Season 57 Player Awards

The playoffs are underway and that means it's award voting season! Below are my thoughts on the ballot and my picks for each award. I'll be updating throughout the playoffs as I have time.

AL MVP

• Al Perez (1B) - 55 HR / 1.069 OPS / 3 SB
• Tony Martin (2B) - 29 HR / 1.027 OPS / 65 SB
• Will Adkinson (RF) - 41 HR / 1.082 OPS / 40 SB
• Shouta Wang (3B) - 18 HR / .925 OPS / 69 SB
• Tommy Mullins (CF) - 36 HR / .890 OPS / 19 SB

This list includes 3 players from Albuquerque after a season that saw them put up 71 more Runs than any other team! I think this is really a 3 man race with Wang and Mullins on the outside. Both had excellent seasons, with Wang's 69 SB and 23+ Plays at 3B really standing out, but the top 3 players on this list really stood out.

The choice between Perez, Martin, and Adikson is really a matter of what you value. Perez has the classic power numbers, with a league leading 55 HR and 158 RBI. Martin made good on his max contract by putting up a boat load of SBs and a very impressive slash line. Adkinson is somewhere is between those two with 40 SBs and the 2nd highest OPS in the league.

It's a tough choice, but my vote is for Tony Martin. The tie breaker for me is position, and while Martin isn't a plus defender at 2B he isn't a poor defender either. Having those numbers while holding down a premium position exactly why sebel handed him a max deal this offseason.

NL MVP

• Jose Schoop (SS) - 45 HR / 1.139 OPS / 21 SB
• Philip Benard (1B) - 34 HR / 1.004 OPS / 17 SB
• Antonio Meng (CF) - 42 HR / .952 OPS / 19 SB
• Alexander Hodges (LF) - 40 HR / 1.043 OPS / 29 SB
• Oswaldo Benavente (LF) - 31 HR / .906 OPS / 12 SB

Like Martin in the AL, Schoop made good on his max contract and delivered a league leading 1.139 OPS. Unfortunately the same can't said for his defense, where he totaled 28 Errors and 10 Negative Plays on his way to the 5th worst Fielding % for qualified SS.

Antonio Meng (who is set to become a FA this offseason) clubbed 42 HRs but his OPS is 187 points behind Schoop. Like Schoop, Meng does play a premium position, but unlike Schoop he plays the position well. Meng totaled 4 Plus Plays and only 2 Errors in CF this season.

Former MVP Phillip Bernard and rookie sensation Alexander Hodges put up similar numbers that are more than worth of this award. Oswaldo Benavente had a great season but seems a distant 5th on this ballot.

For me it really comes down to Schoop and Meng. The homer in me wants to pick Meng and I can make a strong argument for him when you consider how much better he was in the field this season. However I am going with Schoop who's offensive stats are just too much to ignore.

AL CY YOUNG

• Mikey Porter - 230.2 IP / 1.10 WHIP / 8.22 K/9
• Harry Olivares - 197.1 IP / 1.16 WHIP / 6.40 K/9
• Yusmeiro Odor - 244.0 IP / 1.14 WHIP/ 9.11 K/9
• Willson Corey - 70.0 IP /1.07 WHIP / 8.61 K/9
• Noel Mendoza - 209.1 IP / 1.32 WHIP / 6.37 K/9

The top seed in the AL, Cleveland, boasts 3 players on this list. Willson Corey has the best stats of those three but his 70 IP is too low for consideration with the rest of this group. Olivares and Mendoza put up ~200 innings of great baseball apiece that may have won the award in other seasons.

This really comes down to Mickey Porter and Yusemiro Odor. Porter boasts the better WHIP, ERA, OAV, and BB/9. In addition to those impressive numbers, Porter tossed a No Hitter while helping his team to 101 Wins this season. Odor, the former 2 time Cy Young winner, threw for more innings with far more K's this season.

It's really close, but my vote will be for Mickey Porter. Odor is the better pitcher but the numbers just aren't their for him to win another Cy Young this season. 

NL CY YOUNG

• Vicente Santana - 202.1 IP / 1.04 WHIP / 8.15 K/9
• Francisco Mota - 219.0 IP / 1.12 WHIP / 9.33 K/9
• Ken Puffer - 151.0 IP / 1.01 WHIP / 7.33 K/9
• Harvey Gowens - 138.1 IP / 1.19 WHIP / 6.39 K/9
• Geovany Gil - 242.0 IP / 1.09 WHIP / 6.32 K/9

Like Cleveland in the AL, Cincinnati dominates this ballot with 3 nominations. You could make a case that number is 3.5, with Geovany Gil throwing 85 of his inning with Cincinnati before a mid season trade.

Ken Puffer would have likely run away with this award if not for a devastating injury. He still finishes with a great stat line, including 30 Wins if you care for such things, but the 150 innings is too little in my book. Same for Harvey Gowens, a great season but 138 innings isn't getting it done this year.

Santana, Mota, and Gil all have strong cases. Gil threw an NL leading 242 innings and sports a fantastic WHIP. Mota has the worst WHIP of the three but has the best K/9 over 219 innings. Santanta rounds up the group with the lowest innings pitched but the best WHIP and a far better K/9 than Gil.

It really comes down to quality vs quantity and how much you value strikeouts. I'm going to find the middle ground on those stats while playing my homer card and vote Mota. This is a really tough call and I wouldn't be surprised to see any of those three win the award.