Going into the 2009 season, teams are looking to make it back into the post-season. Fans are anxious to get another season underway, players are anxious, umpires are anxious. Another season of good, hardcore baseball.
Each season, you have those players who come out of nowhere, teams who shock the world. Who will be the league leader in home runs? What about the best pitcher of the year?
We are ¼ of the season done already. And we have players who have come out of nowhere as well. My awards so far:
American League Cy Young: Zach Greinke (Kansas City Royals)
This was a pretty easy choice for me. The guy has been unreal so far this season, posting a 8-1 record with a WHIP around 0.9.
He has given up seven earned runs in 75 innings. That’s an outstanding rate. He has 81 strike-outs in 75 innings, and only 12 walks.
National League Cy Young: Dan Haren (Arizona Diamondbacks)
The National League was a bit different for me. This was between two pitchers, Santana and Haren. I chose Haren for the NL Cy Young because he has been better in almost all important stats.
ERA isn’t important to me, Wins aren’t all that important either. The stat that I look at is the WHIP, which tells a pretty telling story. Dan Haren has a 0.90 WHIP, which is almost as good as Greinke in the AL.
He has gotten no run support either (31 runs in 10 games) which is about three runs per game. Haren is holding opponents to a .211 batting average, and he has given up nine walks in 71 innings.
He struck out 71 people in 71 innings, also. He has been incredible for a D-Backs team that is struggling.
American League MVP: Justin Morneau (Minnesota Twins)
The Twins came into the 2009 season counting on Morneau to produce. So far, he has done just that. This was another fairly easy decision for me.
In 49 games, Morneau has hit 14 home runs, which is good for third in the AL. He has driven in 44 runs, which is also third. And also with an OBP of .424 (first in the AL), he is the reason the Twins are at least decent so far.
National League MVP: Raul Ibanez (Philadelphia Phillies)
Ibanez signed as a FA this past off-season with the Phillies. He was last with the Mariners where he produced somewhat good numbers.
Well, in a much better hitter’s park, he has been producing like crazy. 17 home runs, 44 RBI, with a .402 OBP. He is carrying the Phillies offense on the back, and he deserves the NL MVP.
Article read from RealSportsTalk by BrewCrewNation.
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