2011 SB Nation Awards: American League MVP

by Al Yellon on Nov 10, 2011 12:00 PM CST in MLB News

Jose Bautista of the Toronto Blue Jays bats during MLB game action against the Los Angeles Angels at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Brad White/Getty Images)

There was quite a bit of debate this year about whether Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander deserved to win the MVP award as well as the Cy Young; two days ago you learned that SB Nation voters gave him our AL Cy Young.

Since this is a NL blog, we didn't get a vote. Truth be told, if I had one, I'd have voted for him. Some SB Nation AL voters agreed, as you'll see, but most did not; Jose Bautista of the Blue Jays was the winner in a close vote over the Red Sox' Jacoby Ellsbury.

Full balloting after the jump.

Rank	Name	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th	Total
1	Jose Bautista	10	9	2	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	251
2	Jacoby Ellsbury	7	9	3	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	224
3	Miguel Cabrera	2	1	6	5	4	4	2	-	-	-	172
4	Curtis Granderson	1	2	5	5	2	5	-	-	1	1	147
5	Justin Verlander	3	3	4	2	3	1	-	1	-	1	142
6	Dustin Pedroia	-	-	1	3	4	2	4	1	2	-	86
7	Ian Kinsler	-	-	1	2	2	4	2	3	1	1	74
8	Adrian Gonzalez	-	-	-	-	2	2	5	1	5	2	57
9	Evan Longoria	-	-	2	-	2	-	2	3	3	-	51
10	Alex Gordon	-	-	-	-	2	2	1	1	1	2	33
11	Robinson Cano	1	-	-	-	1	-	1	2	2	2	32
12	Alex Avila	-	-	-	-	-	2	1	1	3	2	25
13	CC Sabathia	-	-	-	-	-	-	3	3	1	1	24
14	Ben Zobrist	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	3	1	4	23
14	Adrian Beltre	-	-	-	1	1	-	1	-	2	2	23
16	Michael Young	-	-	-	-	1	1	-	1	-	-	14
17	Mike Napoli	-	-	-	1	-	1	-	-	-	-	12
18	Paul Konerko	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	-	-	6
19	Jered Weaver	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	1	4
20	Elvis Andrus	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	3
21	James Shields	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	2
21	David Ortiz	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	2
21	Victor Martinez	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	2
24	Brett Gardner	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	1
24	Dan Haren	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	1
24	Mark Teixeira	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	1

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Comments

This group of voters ar full of stupid.

CC? Andrus? longoria? Really!?!

Voting high is clear acceptable.

What a joke.

by BrewCrew'sPrinceofDarkness on Nov 10, 2011 12:50 PM CST reply actions

The third place vote for Longoria was a little ridiculous.

I don’t see how you can bitch about one 8th place vote for Andrus, though.

The first place vote for Cano, too, isn’t quite right.

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by Al Yellon on Nov 10, 2011 12:53 PM CST up reply actions

Why is 3rd place for Longoria a little ridiculous?

It’s not like it was a 1st place vote.

At what point would it have not been ridiculous?

Am I the only one flagging this guy?
Seriously, do we have to wait for the money shot or a "F*** THE SOXXXXXX!" before we ban him? Doubleteapot… BAN HIM!!

by AlohaSox on Sep 28, 2011 10:20 PM CDT

by SandalsNoPants on Nov 10, 2011 7:27 PM CST up reply actions

You really think Evan Longoria was the third-best player in the AL in 2011?

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by Al Yellon on Nov 11, 2011 7:17 AM CST up reply actions

No, but I don't think a couple third place votes is that bad.

Different strokes for different folks. I’m sure the argument can be made. One such argument: Maybe he wasn’t the 3rd BEST player, but he may have been the 3rd MOST VALUABLE player. I’m spitballing here, but I don’t think a couple of 3rd place votes is all that ridiculous.

Am I the only one flagging this guy?
Seriously, do we have to wait for the money shot or a "F*** THE SOXXXXXX!" before we ban him? Doubleteapot… BAN HIM!!

by AlohaSox on Sep 28, 2011 10:20 PM CDT

by SandalsNoPants on Nov 11, 2011 10:55 PM CST up reply actions

Pitchers have their award...Cy Young

My vote woulda went to Granderson.

"Keep looking into the past and you'll keep repeating the past" - Some Smart Guy

by Easy Ed on Nov 10, 2011 1:48 PM CST reply actions

MVP is not a hitters-only award.

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by Al Yellon on Nov 10, 2011 2:19 PM CST up reply actions

You're right...

…but a Cy Young is a pitchers only award. Can’t see giving an MVP to a player who plays 6 times a month. If Carlton doesn’t win it in 1972, then NO pitcher should ever win it.

"Keep looking into the past and you'll keep repeating the past" - Some Smart Guy

by Easy Ed on Nov 10, 2011 2:42 PM CST up reply actions

Just because...

the voters in 72 made the mistake and didn’t award the MVP to Carlton (only 1 voter did vote for Carlton that year), doesn’t mean that Verlander shouldn’t get consideration today. Thought processes have changed over the years. What people thought was right back then isn’t necessarily what people think today.

See the Cubs 2012 schedule at http://cubsbythenumbers.com/sched2012.html
Also see what old Cubs Scorecards looked like at http://cubsbythenumbers.com/scorecards.html

by kaseyi on Nov 10, 2011 3:16 PM CST up reply actions

and the hitters have their award

its called a silver slugger…the fielders have their award, its called a gold glove.

MVP = Most Valuable Player which has morphed into the Best Player on the Best Team award. My vote would have gone to Verlander hands down – the rest of the staff pitched .500 ball, Verlander is the sole reason the Tigers made the playoffs. Not sure how much more valuable you can get.

by hansman1982 on Nov 13, 2011 6:33 PM CST up reply actions

Verlander is the MVP hands down

… it is not the best player award, it is most valuable player, Verlander got the Tigers to the playoffs, that is more valuable than Batista

by chit0wn on Nov 10, 2011 2:33 PM CST reply actions

^ THIS

by EalyEagle on Nov 10, 2011 2:58 PM CST up reply actions

If Verlander is even 3/4 as good as he was this season

that team doesn’t make it to the playoffs. Period. He is that good and that’s more than you can say about Joey Bats.

www.facebook.com/craighudak

by Craig in South Bend on Nov 10, 2011 2:37 PM CST reply actions

^ THIS TOO

by EalyEagle on Nov 10, 2011 2:58 PM CST up reply actions

Verlander didn't even record the highest WAR this season.

He was third, behind Halladay and CC. 8.2, 7.1, and 7.0. Halladay walked less, gave up less homers, and had a better FIP.

"The riches of the game are in the thrills, not the money." --Ernie Banks

by dtpollitt on Nov 10, 2011 3:22 PM CST up reply actions

Halladay wasn't in the American League.

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by Al Yellon on Nov 10, 2011 3:34 PM CST up reply actions

Considering Detroit won their division by 15 games

75% Verlander would likely have been enough. Even 50% Verlander might have been enough. Granted, one-half Verlander is still better than a lot of pitchers, but it doesn’t look like he carried Detroit to the playoffs single-handed.

by Fromalabama on Nov 10, 2011 5:19 PM CST up reply actions

the rest of the Tigers staff was .500

so yes, Verlander is the reason for the playoff season in Detroit

by hansman1982 on Nov 13, 2011 6:34 PM CST up reply actions

If Verlander, who won 24 of 34 games started...

…was replaced with a pitcher or pitchers who won 17 of those 34 instead, the Tigers still go to the playoffs by a comfortable margin, although if all seven of those extra losses came against Cleveland it would have been a squeaker. (Verlander pitched against Cleveland 3 times last season, all of which were Tiger wins.) Whatever hypothetical replacement pitcher takes his place, he only has to function well enough for the team to win about a third of his starts for the Tigers to make the postseason.
Yes, Verlander had an outstanding season, but so did several other Detroit players. That, combined with an AL Central Division with no other team above .500, is what got Detroit playing in October.

by Fromalabama on Nov 13, 2011 8:07 PM CST up reply actions

If Wade Davis was even 9/10 as good as he was this season, the Rays don't make it.

Good argument, right?

Am I the only one flagging this guy?
Seriously, do we have to wait for the money shot or a "F*** THE SOXXXXXX!" before we ban him? Doubleteapot… BAN HIM!!

by AlohaSox on Sep 28, 2011 10:20 PM CDT

by SandalsNoPants on Nov 10, 2011 7:29 PM CST up reply actions

DUMB DUMB DUMB

Not only did Ellysbury record more than a full win higher than Bautista (9.4 vs 8.3), he did it with superior defense, whereas Bautista cost his team runs in the field.

"The riches of the game are in the thrills, not the money." --Ernie Banks

by dtpollitt on Nov 10, 2011 3:20 PM CST reply actions

This isn't solely limited to stats, though

www.facebook.com/craighudak

by Craig in South Bend on Nov 10, 2011 4:30 PM CST up reply actions

Correct.

It’s not the “Best WAR Award”.

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by Al Yellon on Nov 11, 2011 7:17 AM CST up reply actions

Actually there's no real criteria for the award, so people can basically make up whatever context they want.

That’s what the voters seem to do anyhow.

by Ozzie Montana on Nov 14, 2011 11:42 PM CST up reply actions

Didn't Bautista have a higher bWAR?

Am I the only one flagging this guy?
Seriously, do we have to wait for the money shot or a "F*** THE SOXXXXXX!" before we ban him? Doubleteapot… BAN HIM!!

by AlohaSox on Sep 28, 2011 10:20 PM CDT

by SandalsNoPants on Nov 10, 2011 7:28 PM CST up reply actions