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Monday July 15, 2013
Chris Davis is having a breakout season for the Baltimore Orioles. He has already hit 37 Home Runs at the ALL – Star Break (Tied 1st ALL – Time for HRs at break with Reggie Jackson in 1969 (A’s) is the only person – that is keeping Miguel Cabrera from a potential second Triple Crown. Davis has always been a player that swings for the fences but this season he is connecting and sending balls a long way. Will he end up winning the Most Valuable Player Award? We will have to wait and see – but here are my predictions.
Ryan Ritchey (Baseball Writer): Follow @BaseballAddicts
The American League has three worthy candidates for the Most Valuable Player Award. Chris Davis, Max Scherzer and Miguel Cabrera. It will be a tight race until game 162 is played but here are my predictions are the first half comes to a close…
First I will start with Chris Davis. Does he deserve to win the MVP? Yes, but will he? That is a whole other question. He has the numbers that deserves the MVP.
He has already surpassed his Home Run and RBI totals from last season and has only played in 93 games. It could be the change of scenery, knowing his name will be on the line up card every day, it could be something else. We will never know.
But there is one thing stopping him. If you took Chris Davis out of the Oriole line-up I still think they win games. They have enough fire power in other guys to survive without him.
If you are going to win the MVP you have to be the best player first for your team, and second in the entire league.
That is why I don’t have Chris Davis as my American League Most Valuable Player. There is one player better than him.
Chris Davis 2013 Highlights:
Max Scherzer is having the best year for any American League starter as we head into the break. How great you ask.. He is now 13-1 with a 3.19 ERA. He is most likely going to be the starting pitcher for American League in the All-Star Game on Tuesday.
The second candidate for the American League MVP has to go to Max Scherzer. It’s not to often that you hear about a pitcher having an undefeated record going into the All-Star Break.
In any other year Scherzer would’ve made it to the All-Star Break with an undefeated record, besides this year.
Playing over 90 games before the break is insane but Scherzer gave it a good ride. Losing his first game on Friday night he is now 13-1 with a 3.19 ERA and .98 WHIP.
It wasn’t too long ago that a Tigers pitcher by the name of Justin Verlander won the American League MVP. So why not do it again? I don’t believe that he will end up winning it but I do believe his teammate does…
Miguel Cabrera is having one of the best first halves in the history of baseball. The thing that most people overlook is that the All-Star Break is more than 90 games into the season this season. Never the less Miguel Cabrera has put up major numbers. 131 Hits, 30 Home Runs, 95 RBI, and a .367 average. He recorded 139 RBI last year and it looks like he will easily surpass that number in this campaign. A second straight triple crown is in his mind and I guess you can say that he is having a “decent” first half.
The last candidate for the American League is Miguel Cabrera. The reigning Most Valuable Player and Triple Crown Winner is at it again in 2013 as he has put up video game numbers.
In his first 91 games played – he has 131 Hits, 30 Home Runs, 95 RBI and a .367 average.
Now stop and look at those numbers again and think about that for a second. Make sure you look at the 91 games played and not mistake it for 162. Yes he has numbers that most players don’t have at the end of the season.
He is undoubtedly the best hitter in baseball right now and it doesn’t look like he is slowing down.
If I got a vote he would be at the top of the list on my ballot without even thinking twice about. The MVP should go to the player that if the team was without him, they wouldn’t be a winning club.
In my opinion the Tigers would be below .500 right now if Cabrera wasn’t on the line-up card every night hitting third.
That who is I have winning the MVP for the American League. Read on and find out who my candidates are for the National League…
Paul Goldschmidt is having a great season for the first place Arizona Diamondbacks. He has already surpassed his 2012 Home Run total of 20 with 21 at the break and a miraculous 77 RBI. He is leading the Diamondbacks – bu is he an NL MVP?
The National League Most Valuable Player isn’t as easy to predict as the American League. There are plenty of players that could end up winning it but here are my top three…
First I have Paul Goldschmidt of the Arizona Diamondbacks. He is leading his club in every offensive category -and they are leaning on him to have a great second half until the pitching figures it out.
In 93 games played before the All-Star Break Goldschmidt has 21 Home Runs and 77 RBI to go along with his .310 batting average.
This was difficult for me because I love his game and what he does for the club in the National League West, but I don’t have him winning the MVP. He will have plenty of chances to win the MVP as he is only 25 but this year is not the year.
Carlos Gonzalez is next on my list. Gonzalez has been on the Injured List at times this season but the numbers don’t lie. 25 Home Runs and 64 RBI along with keeping the Rockies in the NL West race.
He doesn’t get much attention out on the west coast but he has been playing great baseball in the first half.
It is not only his offense but his defense as well. It doesn’t matter the score or the inning he will go all out to catch a ball and save a run. That is something you can’t replace on a team.
Does he deserve the MVP? Any other year he would be my first half MVP but there is just one player better than him.
Yadier Molina is one of the most important players on the St. Louis Cardinals and he has shown that this season. He has played in 86 games this season and has been amazing every inning of them.
It isn’t just the stats he leaves in the box score but he is also the glue that keeps this team together.
The stats help him out also. He is on pace to throw out 40% of runners for the eighth consecutive season. He is also hitting .339 at the plate.
Molina is my National League MVP because of all the things he does. If you take him out of the line up the team is not the same and that is why he is the most “valuable”.
Everyone might not agree with me on this one but catchers deserve more credit for what they do and Yadi should get the MVP Award in 2013.
Yadier Molina has been the number one catcher in the league for many years and this year is no different. He is carrying his load defensively, offensively and emotionally. He is having a year for the ages as a from his position. He is on his way to throwing out 40% of runners for the eighth time in his career. He is hitting .339 and has an on base percentage of .383. If you couldn’t tell Yadier Molina is my National League MVP! “
*** The views and opinions expressed in this report are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of mlbreports.com or their partners ***
A big thank-you goes out to Our ‘Baseball Writer‘ Ryan Ritchey for preparing today’s featured article. Ryan is a Baseball Writer for MLB reports. He is a sophomore at Spalding University in Louisville, Kentucky.
Ryan is a huge fan of Barry Larkin and Brandon Phillips He has been a baseball fan his whole life and has been writing about baseball since his freshman year of High School. You can reach Ryan on Twitter Follow @mlbreports
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