Predicting the Next 5 MLB Hall of Fame Inductees

In December of each year, the baseball Hall of Fame announces their inductees, with fans and players alike waiting with baited breath for the voting results.

In recent years, Hall of Fame voting has been somewhat skewed due to several players who were knownto have used performance enhancing drugs who have been effectively blackballed by voters.

For instance, Rafael Palmeiro, who is only one of four players who have collected 3,000 hits and 500 home runs in their careers, only received 11 percent of votes in his first year of eligibility. Slugger Mark McGwire only received 19.8 percent in his fifth year of eligibility.

Since both Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds have both been linked to performance enhancing drugs, it’s highly unlikely that voters will give them any shot at Hall of Fame glory when they are both eligible within the next couple of years.

With that in mind, we will take a shot at who we believe will be the next 5 players who will be voted into baseball’s Hall of Fame.

 Barry Larkin

Last year, in just his second year of eligibility, long-time Cincinnati Reds shortstop Barry Larkin received 62.1 percent of the vote, just 12.9 percent shy of induction. This year, Larkin will likely gain enough votes for induction.

Larkin was a 12-time All-Star, a three-time Gold Glove Award winner and won the National League’s Most Valuable Player award in 1995.

 Jack Morris

Have to say I’m not quite sure why Jack Morris hasn’t been voted in as of yet, but he will not be denied. Gaining 53.5 percent last year in his 12th year of eligibility, Morris has steadily climbed in voting percentage in recent years. With no clear cut inductees that are eligible for the first time, Morris could
gain additional votes this coming December.

Morris was a 20-game three times during his career, and helped lead three different teams to World Series victories (1984 Detroit Tigers, 1991 Minnesota Twins, 1992 Toronto Blue Jays).

 Craig Biggio

While the Hall of Fame class of 2012 does not boast sure-fire inductees in their first year of eligibility, the 2013 class more than makes up for it.

While Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens are likely to be snubbed in their first year of eligibility, Houston Astros’ favorite son Craig Biggio will be hard to keep out in his first year on the ballot.

One of only 28 players to amass 3,000 hits during his career, Biggio was only the ninth player in history to do it with the same team. Biggio also switched positions twice during his career—moving from catcher to second base to center field, and winning four Gold Glove awards along the way.

 Mike Piazza

Originally a 62nd round draft choice by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1988, and selected more as a favor to manager Tommy Lasorda, catcher Mike Piazza quickly rose to prominence among the ranks of catchers, winning the Rookie of the Year award in 1993, being selected to the All-Star team 12 times, and becoming the greatest hitting catcher in history, with 427 home runs and a .308 lifetime average.

Piazza hit over 30 home runs in a season nine times, and twice reached the 40 home run plateau.

 Lee Smith

Lee Smith has been on the ballot for the past nine years, never gaining more than 47.3 percent of the vote.

However, it will be difficult to keep Smith out of the Hall forever. With 478 career saves, Smith ranks third all-time, behind Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman. Five other relief pitchers have been voted into the Hall of Fame with far fewer saves than Smith (Dennis Eckersley, Rollie Fingers, Rich Gossage, Bruce Sutter, Hoyt Wilhelm), and Smith led the league in saves four times with three different teams.

Do you agree with these predictions? Who do you think the next 5 Hall of Fame inductees will be?

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Jeff Herbst has had a passion for sports ever since he could first walk and enjoys writing in his spare time. He works with Phoenix Bats, a company that creates world-class wood baseball bats and other fungo bats for amateur and professional ball players around the world.

End of Season Prediction: Race to be the Worst

To be frank, the last month of the regular season is shaping up to be quite the snoozefest. The division and wild card winners are all but locked up. And barring some colossal collapse down the stretch (which is possible, of course) the playoff field for the AL will consist of the Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers, and Rangers, and the NL will be represented by the Phillies, Braves, Brewers, and Diamondbacks. There seem to be no races in sight.

But as Suzyn Waldman kindly pointed out during yesterday’s Yankees/Orioles broadcast there is one race that is still in high contention. And that is the race for worst record in the American League. (The Astros are a lock for the worst NL record.) There are currently four teams bottoming out the AL standings:

Baltimore 56-85
Kansas City 60-84
Minnesota 59-84
Seattle 59-83

So which team will end up with the unenviable title of “League’s Worst Record?”

The Orioles certainly have the toughest schedule over the final three weeks of the season. They are currently in the middle of a series with the division-leading Yankees and will then face the Blue Jays, Rays, Angels, Red Sox (2 series), and Tigers. Yikes. Factor in the Orioles 18-38 record against their rivals in the AL East and it looks like it will be an ugly end for the O’s.

The Royals are perennial losers, albeit loveable ones. They face the anemic offense of the Mariners this weekend, and then finish the final three weeks solely against AL Central opponents. It goes without saying that the Royals won’t see any postseason action, but they certainly have the power to make White Sox and Tigers lives more difficult down the stretch. This young Royals team could finish strong, giving them a positive springboard going into the offseason.

If the Royals are perennial losers, the Twins are perennial underdogs. Indeed, even though they have had a disappointing, injury-laden season, there are a lot of variables that could prevent them from bottoming out the standings. Joe Mauer is back in the lineup and Justin Morneau could return this weekend in the DH role. The Twins biggest opponent down the stretch will be fatigue, which is already a problem for every team at this point in the season. But the Twins schedule is particularly exhausting – they dropped a double header to the White Sox yesterday, they’ll play a double header in Cleveland on the 24th, and in between they will make a trip to New York for a single makeup game against the Yankees.

The Mariners don’t score runs, plain and simple. They have scored a mere 483 runs this season, 61 fewer than the next lowest scoring AL team (the Twins). The Mariners only saving grace is their solid pitching staff that does not allow many runs. They’ll see some tough competition down the stretch in the Rangers and Yankees, but also have a considerable number of games remaining against the Royals, Twins, and A’s.

Final Prediction
Look for the Orioles to hold the AL’s worst record when the regular season ends on September 29th. The Royals, Twins, and Mariners all have the chance to influence the remainder of each other’s seasons, but the Orioles (who already hold the league’s worst record by a slight margin) are at the mercy of the powerhouse Yankees and Red Sox, not to mention the Rays and Blue Jays, who could arguably be contending teams this year if they were in any division other than the AL East.

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Robbie is the author of The Baseblawg and you can follow her on Twitter @clarkbar213.

Baseball’s American League Rookie of the Year Candidates

AL MVP | NL MVP | AL ROY | NL ROY

The American League ROY race is a lot closer than what is going on in the National League. Not only have they had more ballyhooed rookies, but they have produced at a higher level as well. The crop of rookies who have become regular players this season are one of the more impressive infusions of talent in recent memory. If all things were equal, and they had all received consistent playing time during this season, the outcome of the award would likely have been different.

Unfortunately, free agency and reliance on subpar veterans often delays the arrival of rookies. Jennings, Ackley, and Lawrie all should have probably spent the entire season in the majors, but that’s not what happened. Even so, there were a number of rookies who did play the bulk of the year with their big league team, and forced their way into the conversation about the American League ROY.

 Toronto Blue Jays 1B Eric Hosmer

As the 2011 season got underway and Hosmer hit like Roy Hobbs in the minors, baseball started to clamber for his debut. The Royals haven’t had a star position player since Carlos Beltran, and the sweet swinging lefty first baseman looked like the next big thing. Thus, it was with great fanfare when he came to Kansas City in May.
Hosmer has been solid, but not spectacular with the Royals. He is on pace to finish the season with a .283 batting average, 17 home runs, and 72 RBI. Those are very solid numbers for a 21 year-old, and give the team the belief that they have a blossoming star in their lineup finally.
Hitting against lefties is where Hosmer has struggled, posting a .544 OPS and 9 RBI in 121 at bats. Those numbers given him extreme platoon splits, and he will need to improve to be considered a complete player. As it stands, he has performed admirably in his first season with the Royals, and is one of the finest rookies in the American League.

 New York Yankees SP Ivan Nova

The big question mark for the Yankees coming into the season was their starting pitching. Besides C.C. Sabathia, the New York rotation was a series of question marks and retreads. Surprisingly, Nova has been the glue that has held the starting pitching together, and allowed the Yankees to be in the hunt for first place in the American League East all year long.

Nova did encounter a little bump around mid-season, where he graciously accepted a brief demotion to the minors. He returned better than ever, and has helped keep the Yankees at the top of any playoff conversation. He is on pace to end the season with a 18-5 record and 3.89 ERA. In particular, he has been a stopper on the road, with an 8-2 record and 3.34 ERA.

He does not strike out a lot of hitters, with just 85 in 138.2 innings. Not missing many bats is an indication that he has had some luck on his side, but has plenty of room for improvement. You would be hard pressed to find anyone who predicted this kind of success for Nova before the season began, and he is not only a top rookie, but one of the most important players on the Yankees.

 Los Angeles Angels 1B Mark Trumbo

Baseball fans like home runs, and for that reason, Trumbo has gotten a lot of momentum going lately in support of his American League ROY candidacy. He is a very good young player with a lot of potential, but he should not win this award. While he is on pace to finish the year with 29 home runs and 89 RBI, he is also slotted to finish with a .256 batting average and a .295 OBP. A ROY winner cannot have an OBP that glaringly low.

Trumbo has also not fully developed as a defensive first baseman, although he has not made a total scene either. It may sounds like I am bashing him, but I’m not. I actually like him a lot as a player. It just needs to be stated that while he has put up nice numbers in some categories, he has not done enough to garner serious consideration for the ROY.

 Seattle Mariners SP Michael Pineda

Pineda burst out of the gate to start the season, much to the surprise of most around baseball. Pineda’s talents were widely known, but his immediate success was unexpected because his young age (22). The massive right-handed pitcher carved up baseball during the first two months of the season, going 6-2 with a 2.42 ERA. He has slowed considerably since then, with a 3-7 record and 4.64 ERA since June 1st.

Pineda has put up big strikeout numbers, 163 in 159 innings, and also posted an impressive 1.09 WHIP. He also looks like he will assist King Felix in manning the Mariner starting rotation for years to come. Unfortunately, his uneven performance will likely reduce some of the ROY votes he may have received otherwise. Despite this, he has had an impressive rookie campaign and looks to be one of the next stars of the game.

 Tampa Bay Rays SP Jeremy Hellickson

I had to look twice when compiling my list of ROY candidates. I could have sworn that Hellickson was no longer rookie-eligible, but to my surprise, he is. He may have rookie status, but he has pitched like a veteran all season with Tampa Bay. Mined from the seemingly bottomless pool of Tampa Bay minor league talent, he has anchored one of the starting rotation spots since breaking camp with the team out of Spring Training.

Hellickson is probably the most polished of all the rookie pitchers. He has gone 12-10 so far this year, with a 2.90 ERA and 107 strikeouts in 164.1 innings. A. His 1.13 WHIP is also impressive for someone his age. Tampa Bay is not in the hunt for the playoffs this season, but with young cheap talent like Hellickson, they will be in the picture for the immediate future.

Honorable Mention: Honorable Mention: Aaron Crow, Ben Revere, Brett Lawrie, Desmond Jennings, Dustin Ackley, Tyler Chatwood, Zach Britton.

And the winner is…

If Tampa Bay had called up Jennings before June, instead of letting Sam Fuld hold down left field for a month longer than he should have, the American League ROY would belong to him. However, with less than 175 at bats, he simply has not done enough to merit the award.

Ivan Nova has produced in the most high pressure situation, being an integral component of the Yankees’ drive to the playoffs. However, outside of wins, he has not posted overwhelming numbers, and has had some ups and downs. He has saved his best for the end of the season, but at this point has not done enough to be the ROY winner.

The player who deserves to win the American League ROY is Jeremy Hellickson. He has pitched consistently all season long, and while he doesn’t have the same win totals as Nova, or the strikeout totals of Pineda, he has been better overall than them, or any of the other rookies. His ERA is also a full run lower per game than Nova, and his other peripheral numbers indicate that he has not only been the best rookie in the American League in 2011, but he has been one of the top starting pitchers in all of baseball.

Detractors may point to Hellickson’s won-loss record being near .500 as why he shouldn’t win the award, but that is a bad argument. ROY winners are those who have produced the best and the most, both of which apply to Hellickson. He has out-produced the entire field of impressive rookies, and at the end of the season he will take home the American League ROY award.

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Andrew Martin appreciates and writes about all aspects of baseball and its history at his blog, The Baseball Historian. You can also follow him on Twitter at @RedSoxFanNum1.

Baseball’s National League Rookie of the Year Candidates

AL MVP | NL MVP | AL ROY | NL ROY

The 2011 National League Rookie of the Year race has been one of the most regional in recent memory. For some reason, the stars aligned and the majority of candidates for the award are in the NL East, with three frontrunners playing for the Atlanta Braves. The top contenders for National League ROY have each brought unique production to their respective teams, and look to be impact players for years to come. As the season winds down, a definitive pecking order has emerged in the ROY competition, and I have been able to determine who will end up winning the award, and who will come up short.

 Atlanta Braves 1B Freddie Freeman

Leading up to 2011, Freeman was a prized prospect in the Braves’ minor league system, but always regarded at a notch below that of golden boy Jason Heyward. Heyward finished second in the 2010 National League ROY voting and was expected to do great things this year, but has suffered through an injury and regression-filled 2011. Into the void stepped Freeman, who most felt would have a solid, but unspectacular season if given regular playing time.

Freeman has been exactly what was expected. He has played solid defense, and is on pace to finish the season at .291 with 22 home runs and 78 RBI. Those are solid, yet unspectacular numbers, but exactly what the Braves need, with their offense being ravaged by injuries and underachievement. At 21 years old, Freeman is already one of the most consistent producers on the Braves, and a major reason why they are poised to be in the playoffs. He has played like a veteran all year long, a hallmark of a top rookie.

 New York Mets SP Dillon Gee

Starting pitching has been a black hole for the New York Mets in recent years, but they may have started to turn a corner with the young talent they have developed, starting with Mike Pelfrey and Jonathan Niese, and now Gee.

It feels like the right-handed Gee has gone under the radar for much of the year, which is due more to the Mets suffering another disappointing season, than the results he has produced. He is currently on pace for a 14-6 record and 4.37 ERA, numbers of a very solid three or four starter. He does not strike out a ton of guys, but has a decent 1.30 WHIP and keeps the ball in the park, giving up just 13 home runs so far this year. He has been a bright spot on the otherwise bland Mets.

 Atlanta Braves SP Brandon Beachy

The close National League ROY race would be even tighter if Beachy had not suffered injuries earlier in the year. As it is, he is still in the conversation because of his excellent rookie season. He is on pace to finish the season with a 9-2 record, 3.31 ERA, and 156 strikeouts in 139.1 innings.

If he had pitched the entire year, the outcome of this award may have been very different, but Beachy won’t win the award because his numbers won’t be significant enough because of time missed. However, he has produced veteran results this year, and shown that the Braves have another exciting pitcher in their rotation.

 Atlanta Braves RP Craig Kimbrel

Kimbrel has pitched so well this season at Atlanta’s closer that it is easy to forget that he is just a 23 year old rookie. The right-handed pitcher has dominated from the beginning, anchoring the Atlanta bullpen, which is the strength of their team.

Kimbrel is on pace to finish 2011 with 49 saves and a 1.79 ERA in 70 games. Most impressively, he projects to finish with 125 strikeouts in 77.2 innings. His strikeouts have come from a fastball that has averaged a little over 95 MPH this season, and a biting slider that hitters have a hard time laying off. Atlanta has enjoyed a successful season despite glaring holes on their roster, because if they can get into their bullpen with a lead, the game is typically over. Kimbrel is not only a strong contender for the National League ROY, but also for the title of best closer in baseball.

 Washington Nationals 2B Danny Espinosa

On first thought, many people might wonder what Espinosa and his .231 batting average is doing on the short list. Closer inspection shows that he is a serious candidate for ROY. Although he had 103 at bats with the Nationals last year, he still qualifies as a rookie, and is in serious contention for ROY.

The switch-hitting Espinosa leads all National League rookies with a 3.0 WAR according to FanGraphs. He has done a little bit of everything for Washington this year. No Gold Glover, he has been a serviceable second baseman, after switching from shortstop to accommodate fellow youngster teammate Ian Desmond. Espinosa is also on pace for 22 home runs, 70 RBI, and 16 stolen bases. As with many switch-hitters, he has shown more power from the left side and better batting average from the right. He has been a bright spot in an otherwise mediocre season for Washington, and on figures to get better going forward.

Honorable Mention: Darwin Barney, John Mayberry, Jr., Josh Collmenter, Vance Worley.

And the winner is…

The National League has seen a number of exciting young players burst on to the scene in 2011. However, only one of them has been a true star this season, and that is why Craig Kimbrel is the clear cut choice for ROY. Pitching in the 9th inning for a playoff contender can be a steep challenge for a pitcher of any age, but Kimbrel has made it look easy, mowing down hitters with his electric stuff. He is not only having a great rookie season, but an all-time great year for a closer.

While the other rookies in contention for ROY still clearly have room for improvement, it is hard to imagine Kimbrel being much better than he has already been. For him, sustaining his success will be key, because that will allow him to lead the Atlanta bullpen into the future. He has had an excellent start to his career and what he has accomplished so far gives everyone a great idea of what he is capable of down the road.

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Andrew Martin appreciates and writes about all aspects of baseball and its history at his blog, The Baseball Historian. You can also follow him on Twitter at @RedSoxFanNum1.

Baseball’s National League MVP Frontrunners

AL MVP | NL MVP | AL ROY | NL ROY

The National League MVP race is coming down to a thrilling conclusion, similar to what is happening in the junior circuit. Most exciting is that most of the frontrunners are young players, just coming into their primes. These players have each made compelling cases as to why they should have a new trophy on their mantel after the season is over. Although it is a difficult task, I believe that after evaluating all the stats and evidence, I have been unable to uncover who will win the National League MVP.

 Arizona Diamondbacks OF Justin Upton

Upton is the best player on the surprising first place Arizona Diamondbacks. Even though it seems like he has been playing forever, the outfielder is still just 24 years old, and seemingly improving with each passing season. He has anchored the young Arizona offense, which besides Willie Bloomquist, has no regulars over the age of 30.

Upton leads Arizona in batting average, hits, runs, home runs, RBI, steals, OPS, and just about every other offensive category one can imagine. He has developed the maturity as a player that many are still waiting on from his brother BJ. Justin also leads the National League in WAR, showing that his value is not just to Arizona, but that he truly is one of the best players in baseball.

 Los Angeles Dodgers OF Matt Kemp

It is interesting to note that Kemp closely mirrors Upton in the way he has matured as a player. Last year Kemp put up disappointing numbers, and received the most recognition for dating Rihanna. He seemed to be on the verge of becoming a break-out star, but was never able to quite put it all together until 2011.

This season, Kemp has finally exploded into a superstar. He is hitting .322, and is on pace to possibly become baseball’s fifth ever 40-40 player. He plays good defense in the outfield, and has finally become the complete package that so many envisioned when he first debuted with the Dodgers in 2006.

Known for his distractions, it is thus with irony that Kemp has achieved what he has this season in Los Angeles. The contentious McCourt divorce has made baseball anything but the focus in Dodger-land. Although the Dodgers are not in serious playoff contention this year, the way that Kemp has produced and held the team together, while keeping them respectably competitive is worthy of serious MVP consideration.

 Milwaukee Brewers OF Ryan Braun

It seems like Braun makes an annual case for the most underappreciated player in baseball. Every year he has been in the majors, he has consistently put up MVP numbers, while going relatively unnoticed in Milwaukee. This year has been no different, as he is on pace for 31 home runs and 36 stolen bases, to go along with his .330 batting average.

Braun will never be accused of being a Gold Glove defender, but his subpar defense is hidden in left field by the Brewers, who have coasted through the second half of the season in first place in the Central Division. He is as consistent a player that exists in baseball, and is a major reason why the Brewers are looking to make some noise in the upcoming playoffs.

 Milwaukee Brewers 1B Prince Fielder

In his contract year, Fielder has done his best to convince possible suitors that he will provide a lot of bang for the buck. Although they may not be able to re-sign him, the Brewers have benefitted this season from Fielder proving his value. He has kept his batting average in the neighborhood of .300 all year, and is on pace to end the year with 34 home runs and 123 RBI.

Like Braun, Fielder is a below average defender, at first base. He uses his offense as a way to mask that deficiency, and so far this year, it has worked, given the Brewer’s commanding lead. It is likely the Fielder will lose MVP votes to Braun, as they have both been leaders on a first place team. Regardless, the season Fielder is having deserves to be part of this discussion.

 Atlanta Braves C Brian McCann

Before I go any further, I will unequivocally state that McCann will not win the MVP. That being said, he definitely deserves to be part of the conversation about the frontrunners for the award. The Atlanta catcher has been the foundation of the team’s offense this year, on pace for a .292 batting average and 27 home runs; numbers that make him the best catcher in baseball.

The Braves hold a commanding lead in the National League wild card despite Chipper Jones’ ongoing frailty, and the unexpected regression of Jason Heyward. Dan Uggla has probably been the Atlanta hitter in the news the most because of his 33 game hitting streak and 30 home runs, but he is still only hitting .231 with a .302 OPB on the year.

McCann has improved over his career to become a slightly below average defensive catcher, but his true value to the Braves has been in becoming the veteran influence that has been so important for previous teams. Symbolically, the baton has been passed from Jones to McCann within the past year or so, and McCann has helped the team keep pace with its winning ways, as another playoff season seems sure to be on the horizon.

Honorable Mention: Albert Pujols, Lance Berkman, Roy Halladay, and Troy Tulowitzki.

And the winner is…

Originally I was leaning towards Ryan Braun for the MVP, but after reviewing all the evidence, my selection for the National League frontrunner turns out to be Justin Upton. You simply can’t ignore his production, which has not only carried his first place team, but also placed him statistically at the start of any conversation about best player in the National League.

Young teams like Arizona need players to move from kid status to veteran, in order to become true contenders. It certainly like Upton has made that jump, and Arizona is poised to see what they can do come playoff time. He is carrying the team, and come the end of the year, he will likely be adding the National League MVP to his trophy case.

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Andrew Martin appreciates and writes about all aspects of baseball and its history at his blog, The Baseball Historian. You can also follow him on Twitter at @RedSoxFanNum1.

Baseball’s American League MVP Frontrunners

AL MVP | NL MVP | AL ROY | NL ROY

As the home stretch to the playoffs approached, it is time to start thinking about the individual player awards. In particular, the American League MVP race has been tight all year, with no clear-cut candidate having completely separated themselves from the pack. Fortunately, I have evaluated the evidence and determined the current frontrunner for the award.

Toronto Blue Jays 3B/OF Jose Bautista

The label of “best player in baseball” has been bandied about quite a bit this year in conjunction with Bautista’s name. He has followed up a shocking 2010 season with numbers that have even exceeded those totals. He currently leads the American League in home runs, WAR, walks, and OPS; throwing in a .316 batting average for good measure.

Cynics might point to Toronto hovering around the .500 mark the whole year as a reason why Bautista does not deserve the MVP, but that line of reasoning is wrong. He is currently the most dominant position player in baseball, and does everything he can on a daily basis to help his team win.

 Boston Red Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia

The diminutive Pedroia looks more like a pizza delivery guy than he does a ballplayer, but make no mistake about it, he has game. He is not only the vocal leader of the Red Sox, but his incredible versatility is what ties his team together. He has played Gold Glove caliber defense, hit over .300 with some pop, and even stolen 24 bases, in proving that he is the most complete second baseman in all of baseball.

Despite lacking intimidation, Pedroia has even batted cleanup on a number of occasions this year, producing a 1.040 OPS in 11 games in the four-spot. He produces whenever and wherever the Red Sox ask him. Quite simply, he is Boston’s heart and soul, and a major reason why they are hurtling towards a 100 win season, despite their rough first few weeks of the year.

 New York Yankees OF Curtis Granderson

I have always seen Granderson as one of the nicest guys in baseball, and while I was happy to see his quick start to the 2011 season, I never thought he would sustain it as long as he has. Not only has he kept up his pace, he seems to have increased it as of late.

125 games into the season, Granderson is on pace to finish 2011 with 45 home runs, 127 RBI, 31 stolen bases, and 148 runs scored. He is the bargain priced heart of a potent offense, renowned for its expensive parts. With New York having to deal with the public decline of core players like Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada, Granderson has been a major driving force in keeping the team at the top of the standings all year.

 Boston Red Sox OF Jacoby Ellsbury

The Red Sox have enjoyed a typical Carl Crawford season this year. Unfortunately it has not come from Crawford, who they paid 142 million dollars this past off-season, but rather from Ellsbury. Crawford will probably be fine down the road, but the improvement of Ellsbury has to be quite a pleasant surprise for Boston.

Ellsbury has rebounded marvelously from a disastrous 2010, where he missed the majority of the season with injuries, and even had his own teammates doubting his heart. He has not only significantly upped his power, but he has maintained high stolen base numbers, hit over .300 for most of the year, and turned in very good glove work in center field. He has been the catalyst at the top of the order for Boston’s big boppers, and allowed Crawford to be shifted around to work out his own issues, without as much pressure as would normally be expected. Right now, Ellsbury might very well be the most complete player in the American League.

 Detroit Tigers SP Justin Verlander

Traditional thought, whether it is accurate or not, dictate that pitchers shouldn’t be eligible for the MVP since they have the Cy Young Award. Anyone who may subscribe to that theory certainly has to be reconsidering after seeing the season that Verlander is having.

Verlander is in serious contention for the pitching Triple Crown, leading the league in wins and strikeouts, and currently only 0.18 behind Jered Weaver in ERA. He is also on pace for 267 innings, a staggering amount in today’s era of babying pitchers. His dominance also includes a no-hitter and a couple of near misses.
The consistency of Verlander in the Detroit starting rotation helped overcome a strong start by the Cleveland Indians, and catapulted Detroit into first place in the Central Division. He ensures that the Tigers will never endure a long losing streak, and is the main reason why nobody is looking forward to facing them in the playoffs.

Honorable Mention: Adrian Gonzalez, Asdrubal Cabrera, Jered Weaver, and Michael Young.

And the winner is…

I honestly didn’t know who I was going to pick until I got to this point. I think going over each of the main candidates helped me come to the conclusion that Curtis Granderson has to be the current frontrunner for the American League MVP. He has made the giant machine that is the Yankees go, by putting up extraordinary run production numbers on a consistent basis all year.

Adding to Granderson’s impressive resume is how he has done it on baseball’s largest stage. In most years, the powerhouse Red Sox would be a runaway favorite to take any division, but the Yankees show no sign of letting up. The Yankees have experienced a number of distractions and injuries this year, but the team has hardly skipped a beat, in large part because of Granderson. He is having a career year at the best possible time, and deserves to be recognized as the MVP for his accomplishments.

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Andrew Martin appreciates and writes about all aspects of baseball and its history at his blog, The Baseball Historian. You can also follow him on Twitter at @RedSoxFanNum1.

Baseball’s Cy Young Winners of the Mid-Season

Cy Young voting has always confused me and really, I don’t think closers deserve to win. That is to say, they should have their own award. It isn’t meant as a slight. It’s just that comparing starting pitchers to relievers just isn’t fair. They are three very different skills and aren’t interchangeable in the game so why overlap them with a reward? Both groups deserve recognition.But that is beside the point.

This season has been dubbed the “Year of the Pitcher” and rightly so. There are a number of great Cy Young options in both the American and National Leagues.

Mid-Season Winners: Managers | Rookies | Cy Young | MVP

AL Cy Young of the Mid-Season

Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers
When you lead the American League in wins, innings pitched and strikeouts, you’re probably doing a good job. Verlander has been phenomenal this year. Since taking a no-decision shellacking at the hands of the Tampa Bay Rays on May 24, Verlander has seven starts and seven straight wins. But let’s not fail to mention his near perfect game (one walk allowed) on May 7. That no-hitter easily makes him the AL Cy Young winner of the mid-season. He’s on pace to throw around 275 strikeouts this year (130 in 135.2 IP) while only walking 29 batters thus far. That makes for career-bests of 1.92 BB/9 and 4.48 K/BB. Most impressive to me is his major league-leading 0.86 WHIP, that’s just incredible for a guy who has pitched so many innings. Verlander is a big reason why the Detroit Tigers recently overtook the Cleveland Indians for the AL Central lead.

Honorable mention: Jered Weaver, Los Angeles Angels
Weaver takes the slight edge over CC Sabathia due to a lower ERA, more shutouts and a better strikeout rate. James Shields, Jon Lester, and C.J. Wilson are also having fine years. Mariano Rivera is the only AL closer worth a shoutout. But in any case, Weaver was pitching like a man possessed for the first month of the season. The hype built up rapidly as he won each of his first six starts. Since then he’s been hot and cold but the overall numbers are still strong: 1.97 ERA, 0.36 home runs allowed per nine innings, 2.04 walks per nine innings and a very solid 106 Ks in 123.1 innings pitched. The combination of Weaver and teammate Dan Haren has been one of the best starting pitching duos in the American League.

NL Cy Young of the Mid-Season

Roy Halladay, Philadelphia Phillies
Was there any doubt? Well teammate Cliff Lee is coming on strong but what separates these two teammates is that Halladay hasn’t had any awful starts. He’s had one, maybe two bad appearances but nothing awful. Just about every elite pitcher has one really bad game or two, but Halladay has been a quality starts machine. But let’s get to the hard numbers: 10-3 record, a career-best 8.69 strikeout rate, 1.13 walks per nine, 0.49 homers per nine, 2.40 ERA, 2.14 FIP and to make matters even more impressive, he’s sporting a .303 BABIP. Compare that to Verlander’s (admittedly lucky) .222 BABIP. Halladay is the best pitcher in the best starting rotation on the best team in baseball, simple as that.

Honorable mention: Cliff Lee, Philadelphia Phillies
The media has been riding Lee’s jock as of late, but really, the guy deserves most of that attention. So far in June, he’s had three complete game shutouts, five wins, 42 innings pitched, only one earned run allowed, 29 Ks, 21 hits and 8 walks allowed. That’s a 0.21 ERA! Whaaaaaaaaat? His strikeout totals are trending down from the first two months of the season, but it obviously hasn’t hurt his game at all. Lee is on another level right now and it’d be foolish to put anyone, except Halladay, ahead of him.

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Baseball’s Rookies of the Mid-Season

My earliest memory of the Rookie of the Year award came in the early ’90s. I was born and raised in California and I was and still am a Dodgers fan. From 1992 to 1996, for five straight years, a player from the Dodgers was named NL Rookie of the Year (Eric Karros, Mike Piazza, Raul Mondesi, Hideo Nomo and Todd Hollandsworth). This streak broke the previous record, which was actually held by the Dodgers as well. From 1979 to 1982, Los Angeles had four straight NL ROYs (Rick Sutcliffe, Steve Howe, Fernando Valenzuela and Steve Sax).

It’s definitely a great honor. The awards’ winners reads like a list of who’s who in baseball: Longoria, Beltran, Posey, Braun, Pujols, Pedroia, H. Ramirez, Howard, Verlander and so on. Hopefully for the players who win the award this year, it is only the first of many achievements throughout their careers.

Mid-Season Winners: Managers | Rookies | Cy Young | MVP

AL Rookie of the Mid-Season

Michael Pineda, Seattle Mariners
Since his first start of the year, Pineda has been building a strong case for AL ROY. Through 15 starts, he’s amassed a 7-4 record, 94 Ks, 2.45 ERA and 1.00 WHIP. Even the highest expectations weren’t this high. Everyone knew he was good, but this good? His 8.84 strikeouts per nine innings rate is tops in the American League, ahead of second-place Felix Hernandez (8.75). Beyond the numbers, he’s helped turn around what was the worst team in the AL last year. Seattle is currently 39-39 and only 1.5 games back of the AL West leading Texas Rangers.

Honorable mention: Zach Britton, Baltimore Orioles
Britton is a very distant second right now. Unlike the power-pitching Pineda, Britton relies on precision and his defense to make outs. He has the fifth highest groundball rate in the AL (54.6 percent). Though 93 innings, he only has 56 strikeouts but that fits his style. By working the zone with his fastball and change while mixing it up with his breaking ball, Britton is able to ‘finesse’ his way through games. Many expected Brian Matusz to be the young pitcher leading Baltimore’s staff, but Britton has filled the role nicely in his place.

NL Rookie of the Mid-Season

Dillon Gee, New York Mets
As Pineda continues to steal headlines, it’s Gee who has the best record of all rookie pitchers. He’s 8-1 and didn’t lose his first game until June 21. New York may be fourth in the NL East at the moment, but they look to be better this year in spite of numerous injuries to key players. Part of that is due to the emergence of Gee. Although his .242 BABIP suggests that he’s been getting a little lucky this year, he’s still pitching very effectively. In his brief stint in the majors last year, he did show that he could get the job done. In 2010, he made five starts while maintaining a 2.18 ERA and 1.21 WHIP. But in order to win the award, he’ll need to maintain his solid 3.32 ERA and pitch more innings (76.0).

Honorable mention: Danny Espinosa, Washington Nationals
With Jim Riggleman recently stealing headlines for his premature resignation, the Nats aren’t receiving enough attention for their performance on the field. In particular, Espinosa has had a terrific first half. Disregard for a moment his .242 batting average and instead focus on his 14 homers, 47 RBIs, 39 runs, four triples and nine steals. He leads all rookies (150 AB minimum) in those categories. His above-average defense also adds another dimension to his talented arsenal.

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Baseball’s Managers of the Mid-Season

Not all award races are created equal. While there is plenty of glamour surrounding MVPs and Cy Youngs, winning Manager of the Year says a lot, not only about the manager, but about the team as well.

The three-day break surrounding the 2011 All-Star Game begins on Monday, July 11 so we’re about two weeks away from the midway point of what has been a great season. Although the Yankees and Phillies have the two best records in baseball, there are some surprise teams with winning records. These are the managers, according to The Dugout Doctors, that have done the best job and deserve recognition.

Mid-Season Winners: Managers | Rookies | Cy Young | MVP

AL Manager of the Mid-Season

Manny Acta, Cleveland Indians – (40-35)
The Indians may not be as hot as they once were but they are the most unlikely division leader. Acta managed Cleveland to a 69-93 record in 2010. But with young talent collectively taking the next step in their development, the Indians have improved dramatically. For a team with low expectations heading into the year, few baseball fans could have predicted this outcome. The emergence of Asdrubal Cabrera and Justin Masterson has helped, as well as the comeback year that Grady Sizemore has had put together. The Indians are currently tied with the Detroit Tigers for the AL Central lead so this is by no means a lock. One too many losses and this season goes from playoff-bound to “all for naught” rather quickly. Acta will certainly earn this award if he can keep the Tribe atop the division.

Honorable mention: Joe Maddon, Tampa Bay Rays – (43-34)
Depending how the AL East shakes out, Maddon has a great shot to win AL Manager of the Year. The Rays find themselves two games back in a three-headed monster of a division. The Yankees, Red Sox and Rays are all battling it out. But Maddon deserves some serious appreciation for fielding a competitive team the year after losing Carl Crawford, one of the best outfielders over the last eight years, to the Red Sox. They had also been without star slugger Evan Longoria for nearly half the season but with guys like Ben Zobrist, David Price, James Shields and Kyle Farnsworth playing at such a high-level, Tampa has remained competitive. Let’s not forget that the Rays have the second lowest payroll in all of baseball (~$41 million), behind only the Kansas City Royals (~$36 million).

NL Manager of the Mid-Season

Kirk Gibson, Arizona Diamondbacks – (43-35)
Both Gibson and Acta are in their second year with their current club and there is definitely no sign of a sophomore slump between their respective teams. In fact, only three teams have winning records both at home and on the road this year: the New York Yankees (24-18 home, 20-13 away), Philadelphia Phillies (29-13, 19-17), and the Gibson-led Arizona Diamondbacks (22-17, 21-18). Due to in large part an incredible run in the second half of May where Arizona won 13 of 14 games, the Diamondbacks are poised to make a run at the NL West crown. They’re currently a half-game behind the San Francisco Giants and with nine games left to play between the two teams, six of which are in September, the race is still wide-open. Led by Ian Kennedy and Daniel Hudson on the mound as well as Justin Upton and Chris Young at the dish, the D-backs find themselves firmly entrenched in the NL playoff race. They can score runs with the best of them but would be best served finding another strong starting pitcher to help bolster the back end of their rotation. But hey, I should probably leave the managing to Gibson; he doesn’t look like he’d take too kindly to some writer telling him how to do his job.

Honorable mention: Clint Hurdle, Pittsburgh Pirates – (39-37)
The Pirates find themselves on the plus-side of .500 and hey, home attendance, TV ratings and merchandise sales are up! Not that any Pirates fans need to be reminded, but Pittsburgh hasn’t had a winning season since 1992. So far it’s been the Barry Bonds curse with 18 consecutive losing seasons, the longest streak for any team from the four major sports in the US. Bonds signed with the San Francisco Giants before the 1993 season and the Bucs haven’t had a winning season since. But forget the history lesson and the drudging up of the past, the Pirates are getting it done with solid pitching, Neil Walker‘s fine play their team MVP, Andrew McCutchen, who just happens to be one of the best players in all of baseball. Hurdle and his players deserves all the credit in the world thus far for even flirting with a plus-.500 season. The NL Central is one of the more crowded divisions in baseball with four teams within three games of the lead (Brewers, Cardinals, Pirates and Cincinnati Reds). But even if they don’t take the division, the marked improvement is unquestioned.

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2011 AL All-Star Game Ballot

Major League Baseball’s 2011 All-Star Game is on July 12. Now that it is only a couple weeks away, The Dugout Doctors would like to present their NL ballot. Go vote now!

Click here for my NL ballot!

Note: All stats are updated as of 6/23/2011.

CATCHER

Alex Avila – Detroit Tigers
(.300/.373/.532, 27 R, 9 HR, 41 RBI, 3 SB)

Many are wondering whether Alex Avila can keep it up, but any catcher that is hitting around .300 with decent power deserves props. It’s been a rough year for catchers with Joe Mauer and Buster Posey (in the NL of course) mostly sidelined. Carlos Santana is heating up, but expectations were higher. Avila shines in a lackluster field.

FIRST BASE

Adrian Gonzalez – Boston Red Sox
(.350/.403/.603, 55 R, 15 HR, 68 RBI, 1 SB)

While Gonzalez will likely win this vote with relative ease, a real case should be made for Miguel Cabrera. Both of these guys are premiere talents who are mashing the ball this year. But both players will make the ASG so I suppose who gets the fan vote is merely a triviality. Gonzalez gets my vote because he rebounded so well from a brief slow start.

SECOND BASE

Robinson Cano – New York Yankees
(.295/.341/.520, 44 R, 14 HR, 47 RBI, 6 SB)

For those that want to make this strictly about Cano or Pedroia, I don’t feel that’s entirely fair. Zobrist, Kendrick and Kinsler are all having great years so far. But Cano gets my vote because I value a big bat at his position. The only gripe I have about Cano is his glove, but this is the All-Star Game, not fielding practice.

THIRD BASE

Alex Rodriguez – New York Yankees
(.292/.374/.506, 47 R, 13 HR, 44 RBI, 4 SB)

Depending on the day, the better player can be either Youkilis or Rodriguez. A-Rod hits for better power, but Youk gets on-base more. A-Rod’s the better fielder, but Youk’s has him beat in a few sabermetrics categories. So why A-Rod? He’s the superstar. Fans pay to see guys like him.

SHORTSTOP

Asdrubal Cabrera – Cleveland Indians
(.296/.346/.498, 48 R, 12 HR, 48 RBI, 12 SB)

I don’t know how anybody can vote against Cabrera without being a homer. What he’s done for Cleveland, it can’t be measured, he’s the real deal this year. Whether it’s a sexy web gem (he’s not that great defensively though) or hitting a blast into the cheap seats, he’s exceeded everyone’s expectations.

LEFT FIELD

Brett Gardner – New York Yankees
(.293/.371/.444, 35 R, 4 HR, 18 RBI, 14 SB)

Outfielders aren’t selected in this manner, but it feels more genuine to me. The competition is very thin at left field and while Alex Gordon has played great, I just really like Gardner’s game. He’s one of the best defensive outfielders, can hit for contact and is the consummate leadoff hitter.

CENTER FIELD

Curtis Granderson – New York Yankees
(.280/.356/.593, 62 R, 21 HR, 54 RBI, 10 SB)

Granderson is putting up a MVP-type season and while everyone knew he could be good, he seems to get better every year. He’s putting up Bautista-esque numbers while playing center field. Ellsbury is having a great year himself, but outside of hitting for a better average and more steals, the comparison isn’t all that close between he and Grand.

RIGHT FIELD

Jose Bautista – Toronto Blue Jays
(.325/.470/.645, 55 R, 21 HR, 46 RBI, 5 SB)

Bautista has cooled off in recent weeks, but he was hitting out of his mind. There was no way he could keep it up. He could put up half his production thus far in the second half and still have a great year on paper. But I am concerned his average will drop down to where it was last season (.260).

DESIGNATED HITTER

David Ortiz – Boston Red Sox
(.317/.395/.592, 47 R, 17 HR, 48 RBI, 1 SB)

Giving credit where credit is due, Ortiz keeps plugging along like the basher that is. No one is even in Ortiz’s league right now as evidenced by him doubling the homer total of any other DH. He’s also sporting a career-low strikeout rate (12.7 percent), and this just might be his best season in years.

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