Sunday, July 27, 2008

July Awards

This week I will give my July awards. These are as if the season ended at the end of July (stats are as of July 26th).

Rangers Awards:

Rangers MVP: Josh Hamilton, TEX: .306 AVG, 24 HR, 103 RBI’s: Without Josh I can assure you that we would be 3rd place, completely out of contention, and under .500.
Runner-up: Ian Kinsler, TEX

Rangers Cy Young: Vicente Padilla, TEX: 12-5 W-L, 4.56 ERA, 80 K: Vicente has thrown the most innings of any Ranger pitcher and has had a solid year, leading the team in wins.
Runner-up: Eddie Gaurdado, TEX

Rangers Rookie of the Year: David Murphy, TEX: .272 AVG, 14 HR, 64 RBI’s: Murphy is having a great season, and may very well have 100 RBI’s in his rookie year along with 25 homers and a .275 average which would be a very solid year.
Runner-up: Chris Davis, TEX

AL Awards:

AL MVP: Josh Hamilton, TEX: .306 AVG, 24 HR, 103 RBI’s (in only 100 games): Josh has 24 more RBI’s than any AL player, is batting over .300, and is 3rd among the AL in home runs along with his seven stolen bases. He has more RBI’s than games played.
Runner-up: Jermaine Dye, CWS

AL Cy Young: Justin Duchscherer, OAK: 10-6 W-L, 1.87 ERA, 70 K: Justin has double-digit wins and an ERA under two. The only thing going against him is his number of strikeouts.
Runner-up: Mike Mussina, NYY

AL Rookie of the Year: Armando Galarraga, DET: 8-4 W-L, 3.27 ERA, 75 K: It’s a tight race between Armando and Longoria, but at this point I’m going to give a slight edge to Galarraga because of how good his ERA is.
Runner-up: Evan Longoria, TB

AL Manager of the Year: Joe Maddon, TB: Joe has turned a nobody into a force to be reckoned with in just one year.
Runner up: Ron Gardenheier, MIN

NL Awards:

NL MVP: Ryan Braun, MIL: .299 AVG, 26 HR, 74 RBI’s: Ryan is almost hitting .300, is on a contending team, and has very good power numbers.
Runner-up: Chase Utley, PHI

NL Cy Young: Brandon Webb, ARI: 13-4 W-L, 3.11 ERA, 116 K: Webb is tied for the NL in wins, has a very good ERA and a good number of strikeouts.
Runner-up: Kyle Lohse, STL

NL Rookie of the Year: Jair Jurrjens, ATL: 10-5 W-L, 3.02 ERA, 92 K: Jair is having a great year. He has won two-thirds of his decisions and has an ERA that is almost in the two’s.
Runner-up: Yunel Escobar, ATL

NL Manager of the Year: Fredi Gonzalez, FLA: Fredi has done a great job in his first year managing the Marlins and has made them a contender.
Runner-up: Ned Yost, MIL

Also, this weekend I went to see the Grand Prairie Airhogs for the first time. They’re an independent minor league team that was created this year. They’re in the same league as the Fort Worth Cats. They play in the same complex that has Lone Star Park and Nokia Theater. They have a very nice stadium, with a nice play area for little kids, and good food choices. It was a much better experience than the Cats.

Results of last weeks’ poll:
What position do you think the Rangers need to trade for the most?
Starting pitching – 82%
Relief pitching – 18%
All other positions – 0%

Come back next week for an analysis of any trades the Rangers make this next week.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Deadline Deals

This week I will review some of the big names that are reported to be on the trading block and analyze whether or not they are likely to be traded.

The list of players is from http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/news/trade_deadline/index_08.jsp but the opinions are mine.

Catchers:

Ivan Rodriguez, Tigers: No, the Tigers are right in the thick of things in the AL Central. They’re seven and a half games back, but they can definitely come back. They wouldn’t trade Pudge and have to call up a minor leaguer to start.

Ramon Hernandez, Orioles: No, I think they will try to trade him, but that there won’t be enough interest to do so. He has injury issues and isn’t the best catcher available.

Paul Lo Duca, Nationals: Yes, Paul won’t be traded because of talent, but for the fact that he can be a leader on a young team in contention. He might go to the Rays and back up Dioneer Navarro.

Johnny Estrada, Nationals: No, Johnny has been injured most of the year and I don’t think that the interest in him is high enough for him to be traded.

Miguel Olivo, Royals: Yes, Miguel is a good catcher who could start for a team like the Mets who don’t have any solid catchers, or most likely would be an upgrade at back-up for another team.

Yorvit Torrealba, Rockies: Yes, Yorvit can really help a catching squad in need of some help. Also, he has experience in big games now.

Gregg Zaun, Blue Jays: No, his contract is just too big. He has a 2-year/$7.25 million contract and would most likely be a back-up. I don’t think any team would pick up that contract for a back-up catcher.

First base/Third base:

Mark Teixeira Braves: Yes, there are a few teams in the playoff hunt who don’t have either developed or even solid first basemen. The Yankees might be a good suitor.

Carlos Delgado, Mets: No way, the Mets are in contention now and Delgado is hot. There’s no way that they’re dealing him.

Hank Blalock, Rangers: No, his trade value is too low right now. The Rangers will probably wait until the off-season or next year to ship him out.

Casey Blake, Indians: No, I doubt that many teams, if any, are interested in him, and even if someone made an offer, the Indians probably wouldn’t be happy with what little they would receive in return.

Frank Catalanotto, Rangers: Yes, I’d be amazed if he wasn’t traded. The Rangers need starting pitching and Frank with one more player could give the Rangers a solid 3-4-5 spot in the rotation guy.

Andy LaRoche, Dodgers: No, the Dodgers are near first place and wouldn’t want to trade away their back-up plan if Blake DeWitt struggles or gets injured, unless they got an offer that blew them away.

Aubrey Huff, Orioles: Yes, the Yankees or another big-market team would ignore his big contract and get him unless they’ve already solved their first base problem in another trade by then.

Wilson Betemit, Yankees: No, the Yankees really seem to like him, though I don’t know why. They would probably be very tentative to move him out of New York.

Kevin Millar, Orioles: There just aren’t enough contenders that are in need of first basemen who would be willing to pick up Millar for half a year to try to solve their problem.

Melvin Mora, Orioles: No, Mora has a no-trade clause and the Orioles would probably ask for too much in return for another team to get him.

Jose Vidro, Mariners: Yes, there are plenty of NL teams who could use a utility/pinch-hitter guy on their bench.

Mike Jacobs, Marlins: No, the Marlins might try, even though they’re in the playoff race, but because of the fact that they are contenders, they would probably ask too much in return.

Second base/Shortstop:

Brian Roberts, Orioles: No, the Orioles tried to trade him before the year started, but I think that they will decide that he’s worth more than what they will probably be getting and that it would be better to try again later.

David Eckstein, Blue Jays: Yes, although the Blue Jays would have to be happy with a mediocre outfielder or two.

Ray Durham, Giants: No, amazingly with a 40-56 record they are only seven games out in the terrible NL West, so I bet that they’ll hang onto him in case they make a surprising playoff push.

Christian Guzman, Nationals: Yes, Christian is having a career year and the Nationals have no reason to hang onto him.

Juan Uribe, White Sox: No, the White Sox will try to move him, but I don’t think that they’ll be able to get much for him and that they’ll decide that it’ll be better to just hang onto him.

Mark Grudzielanek, Royals: No, Mark is an older guy and I don’t think that his trade value is high enough for them to give him a new address.

Felipe Lopez, Nationals: No, Felipe is going to make 4.9 million dollars this year and I don’t think any team will think that he’s worth that money.

Jack Wilson, Pirates: Yes, the Pirates are already in trade talks with the Dodgers and I don’t see why LA wouldn’t take him on unless Pittsburgh asks for an unreasonable amount in return.

Mark Loretta, Astros: Yes, Mark would be a good utility guy on a contending team and could be a good addition to the bottom half of the line-up.

Outfield:

Matt Holliday, Rockies: No, unless the Rockies get an offer that just completely blows them out of the water with plenty of huge prospects, Matt is going to stay in Colorado.

Adam Dunn, Reds: Yes, many AL teams could use a DH to bulk up the middle of their line-up, and the Reds would probably give him up if they could get some prospects, which I’m sure that they’ll be able to do.

Ken Griffey, Jr., Reds: Yes, there are a couple of AL teams that could use another starting outfielder. The Reds have no reason to keep him.

Jason Bay, Pirates: Yes, the Yankees are interested and every team, even those who don’t even need another outfielder, could make room for Bay and could use him in their line-up.

Emil Brown, A’s: No, Emil has struggled of late and his trade value has gone way down and I’m not sure that any deal will get done.

Milton Bradley, Rangers: No, the Rangers are contending and Milton is a big part of that, although I’m sure that the Rangers would be open to listening to offers.

Jay Payton, Orioles: Yes, every team could use a back-up outfielder, really. Especially a good defensive one like Jay Payton.

Matt Kemp, Dodgers: Yes, the Dodgers don’t seem to be too high on Matt Kemp and many other teams would take him in a heartbeat.

Xavier Nady, Pirates: Yes, the Yankees and Rays are good suitors, and I’m sure almost every team could use that bat in the middle of their lineup.

Starting pitchers:

AJ Burnett, Blue Jays: Yes, there will be at least one team who will be willing to give up minor league talent for Burnett to help them down the stretch.

Erik Bedard, Mariners: Yes, the Mariners are well out of the race, and Bedard wants to get out. The Phillies probably are looking into him because of their lack of starting pitchers, but might not have the prospects to spare.

Randy Wolf, Padres: Yes, the Padres won’t get much, but there’s no reason for them to keep him and I’m sure someone needs him in the rotation.

Daniel Cabrera, Orioles: No, the Orioles are over .500, so they have some upside and they probably won’t trade away the top two men in the rotation. Also, Cabrera’s just too good for them to let him go unless they get blown away.

Paul Byrd, Indians: Yes, as long as the Indians don’t ask for too much. The Rangers might be one suitor, but there are plenty other places where he might go as well.

Adam Eaton, Phillies: No, Adam has been terrible the last couple of years and I don’t think anybody would want to give up someone for a guy who might actually hurt your team with poor performances.

Relief pitchers:

George Sherrill, Orioles: No, the Orioles will probably want to keep him for the future contending Orioles teams that are actually probably just a couple years away.

Chad Bradford, Orioles: Yes, Chad is an older reliever and obviously isn’t part of the O’s future, so they would have no reason to hang on to him.

Jamie Walker, Orioles: He could go to any team that needs a lefty in their bullpen, even though he isn’t performing well.

Dustin Moseley, Angels: Yes, the Angels have too many good middle relievers and Dustin is a quality one who can also spot-start. He would be a good fit for a team with a weak bullpen and injury-prone starters.

Brian Fuentes, Rockies: Yes, there will be some team willing to give up the prospects the Rockies will ask for in return to get Brian.

Damaso Marte, Pirates: Yes, there is room on almost every team in the bigs for a lefty specialist, especially a successful one.

Results of last weeks’ poll:
Who do you think will win the All-star game?
AL – 100%
NL – 0%

Come back next week for my July Awards or a trade analysis if the Rangers make one.

Saturday, July 12, 2008

All-Star Special

This week I will provide analysis on who the All-Stars are and who I think is deserving.

AL All-Stars:

Starter: C Joe Mauer, Twins: Joe deserves to start since he’s batting .323.
Starter: 1B Kevin Youkilis, Red Sox: Justin Morneau should start. He’s leading AL starting first basemen in average, RBI’s, and is 3rd in HR’s. Kevin Youkilis should be a reserve.
Starter: 2B Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox: Ian Kinsler deserves to start. Kinsler leads all of the AL in average, and he also leads AL second basemen in home runs and RBI’s.
Starter: 3B Alex Rodriguez, Yankees: Unfortunately, A-ROD deserves to start, with a .311 batting average, 18 home runs, and 50 RBI’s.
Starter: SS Derek Jeter, Yankees: Michael Young deserves to start, as he leads AL shortstops in batting average (.305), and RBI’s (50), and is 2nd in home runs (7). Jeter is batting .286 with 4 HR’s and 39 RBI’s.
Starter: OF Josh Hamilton, Rangers: Josh definitely deserves to start. He might have 100 RBI’s at the Al-Star break. He’s leading the AL in RBI’s (93), and leads AL outfielders in home runs (21), RBI’s (93), total bases (206), slugging percentage (.560), and is second in batting average (.313).
Starter: OF Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners: Carlos Quentin deserves to start and Ichiro shouldn’t be an All-Star. Carlos has 21 home runs, 66 RBI’s, and a .266 batting average. Ichiro is hitting .302, but only has 3 HR’s and 21 RBI’s.
Starter: OF Manny Ramirez, Red Sox: I think Nick Markakis should start and Manny should not be on the team. Somehow, he didn’t even make the team or the final vote, but he has a .302 average, 14 home runs, 50 RBI’s, and a .400 OBP. It really surprises me he didn’t make the team. Manny has 17 home runs and 59 RBI’s, but a .289 AVG and a .384 OBP. Manny has good stats, but I think that there are better outfielders this year.
Starter: DH Milton Bradley, Rangers: David Ortiz actually got selected as starter, but he’s injured so Bradley is starting and he definitely deserves it.

Reserve: C Dioneer Navarro, Rays: Dioneer deserves to be a back-up catcher, he’s hitting .306 with 4 HR’s and 33 RBI’s.
Reserve: C Jason Varitek, Red Sox: Jason shouldn’t be an All-Star at all, with a .220 average and power numbers that aren’t very good. AJ Pierzynski should be here. AJ is hitting .288 with 7 HR’s and 35 RBI’s.
Reserve: 1B Justin Morneau, Twins: This should be Kevin Youkilis. Justin should start and Kevin should be a reserve.
Reserve: 2B Ian Kinsler, Rangers: This should be Dustin Pedroia. Ian and Dustin should flip-flop and have Ian start and Dustin be a reserve.
Reserve: 3B Joe Crede, White Sox: Joe has good power numbers, but is only hitting .254. I think Ramon Vazquez should be in for him. Vazquez is hitting .316 with 5 home runs and 31 RBI’s.
Reserve: 3B Carlos Guillen, Tigers: I think Mike Lowell should be in for him. Carlos is doing well, but it’s not an All-Star year, with a .284 average with 8 HR’s and 47 RBI’s. Lowell is doing much better. Mike is hitting .297 with 13 home runs and 56 RBI’s.
Reserve: 3B Evan Longoria, Rays: Evan Longoria deserves to be here with a .281 batting average, 16 HR’s and 53 RBI’s.
Reserve: SS Michael Young, Rangers: Michael should be starting and Johnny Peralta should be here. Johnny is only hitting .257, but his power numbers dominate all shortstops except for Young. Peralta has 15 HR’s and 45 RBI’s.
Reserve: OF JD Drew, Red Sox: JD has had a great year and this is where he should be.
Reserve: OF Carlos Quentin, White Sox: Carlos should be starting and Jermaine Dye should be here as the reserve. Jermaine has a .297 AVG, with 20 HR’s, and 53 RBI’s.
Reserve: OF Grady Sizemore, Indians: Grady should be here with his 22 home runs.

Pitcher: Justin Duchscherer, Athletics: Justin definitely deserves to be here. He’s done well enough that he might be the starter.
Pitcher: Roy Halladay, Blue Jays: Roy is pitching great this year, with a 12-6 record, a 2.71 ERA, 146.1 IP, and 121 K. I think he should start. What puts him over the top for me is his seven complete games. That’s more than the Astros, Mets, Giants, Marlins, Reds, Yankees, Pirates, Nationals, Tigers, Cubs and Rockies combined. That’s also more than every team other than his own team. It’s incredible.
Pitcher: Scott Kazmir, Rays: I think this spot should go to Nick Blackburn of the Twins. Scott has done well, but has only pitched 77 innings. Nick has pitched 111.1 and has a 7-4 record and a 3.72 ERA.
Pitcher: Cliff Lee, Indians: Cliff has been amazing and he has a very good chance of starting the game with his 12-2 record.
Pitcher: Joe Nathan, Twins: Joe should be in the All-Star game, as he has 26 saves and a 1.16 ERA.
Pitcher: Jonathon Papelbon, Red Sox: Jonathon should be on the team. He has 27 saves and a 2.27 ERA.
Pitcher: Mariano Rivera, Yankees: Mariano deserves to be in, he is 23-for-23 in save opportunities and has a 1.06 ERA.
Pitcher: Francisco Rodriguez, Angels: K-ROD is doing incredible this year with 36 saves, a 2.48 ERA, and he’s living up to his nickname K-ROD with 38 strike-outs.
Pitcher: Ervin Santana, Angels: Ervin should be in. He has 10 wins, a 3.53 ERA, and 112 strikeouts.
Pitcher: Joe Saunders, Angels: Joe should definitely be an All-Star. He’s having an incredible year.
Pitcher: George Sherrill, Orioles: Since I already have an Oriole in Nick Markakis, I don’t need George Sherrill. Instead of him I’ll take Zach Grienke of the Royals. Zach is having a terrific season with a 7-5 record, a 3.48 ERA, and 104 strikeouts in 124 innings pitched.
Pitcher: Joakim Soria, Royals: Joakim is having a terrific season, striking out more than one batter per inning, with 25 saves and a 1.50 ERA.

My Roster: (players in italics are changes from the actual roster)
C – Joe Mauer
1B – Justin Morneau
2B – Ian Kinsler
3B – Alex Rodriguez
SS – Michael Young
OF – Josh Hamilton
OF – Nick Markakis
OF – Carlos Quentin
DH – Milton Bradley

C – Dioneer Navarro
C – AJ Pierzynski
1B – Kevin Youkilis
2B – Dustin Pedroia
3B – Ramon Vazquez
3B – Mike Lowell
3B – Evan Longoria
SS – Johnny Peralta
OF – JD Drew
OF – Jermaine Dye
OF – Grady Sizemore

P – Justin Duchscherer
P – Roy Halladay
P – Nick Blackburn
P – Cliff Lee
P – Joe Nathan
P – Jonathon Papelbon
P – Mariano Rivera
P – Francisco Rodriguez
P – Ervin Santana
P – Joe Saunders
P – Zach Grienke
P – Joakim Soria

NL All-Stars:

Starter: C Geovany Soto, Cubs: This should be Brian McCann and Soto should be a reserve. Brian has a better batting average (.296), more homers (17), and has struck out 41 less times.
Starter: 1B Lance Berkman, Astros: Lance deserves to start. He is hitting .347 with 22 HR’s and 70 RBI’s. He’s in the top three in all of those categories among NL first basemen.
Starter: 2B Chase Utley, Phillies: Chase should be starting. He’s got a .292 AVG with 25 HR’s and 69 RBI’s. You just don’t see many second basemen with those power numbers.
Starter: 3B Chipper Jones, Braves: Chipper should definitely start. He’s got a .373 batting average and still has 18 home runs. It’s just incredible what he’s doing.
Starter: SS Hanley Ramirez, Marlins: Hanley should start the All-Star game. He’s got a .313 batting average with 23 HR’s and 45 RBI’s. Those are very good numbers and no other shortstop matches them.
Starter: OF Ryan Braun, Brewers: Ryan deserves to start. He’s is batting .290 and has 23 homers and 66 RBI’s. Last year he was Rookie of the Year and this year he’s an All-Star starter. Watch out for this guy.
Starter: OF Kosuke Fukudome, Cubs: Nate McLouth should be starting here and Kosuke should not be an All-Star. Nate is having an incredible breakthrough year. He’s batting .284 with 18 homers and 62 RBI’s. He’s got better numbers than Kosuke at every one of those stats.
Starter: OF Matt Holliday, Rockies: Matt (added to the starting lineup due to Alfonso Soriano’s injury) should be starting for sure. He’s got a .340 AVG and good power numbers, too. He’s quietly been doing well.

Reserve: C Russell Martin, Dodgers: Russell Martin should be here. He’s one of the best catchers in average, home runs, and RBI’s.
Reserve: C Brian McCann, Braves: Geovany Soto should be here. Brian and him should flip-flop between starting and being a reserve.
Reserve: 1B Adrian Gonzalez, Padres: Adrian is hitting .281, which is pretty good. His power numbers don’t disappoint, either. He’s tied for 2nd among NL first basemen with 22 HR’s and he ranks 2nd with 71 RBI’s. He should definitely be in.
Reserve: 1B Albert Pujols, Cardinals: Pujols has a .469 OBP. Anybody with that who starts should be in with no questions asked. Not to mention a .350 batting average with 18 HR’s and 49 RBI’s.
Reserve: 2B Dan Uggla, Marlins: Dan is another slugging second baseman. He has a very good batting average, a very good amount of RBI’s and 23 HR’s.
Reserve: 3B Aramis Ramirez, Cubs: Aramis should be in this spot. He is batting .289 with 17 homers and 66 RBI’s. He’s having a terrific year.
Reserve: 3B David Wright, Mets: David is having a good year, but I think that Garret Atkins of the Rockies should have this spot. Garrett has a .311 batting average and has 14 HR’s and 54 RBI’s. Garrett should be an All-Star. David Wright is hitting .285 with 17 home runs and 70 RBI’s.
Reserve: SS Christian Guzman, Nationals: The Nationals need a player and Guzman is the rightful one. Christian has a .317 average and has been a very successful leadoff man.
Reserve: SS Miguel Tejada, Astros: This should be JJ Hardy. JJ is hitting .291, while Tejada only .276. JJ Hardy has 13 home runs and Tejada 10. And Miguel only has four more RBI’s than Hardy. JJ Hardy is the deserving recipient of this spot.
Reserve: OF Corey Hart, Brewers: This spot was Carlos Lee’s property, but was stolen away by Corey Hart. Carlos has a better batting average (.295 vs. .292), a better OBP (.346 vs. .331), more home runs (21 vs. 15), and more RBI’s (72 vs. 58) than Corey Hart. Carlos Lee should have this spot.
Reserve: OF Ryan Ludwick, Cardinals: Former Ranger Ryan Ludwick has and deserves this spot. With a .281 AVG, 19 HR’s and 60 RBI’s he’s finally breaking through about three or four years late.
Reserve: OF Nate McLouth, Pirates: Since I have Nate starting I’ll give this spot to another Pirate. Xavier Nady should have this spot on the roster. Xavier is hitting .319 and has 12 home runs and 55 RBI’s.

Pitcher: Aaron Cook, Rockies: This spot should be owned by Kyle Lohse. Kyle and Aaron both have 11 wins, but Kyle only has two losses while Cook has six. Kyle (3.39) also has a better ERA than Cook (3.57).
Pitcher: Ryan Dempster, Cubs: This, in my opinion, should belong to Jair Jurrjens of the Braves. Jair is 9-4 while Ryan is 10-3, but Jair’s ERA is 3.00 while Ryan’s is 3.13. What really made me chose Jair is the fact that on the road Ryan has really struggled.
Pitcher: Dan Haren, D’Backs: Dan deserves to be here. Whenever you’ve got eight wins and an ERA under 3.00 at the All-Star break, you should be an All-Star.
Pitcher: Brad Lidge, Phillies: Brad definitely deserves to be an All-Star. He is 20-for-20 in save opportunities and has a 0.52 ERA.
Pitcher: Tim Lincecum, Giants: Tim deserves to be an All-Star. He is 10-2 with a 2.66 ERA. Both those numbers by themselves should be enough to get him in.
Pitcher: Ben Sheets, Brewers: Ben deserves to be in. He has a 2.85 ERA and is 10-3. There’s no way he should miss it.
Pitcher: Edinson Volquez, Reds: In my opinion, Volquez has been the best pitcher in all of baseball this year and I think that he should start. He is 11-3 with a 2.36 ERA.
Pitcher: Billy Wagner, Mets: There has to be a Met player, but I think that it should be Johan Santana. It doesn’t seem like Johan’s doing too well, but he’s still got 8 wins and a 2.84 ERA.
Pitcher: Brandon Webb, D’Backs: Brandon should definitely be in. He has 13 wins (MLB lead) and a 3.27 ERA. He’s having a great year.
Pitcher: Brian Wilson, Giants: Brian is tied for the NL league in saves, so he should definitely be in.
Pitcher: Kerry Wood, Cubs: Kerry has had a good year, but he’s blown five saves. I think Ricky Nolasco of the Marlins should take his spot. Ricky is 10-4 with a 3.74 ERA.
Pitcher: Carlos Zambrano, Cubs: Carlos should definitely be in. He is 10-3 with a 2.84 ERA. He’s having a great year.

My Roster: (players in italics are changes from the actual roster)
C – Brian McCann
1B – Lance Berkman
2B – Chase Utley
3B – Chipper Jones
SS – Hanley Ramirez
OF – Ryan Braun
OF – Nate McLouth
OF – Matt Holliday

C – Russell Martin
C – Geovany Soto
1B – Adrian Gonzalez
1B – Albert Pujols
2B – Dan Uggla
3B – Aramis Ramirez
3B – Garrett Atkins
SS – Christian Guzman
SS – JJ Hardy
OF – Carlos Lee

OF – Ryan Ludwick
OF – Xavier Nady

P – Kyle Lohse
P – Jair Jurrjens
P – Dan Haren
P – Brad Lidge
P – Tim Lincecum
P – Ben Sheets
P – Edinson Volquez
P – Johan Santana
P – Brandon Webb
P – Brian Wilson
P – Ricky Nolasco
P – Carlos Zambrano

Results of last weeks’ poll:
Out of all my AL and NL Award winners, who do you think has had the best year?
Josh Hamilton – 80%
Chase Utley – 16%
Geovany Soto – 4%
Everyone else – 0%

Come back next week for an All-Star game recap.

Friday, July 04, 2008

June Awards

This week I will give my June Awards. These are as if the season ended at the end of June (stats are as of July 3rd).

Rangers Awards:

Rangers MVP: Josh Hamilton, TEX: .308 AVG, 19 HR, 82 RBI’s: He’s having an incredible year. He might be going through a slump now, but he still has a chance at 90 RBI’s before the All-star break.
Runner-up: Ian Kinsler, TEX

Rangers Cy Young: Vicente Padilla, TEX: 10-4 W-L, 4.13 ERA, 71 K, 104.2 IP: Vicente leads the team in innings pitched and has double-digit victories.
Runner-up: Eddie Guardado, TEX

Rangers Rookie of the Year: David Murphy, TEX: .266 AVG, 10 HR, 52 RBI’s: David is good enough to be in the top two in ROY voting in the all of the AL.
Runner-up: German Duran, TEX

AL Awards:

AL MVP: Josh Hamilton, TEX: .308 AVG, 19 HR, 82 RBI’s
Runner-up: JD Drew, BOS

AL Cy Young: Joe Saunders, LAA: 12-4 W-L, 3.04 ERA, 58 K, 112.1 IP: Joe leads the AL in wins, has plenty of innings, and is 7th in ERA.
Runner-up: Justin Duchscherer, OAK

AL Rookie of the Year: Evan Longoria, TB: .275 AVG, 15 HR, 50 RBI: He hasn’t been up the whole year, but he’s still 2nd in all AL rookies in RBI’s to David Murphy, has 15 homers and a decent batting average.
Runner-up: David Murphy, TEX

AL Manager of the Year: Joe Maddon, TB: Joe has taken a last place team to a first place team.
Runner-up: Ron Gardenheier, MIN

NL Awards:

NL MVP: Chase Utley, PHI: .300 AVG, 24 HR, 67 RBI’s: Chase is leading the MLB in homers and is batting .300 for a team in playoff contention.
Runner-up: Dan Uggla, FLA

NL Cy Young: Brandon Webb, ARI: 12-4 W-L, 3.43 ERA, 100 K, 118 IP: Brandon has 100 strikeouts, leads the NL in wins, and has a good ERA for a first place team.
Runner-up: Kyle Lohse, STL

NL Rookie of the Year: Geovany Soto, CHC: .283 AVG, 13 HR, 50 RBI: Geovany’s having a great rookie year for the Cubs.
Runner-up: James Loney, LAD

NL Manager of the Year: Fredi Gonzalez, FLA: He has made a team with almost no talent to a team three games over .500.
Runner-up: Tony La Russa, STL

Results of last weeks’ poll:
Which Ranger, other than Josh Hamilton, do you think deserves to be in the All-Star Game the most?
Ian Kinsler – 85%
Milton Bradley – 7%
Michael Young – 4%
David Murphy – 4%
All others – 0%

Come back next week for my All-star team and game special.