Captain Clutch or "Mr. November"

Breaking His Ankle

Could the struggling Yankees be without their captain for even longer? That is what the baseball world wants to know. Many may think that with Jeter being down, the Yankees will struggle coming out of the gate. I believe though that with Jeter being absent for a couple of days might benefit them. Derek is a tremendous leader no doubt about it, but he is battling a very difficult injury. Jeter currently is facing an ankle injury. He broke his ankle last year versus the Detroit Tigers while fielding a ground ball in the American League Championship series. Jeter had to have surgery and is reportedly back at practice. It is great that he is recovering fast, but it might be better for the Yankees if he sat out a couple of weeks. Jeter could still be in their locker room, as he is a great leader, but it would be best for the a Yankees if they had Jeter fully recover to his Hall of Fame potential before coming back at 50%. Eduardo Nunez is a stellar backup infielder. He has major league experience in clutch situations. If Eduardo can bat anything above .260 for two weeks, bat ninth, and playing good defense, the Yankees could still be a first place contender in Derek's absence. The Yankees already have a pretty banged up lineup without Jeter, and in my opinion, I would rather have a healthy backup player for a couple of weeks than an injured star. The injured player has a better chance of prolonging his injury if he is playing at game speed everyday rather than taking it easy for a week. Having a key player injured at the beginning of the season is less detrimental than at the end when you know how many games you need to win to clinch the playoffs. Jeter should sit out for a couple of weeks until he is FULLY recovered; if the Yanks allow him that time, they could be poised for a playoff run. 

The Wild Cards

Robinson Cano Homerun Derby

The list I have comprised is an opinion of mine that many would like to argue. These players are obviously not the only cut and dry players that are Most Valuable Player candidates. Some might say Robinson Cano or Mike Trout. Not doubt about it, they are all above average players who all bring electricity to the ballpark in their own respect, but I do not see them as "all that". Cano is a stelar second baseman for the New York Yankees. His defense is the best aspect of his game in my eyes. Sure Cano can hit 25 plus home runs year after year. You have to remember where he is playing though! They are playing at Yankee Stadium. Cano is left handed which means he has to hit a dinky line drive down the right field line, which might be an easy out at any other park, and it could affect the game! I have a problem with this Yankee team in general being considered the "Bronx Bombers" when they have the smallest stadium corner to corner. Mike Trout, my oh my. This youngster was going neck to neck with Miguel Cabrera in MVP voting all the way up to the last game of the season. The biggest difference between the two is, Miggy sent his team to the playoffs, Trout did not. Trout and the Angels were almost non-existent in the home stretch of the 2012 MLB season. There are many reasons why Trout is not a better player than Cabrera, but many people want to over look them. Trout had 40 more strikeouts than Cabrera in 21 less games. Trout did not play every single day like Cabrera did which means he got some R&R every so often. Trout only had 20 more runs scored than Cabrera and Trout is a leadoff man, his job is to get on base and score! Another key point people make is that Trout was a better fielder, well would you look at that, Mr. Trout does not have a gold glove? This does not mean that I think these players are bad, I just think they are not on the same level as Miggy, Hamilton, Verlander, Pujols, or Buster.

The one, the only, Mike Trout

5) Buster Posey

Gerald Dempsey Posey is the final player to slide his way onto this list. He is the only National League player who was recognized today; he is also the only catcher. Some people might argue that there are more qualified candidates, but this man is for sure worthy of this list. Buster plays the toughest position in baseball. He has played three seasons all for the San Francisco Giants. Buster was the rookie of the year in his first season (2010). Buster is the youngest player on this list and has the least experience, year wise! Playing wise, he has played in as many, if not more, high intensity games. He has been a part of Championship games and has been one two World Series winning teams. In three seasons, two World Series is pretty dang good. He could have helped his team win three straight if he had not been injured his sophomore season. Buster recovered like no other in his third season and won the Most Valuable Player award last year and he carried a struggling San Francisco team's offense. Buster was injured when a player tagging up from third base intentionally led with his shoulder and slammed into Buster at home plate and nailed him in the head. Buster recovered from this injury and came out firing on all cylinders. Buster plays the toughest position because he is always involved in the play. He has to be mentally prepared and physically prepared every game or he will not perform well. If you have never caught before, you do not know the strain it puts on you. Your legs always get tired, and it takes more than one nights rest to recuperate to correct form. Buster can still produce huge numbers even though he plays the most difficult position on the field. His numbers match up with some of the best hitters in the game who do not have the stress of catching a 99 mile per hour fast ball ever night. Buster is a phenomenal catcher and hitter and that is why he closes my list.

Winning it all!

4) Albert Pujols

Sports Illustrated Feat.

THE MACHINE!!

Jose Alberto Pujols also known as Prince Albert, Phat Albert, and my favorite THE MACHINE! Over Albert's 12 year career he has been one of the most consistent hitters in the entire league. He is always around a .300 average, 30 plus home runs, 100 plus runs batted in, and 170 hits per year. He has won the Most Valuable Player award three times in his eleven year tenure with the Saint Louis Cardinals. He is an annual top 5 MVP candidate being in the top 5 ten of twelve times in voting including his rookie campaign finishing fourth! He won back to back Most Valuable Player awards from 2008-09. Albert has been a leading force for St. Louis winning two World Series with them. He was one of their best players ever! That is saying something too considering who has played for the Cardinals. He ranks among Stan Musial, Bob Gibson, Ozzie Smith, Mark McGwire, and Rogers Hornsby. Pujols is no slouch on the defensive end. He is a two-time Gold Glove winner. This past season he divorced his long time love of St. Louis to head to a bigger named city like Los Angeles. He struggled in his first season with the Angels. His home run power was lacking, his average was at a career low, and he was not stroking the ball like normal. He was still getting accustomed to the American League. Once he found his groove, he was back on pace to being the big time investment that the Angels were looking for. Albert shocked the baseball world when he signed his huge contract. He signed a 10 year, $240 million dollar contract. In his last season he will be 41 years young. I understand his value now and when they signed him, but to pay a player $28 and $30 million when he is 40 and 41 years old, in my mind is too much. I do not see how they expect him to still produce for that worth, at that age. He is a great player now and a year after year MVP candidate. The Angels for sure expect him to be because they have him locked up for a long, long time.

3) Justin Verlander

Ace

Justin Brooks Verlander rolls in at number three on this list of greats. Verlander is the only pitcher too make my list of Most Valuable Players. He is not on here though because he is from Detroit. Justin is the league's most elite pitcher and has been for most of his career. He was a home grown and raised Detroit Tiger. He only started two games in his "rookie year". In his second season, his official rookie year, he carried a heavy load of the Detroit Tigers pitching staff starting a tremendous thirty games for a rookie. He performed quite well, winning the Rookie of the Year award. Other than Justin's 2008 season where he lost a hefty 17 games, he has not lost more than 9 games in one season. He has been a 15 game winner five times, and a twenty game winner once. In that year where he won twenty games he won the Most Valuable Player and the Cy Young award (2011). The last pitcher to win the MVP was Dennis Eckersley in 1992. Back to Verlander's outstanding, he led the league in lowest earned run average (2.40), strikeouts (239), and wins (24). Year in and year out J.V. is out on that mound, making 30 plus starts for the Detroit Tigers. He puts his team in a situation to almost every time he is totting the rubber. I am expecting Justin to have a great year this year with the addition of Victor Martinez back in that potent offense they throw at you day after day. Martinez will help with run support for Verlander; I expect this to give Verlander at least three more wins!

The Perfect Club

 

2) Josh Hamilton

Priorities

Joshua Holt Hamilton swings his way into second place on my list of top 5 Most Valuable Players. He did not start his major league swinging right away though. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 1999 draft. He played a couple years for their minor league team before he was in a car accident. After the accident he fell in with the wrong crowd and started doing drugs and alcohol. He was required to stay out of baseball on suspensions for a couple years before he was allowed to re-enter the baseball world via the Rule 5 Draft which allowed him to re-enter the baseball world. Hamilton was drafted by the Chicago Cubs and then immediately traded to the Cincinnati Reds for $100,000 in the 2006 draft. Hamilton was in the Reds system for one year, battling various injuries before he was traded to the Texas Rangers. Hamilton was a home run for the Rangers from the start. He came in and started producing right away. He has been an all-star in each of his six seasons in Texas. He has roamed every in of that Texas ballpark playing in all three outfield positions. In Hamilton's last three seasons in Texas, he led them to the post season three times, and the World Series two years in a row from 2010-11. They lost each of those World Series and in 2012 they lost the American League Wild Card Game. Hamilton has been near the top of the home run and runs batted in category validating himself as one of the best hitters in the game today. He had a career high year in batting average batting an amazing .359 in 2010. This past offseason Hamilton parted ways with the Texas Rangers to head to long-time Ranger rival, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He received one of the largest contracts in the history of baseball from them. He will be pairing up with another man on this list, Albert Pujols. I expect Hamilton to flourish this upcoming season in this new environment with another great in Albert. 

After a bomb at Baltimore!

1) Miguel Cabrera

First one since 67'!

Jose Miguel Cabrera Torres also know as Miggy, or Miguel Cabrera is my top Most Valuable Player candidate. Miguel is consistently in the top categories that everyone knows of is the batting average, home runs, and runs batted in. He is also the top in some other statistics that get over looked and under appreciated. First of all, over the past two seasons he has only missed two games! That is insane considering there are 162 games in each season totaling 324 games. That is not even counting spring training and the postseason. You know for a fact he is not sitting out a playoff game! Spring training is another thing, but that is for the benefit of his ball club so they can see the youngsters perform and make the club. Miggy is also in the top of total bases, on base percentage, slugging percentage, and on base plus slugging percentage. Last season was Miguel's tenth season. Over the course of his career he has been an MVP candidate every season! He has been ranked in the top 27, every season he has played. Of those ten seasons, he has been voted in the top 5 six times! Cabrera is my top candidate because he is one of the best hitters, an above average fielder with a great arm, and he is a team player. Sure everyone wants to win, and wants to help their team get better. Miguel though is different; Miguel switched to a position he was unfamiliar to. He had a tremendous season at first base in Detroit for the Tigers batting a career high in batting average with a .344 average. The next offseason, the Tigers pursued Milwaukee first baseman Prince Fielder. Miggy knew that Fielder would increase his chance to win the big dance, the coveted championship, the World Series. Cabrera trained all offseason, spring season, and throughout the regular season at third base so the Tigers could bring in Prince. Miguel sacrificed himself for the greater good of the team, and that is what puts him over the top in my mind to be an annual MVP contender.

Need hitting lessons? Watch this man!

The Top 5 Baseball Players of Today

Every year at the conclusion of the season the voting for season awards take place. One of the most honorable awards is the Most Valuable Player award. This award is given to the player who performed the best for their team. The winner is usually toward the top of the list in various categories, whether it be batting average, home runs, or runs batted in. These are not the only categories that get taken into consideration when the voting takes place. If a pitcher is in contention, they are usually toward the top in earned run average, strikeouts, and innings pitched. Choosing the Most Valuable Player is not always cut and dry. There are certain aspects to every candidate's game that need to be evaluated. For example, second baseman is not expected to have as home runs or runs batted in as a first or third baseman. The second baseman would be expected to have a higher average, fielding percentage, and different hitting statistics. Sometimes fans have favoritism to their team's player, but the voters can not have favoritism. The most valuable player award is given out usually to a position player, but pitchers have won before. Twenty-one pitchers have won the Most Valuable Player award in the entire history of the Major League Baseball. Nine National League pitchers have won this award, and twelve American League pitchers have won, with only one repeat winner as a pitcher, Hal Newhouser in 1944 and 1945 for the Detroit Tigers. Year in, and year out, the Most Valuable Player award is always highly analyzed and criticized. Here are my top five players most deserving of the award annually.

MVP Award