Justin Verlander has had an incredible year. He is 24-5 with an ERA of 2.29. These are awesome numbers and he should win the AL Cy Young award hands down. However, these numbers are not good enough for AL MVP also. Even if Detroit makes a come back and beat the Baltimore Orioles tonight to raise Verlander’s record to 25-5, I still say that he is not the AL MVP.
I have no problem with a pitcher winning the MVP award, but not when there is a viable candidate who plays everyday. Verlander affected 34 games this year, hardly enough to lead Detroit to the AL East title by himself. There are another 128 games that he will have no impact at all on.
I know about how dominant Verlander has been. He has won 16 games after a Detroit loss. He dominated the White Sox and Indians down the stretch when they called themselves trying to make a move and that is why he will win the Cy Young award probably by a landslide vote.
This years AL MVP should be the New York Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson. Granderson has a .270 batting average, 41 home runs, 119 runs batted in, 26 doubles, 10 triples, 24 stolen bases and a .372 on base percentage. These are very good MVP type numbers. Throw in the fact that he has helped the Yankees to the best record in the American League and I think it is pretty evident that the Yankees have the American League most valuable player this year.
This is nothing against Verlander because he has had a tremendous season, but when there is a candidate who plays everyday with the impact that Curtis Granderson has had then you have to go with the everyday player.
This years AL MVP is Curtis Granderson and the Cy Young is Justin Verlander.