Well, the pennant races are finally hitting the home stretch, and it is at this time of year that we usually find out who the league MVPs are. Who are the players that put their team on their back throughout the season, and carried them through the thick of the pennant race? If you took that particular player off of a contender, would that team be in the position they are in? Those are the questions that voters usually look at when it comes to who deserves the recognition of the "Most Valuable Player." Tonight, we'll take a look at the top three candidates in the American League.
Stats are as of September 13.
3.) Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers
.335 batting average, 34 home runs, 116 RBIs, .429 OBP
Cabrera is arguably having the best all-around season of the three players listed here this year. His 116 RBIs and .429 OBP both lead the American League, while his batting average and home runs rank second and third respectively. If the Tigers were having a better season, he would definitely be the runaway pick for the MVP. Unfortunately for him, and for the Tigers and their fans, this summer has not been kind to them, as their 72-72 record would attest. The fact that the Tigers are not in contention right now will be the only reason Miguel Cabrera won't win the MVP.
2.) Paul Konerko, Chicago White Sox
.322 batting average, 36 home runs, 104 RBIs, .399 OBP
I know many of you out there may think this is a heavily biased pick, but just hear me out on this one. Konerko has been raking for the Sox all year, and this year is turning out to be a career one for "Paulie." He's currently fifth in the AL in batting average, second in home runs, tied for fourth in RBIs with Vladimir Guerrero, and is fifth in on-base percentage. Here's a potential dilemma with Konerko's case though: the Sox still have a very decent shot at missing the playoffs, and still finishing with a better record than the Texas Rangers (they're only one game worse than Texas right now). The thing that could hurt Konerko's MVP chances is similar to Miguel Cabrera's in nature, but at the same time more unfair. With the way the Twins are rolling right now, they still have an outside shot at finishing with the best record in the AL, something completely out of the control of Konerko and the Sox. Should Konerko get penalized by the voters only for the reason that the Sox have a much tougher divisional foe than Josh Hamilton's Rangers do? I don't think so, but that's what usually happens in cases like these. C'est la vie.
1.) Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers
.361 batting average, 31 home runs, 97 RBIs, .414 OBP
The only reason why I still think Hamilton deserves the MVP over Konerko is because his overall numbers are better. While he trails Konerko in home runs by five and in RBIs by seven, he is still outhitting him by 39 points, and has a higher OBP by 15 points. I also believe that defense should come into play when comparing the two, and while Konerko is very underrated as a defender at first base, Hamilton plays a much more demanding position in the outfield. He still excels defensively, while putting on a great performance at the plate, too. I don't want to compare the two team's positions in the standings, because that would be unfair to both Konerko and Hamilton. In a case like this, you just look at each individual player and what they bring to their team, and in this case, Hamilton edges Konerko, both offensively and defensively.
Check back soon for the NL MVP candidates!
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