): .283 avg., 22 HR, 58 RBI
18. Rafael Furcal (LAD): .333 avg., 6 HR, 35 RBI, 14 stolen bases
19. Andrew McCutcheon (PIT): .290 avg., 8 HR, 27 RBI, 20 stolen bases
20. Adrian Gonzalez (SD): .298 avg., 18 HR, 56 RBI
21. Colby Rasmus (STL): .281 avg., 16 HR, 41 RBI, 9 stolen bases
22. Andre Ethier (LAD): .324 avg., 14 HR, 54 RBI
23. James Loney (LAD): .305 avg., 5 HR, 59 RBI, 9 stolen bases
24. Dan Uggla (FLA): .281 avg. 16 HR, 51 RBI
25. Rickie Weeks (MIL): .266 avg., 15 HR, 52 RBI

American League MVP Award Race

1. Carl Crawford (TB): .320 avg., 10 HR, 48 RBI, 30 stolen bases
2. Josh Hamilton (TEX): .345 avg., 22 HR, 64 RBI
3. Miguel Cabrera (DET): .346 avg., 22 HR, 76 RBI
4. Alex Rios (CHW): .305 avg., 14 HR, 47 RBI, 23 stolen bases
5. Vladimir Gurerrero (TEX): .323 avg., 20 HR, 75 RBI
6. Robinson Cano (NYY): .337 avg., 16 HR, 57 RBI
7. Justin Morneau (MIN): .345 avg., 18 HR, 56 RBI
8. Evan Longoria (TB): .294 avg., 13 HR, 61 RBI, 13 stolen bases
9. Brett Gardner (NYY): .310 avg., 5 HR, 29 RBI, 25 stolen bases
10. Kevin Youkilis (BOS): .293 avg., 18 HR, 57 RBI
11. Torii Hunter (LAA): .300 avg., 15 HR, 62 RBI
12. Paul Konerko (CHW): .299 avg., 20 HR, 63 RBI
13. Adrian Beltre (BOS): .332 avg., 13 HR, 55 RBI
14. Ichiro Suzuki (SEA): .327 avg., 3 HR, 24 RBI, 22 stolen bases
15. Michael Young (TEX): .304 avg., 12 HR, 54 RBI
16. Scott Podsednik (KC): .297 avg., 3 HR, 34 RBI, 25 stolen bases
17. Shin-Soo Choo (CLE): .286 avg., 13 HR, 43 RBI, 12 stolen bases
18. Nick Swisher (NYY): .303 avg., 15 HR, 49 RBI
19. Magglio Ordonez (DET): .314 avg., 11 HR, 56 RBI
20. Jose Bautista (TOR): .240 avg., 24 HR, 56 RBI
21. Dustin Pedroia (BOS): .292 avg., 12 HR, 41 RBI, 8 stolen bases
22. Brennan Boesch (DET): .343 avg., 12 HR, 48 RBI
23. Ben Zobrist (TB): .284 avg., 5 HR, 41 RBI, 17 stolen bases
24. Alex Rodriguez (NYY): .274 avg., 14 HR, 70 RBI
25. Vernon Wells (TOR): .269 avg., 19 HR, 49 RBI

National League Cy Young Award Race

1. Josh Johnson (FLA): 9-3, 1.70 ERA, 123 strikeouts
2. Ubaldo Jimenez (COL): 15-1, 2.20 ERA, 113 strikeouts
3. Adam Wainwright (STL): 13-5, 2.11 ERA, 127 strikeouts
4. Roy Halladay (PHI): 10-7, 2.19 ERA, 128 strikeouts
5. Clayton Kershaw (LAD): 9-4, 2.96 ERA, 128 strikeouts
6. Jaime Garcia (STL): 8-4, 2.17 ERA, 80 strikeouts
7. Mat Latos (SD): 10-4, 2.45 ERA, 99 strikeouts
8. Tim Hudson (ATL): 9-4, 2.30 ERA, 61 strikeouts
9. Yovani Gallardo (MIL): 8-4, 2.58 ERA, 122 strikeouts
10. Carlos Silva (CHC): 9-2, 2.96 ERA, 70 strikeouts
11. Tim Lincecum (SF): 9-4, 3.16 ERA, 131 strikeouts
12. Clayton Richard (SD): 6-4, 3.00 ERA, 87 strikeouts
13. Chris Carpenter (STL): 9-3, 3.29 ERA, 108 strikeouts
14. Roy Oswalt (HOU): 6-10, 3.08 ERA, 112 strikeouts
15. Kris Medlan (ATL): 6-1, 3.19 ERA, 64 strikeouts
16. Johan Santana (NYM): 6-5, 3.15 ERA, 78 strikeouts
17. Livan Hernandez (WSH): 6-4, 3.12 ERA, 55 strikeouts
18. Brett Myers (HOU): 6-6, 3.41 ERA, 89 strikeouts
19. Matt Cain (SF): 6-8, 3.34 ERA, 88 strikeouts
20. Wade LeBlanc (SD): 4-7, 3.30 ERA, 63 strikeouts
21. Johnny Cueto (CIN): 8-2, 3.42 ERA, 79 strikeouts
22. Mike Leake (CIN): 6-1, 3.53 ERA, 70 strikeouts
23. Jonathan Sanchez (SF): 7-6, 3.47 ERA, 104 strikeouts
24. Jon Garland (SD): 8-6, 3.56 ERA, 69 strikeouts
25. Mike Pelfrey (NYM): 10-4, 3.58 ERA, 69 strikeouts

American League Cy Young Award Race

1. David Price (TB): 12-4, 2.42 ERA, 100 strikeouts
2. Andy Pettitte (NYY): 11-2, 2.70 ERA, 87 strikeouts
3. Jon Lester (BOS): 11-3, 2.78 ERA, 124 strikeouts
4. Jeff Niemann (TB): 7-2, 2.65 ERA, 80 strikeouts
5. Cliff Lee (TEX): 8-4, 2.64 ERA, 91 strikeouts
6. Clay Buchholz (BOS): 10-4, 2.45 ERA, 64 strikeouts
7. Felix Hernandez (SEA): 7-5, 2.88 ERA, 131 strikeouts
8. Jered Weaver (LAA): 8-4, 2.97 ERA, 130 strikeouts
9. Trevor Cahill (OAK): 8-3, 3.17 ERA, 60 strikeouts
10. Jason Vargas (SEA): 6-4, 3.09 ERA, 68 strikeouts
11. C.C. Sabathia (NYY): 11-3, 3.19 ERA, 103 strikeouts
12. Colby Lewis (TEX): 8-5, 3.33 ERA, 105 strikeouts
13. C.J. Wilson (TEX): 7-4, 3.24 ERA, 77 strikeouts
14. Shaun Marcum (TOR): 7-4, 3.44 ERA, 88 strikeouts
15. Phil Hughes (NYY): 11-2, 3.65 ERA, 91 strikeouts
16. Ricky Romero (TOR): 6-6, 3.71 ERA, 108 strikeouts
17. Carl Pavano (MIN): 9-6, 3.58 ERA, 65 strikeouts
18. John Danks (CHW): 8-7, 3.29 ERA, 86 strikeouts
19. Zack Greinke (KC): 5-8, 3.71 ERA, 101 strikeouts
20. Fausto Carmona (CLE): 8-7, 3.64 ERA, 61 strikeouts
21. Justin Verlander (DET): 11-5, 3.82 ERA, 110 strikeouts
22. Ervin Santana (LAA): 8-7, 3.76 ERA, 100 strikeouts
23. Gio Gonzalez (OAK): 7-6, 3.79 ERA, 89 strikeouts
24. Francisco Liriano (MIN): 6-7, 3.86 ERA, 117 strikeouts
25. Dallas Braden (OAK): 4-7, 3.83 ERA, 58 strikeouts

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