JJ's Midseason MLB Awards

QUESTIONS OF THE DAY:

1. What would you pay to have Alex Rodriguez on your team? Is he worth $30 million a year?

2. Was is smart of the Mariners to re-sign Ichiro to a contract that pays approximately $20 million a year?

A.L. MVP- Magglio Ordonez (Tigers)
I know that this sounds ridiculous, but why not? Ninety-nine percent of sportswriters in the nation have Alex Rodriguez in this position, but look at where his team is in the standings. The Yankees are not going to make the playoffs, and the Tigers are one of the best teams in the Major League. And, Ordonez is hitting a league high .365 with 13 HR and 72 RBI. Right now he is the MVP, no questions asked.

A.L. CY Young- C.C. Sabathia (Indians) (12-3 3.58 ERA)
This guy is simply unbelievable; if you have never seen him play, I highly recommend it. Sabathia works quickly and efficiently each and every night he is on the mound, and works himself out of jams better than any pitcher I have ever seen. His pitching style is very similar to that of Carlos Zambrano, but he has a leg up because he doesn’t let his emotions get to him. He is a workhorse who almost always works into the eighth inning, and provides some much needed relief to the bullpen. Sabathia will win 21 games this season and lead his Indians to a division title.

A.L. Rookie of the Year- Daisuke Matsuzaka (Red Sox) (10-6 3.84 ERA)
This one is very easy, and I am almost positive that he will end up winning this award at the end of the season. The only way he won’t is if he somehow gets himself injured and has to miss time. Daisuke has lived up to the hype, and will become the Red Sox ace at some point in his career. He too is a thrill to watch, and his strikeout ability is second to none. Watch for this guy to make some serious noise in the postseason, and win 18 games in the regular season.


N.L. MVP- Prince Fielder (Brewers)
Although this one is very easy to choice at this point in the season, I don’t think Fielder will take away the hardware at the end of the year. He had a great first half with 29 HR and 70 RBI, leading his Brewers to a division lead, but Milwaukee is not going to win the N.L. Central and he is going to fall off. My other N.L. MVP candidates include the Cubs’ 1B Derek Lee, the Mets SS Jose Reyes and OF Carlos Beltran.

N.L. CY Young- Brad Penny (Dodgers) (10-1 2.39 ERA)
Penny didn’t start this year’s All-Star game because he received that honor a year ago. He hit the wall in the second half last season, but I think he will stay motivated and keep the pressure on with the division up for grabs. I think if the Dodgers win the pennant then Penny takes home the hardware, but if the Padres win it then Jake Peavy takes it home. Should be an interesting race.

N.L. Rookie of the Year- Mike Fontenot (Cubs)
The Cubs were pleasantly surprised when they called up Fontenot and received some production. Nobody expected him to do what he’s doing; maybe it’s because he was teamed with his old friend and teammate Ryan Theriot. In 28 games this season Fontenot is hitting a .356 with 3 HR and 16 RBI. He has 37 hits in 114 at-bats and is playing very well in the field. I think he will deserve this award at the end of the season, and will definitely be in the discussion.