With the second-half about to get underway on Friday night, we thought we’d take give out some Mid-Season Awards! We will take a look at each league separately, as well as an internal look, featuring our Orioles honors thus far in 2015. Enjoy!
AL MVP
TK: Mike Trout – One of my favorite players not in an Orioles’ uniform. The guy does it all: 6th in average, 2nd in OBP, 1st in slugging, and 2nd in OPS. That doesn’t even mention the impact he has on defense. He’s a popular pick and I like to go against the grain, but the season he’s having is too hard to ignore.
Mike: Mike Trout – Yawn. This is the boring pick, but the numbers don’t lie. .312/.405/.614, and he’s the American League leader in home runs and runs. If it weren’t for Miguel Cabrera, this guy would be the 3-time defending MVP, and well onto his 4th. The kid is still 23. Let that soak in.
Side note: I really wanted to pick Brian Dozier here. He has the most extra-base hits in the American League, and has brought a spark to the Minnesota Twins lineup. In terms of pure value to a team, he may be #1, but his .256 average certainly will hold him back from such honors.
NL MVP
TK: Bryce Harper – Hype has surrounded Harper since he was hitting 500-foot home runs in high school. While the production has come in spurts in the past few seasons, this first half has been most successful, prolonged stretch of Harper’s career. While he may not be a Gold Glover, Harper has blossomed into an absolute force on the offensive side and carried the Nationals offense through the first half.
Mike: Paul Goldschmidt – Here’s one of, if not the most underrated players in the game today. Goldschmidt lacks there flare and the market of a guy like Harper, but he makes up for it in production. He hit the All-Star Break with the NL lead in two Triple Crown categories (.340 BA and 70 RBI). The D-Backs are also quietly having a solid season, against expectation. Arizona is flirting with .500, but if you take Goldy out of that lineup, they would be in contention for the 1st overall pick yet again.
Orioles MVP
TK: Manny Machado – This pick is exactly how Manny makes the game look: #TooEasy. After a shaky defensive start that I attribute to rust, Manny has returned to playing Gold Glove defense, has found the home run stroke, and is even showing off the wheels on the base paths. If Manny maintains this level of production, he’ll make himself a serious contender in the AL MVP race.
Mike: The obvious choice is Machado, but I’m going to go with a dark horse here: Matt Wieters. Matty was played a key role in the Orioles charge in June. With Wieters behind the plate, the O’s went on a 18-6 run, and regained control of the crowded AL East. After missing most of 2014 and the start of 2015 coming off of Tommy John surgery, he’s proven his value both offensively and defensively. The Birds seem to go as Matty goes: when he hits, they win ball games, when he doesn’t, they struggle. Wieters will certainly have to earn his new contract in the second-half, but I believe he has to be a priority for the organization moving forward. His value is in more than just the numbers, very similar to the way Nick Markakis was throughout his Orioles career.
Just imagine if the Birds had Manny & Wieters for the postseason in 2014. UGH.
AL Cy Young
TK: Chris Sale – He leads the league in strikeouts after his historic run. He’s averaging about 12 strikeouts per 9 innings, while walking less than 2 per 9 IP. Even with their offense underperforming, the White Sox have a chance to win every time Sale takes the mound. His arm slot is eerily similar to Hall of Famer Randy Johnson’s, and he has the same type of devastating fastball + slider combination. I could’ve easily gone Dallas Keuchel here, but the historic run puts Sale over the top.
Mike: David Price – Another AL Central LHP. Price hit the All-Star Break at (9-2) and posts a 2.38 ERA. Pretty dominant stuff. 6th in K’s, and the Tigers are 15-3 in his 18 trips to the mound. For a team that has lost Max Scherzer, Doug Fister and Rick Porcello in recent years, as well as playing without Justin Verlander for the majority of the first-half, Price has been the ace Detroit needs. He’s stepped up, and I look for him to continue his dominance down the stretch. The Orioles will find out first-hand on Friday as he goes up against Ubaldo Jimenez to kick off the 2nd half.
NL Cy Young
TK: Zach Greinke – He has been absolutely dominant. He leads the league in ERA by far at 1.39, has a WHIP at .84, and hasn’t allowed a run in his last 37.2 innings. If you’re having some trouble figuring out who your ace is and you have a guy named Clayton Kershaw on your team, that other guy is probably having a heck of a year. Greinke is doing just that.
Mike: Zach Grienke – See above. Pretty self explanatory. Grienke is having one of the best starts to a season of all-time.
Orioles Cy Young
TK: Ubaldo Jimenez – He would also have one Orioles Comeback Player of the Year. Ubaldo’s first year in Baltimore was less than successful, but he is certainly earning his paycheck now. He has been unhittable at times with his running fastball, sharp curveball, and disappearing-act splitter. The formula remains simple for Ubaldo, and if he can continue to pound the zone and get ahead early in counts, his hot start should continue into the second half.
Mike: Zach Britton – 23/24 in save opportunities. 18 straight saves to enter the All-Star Break. When the A/C is turned on at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the game is essentially over. Britton leads the Orioles dominant bullpen, which is the most consistent aspect to the team. 41 K’s and countless dribblers back to the mound in 36.2 innings on the year lead to his first career All-Star Game appearance.
AL RoY
TK: Carlos Correa – He’s hitting a solid .276 with 7 home runs and 19 RBI in just 32 games. He also plays an excellent short stop, and will only continue to grow offensively. One more thing. He’s 20.
Mike: Devon Travis – 24 year old 2B for Toronto has had a great start to 2015. Hitting in one of the most potent lineups in all of baseball, Travis leads the way in many rookie categories while flying under the radar. .304/.353/.492 with 7 HR, 34 R, 32 RBI and 15 2B. The second base position in baseball is becoming a home to some of the most talented young players in the game, and Travis is definitely one to keep an eye on.
NL RoY
TK: Kris Bryant – Bryant was one of the most highly touted rookies to burst onto the Major League scene, probably since Bryce Harper. He produced at every level before making his debut, and has continued that trend with the Cubs. While he does strike out a lot (5th most in all of baseball), his average is still a respectable .269 and the third highest OPS amongst all rookies. He’s the crown jewel of the flurry of blue chip prospects the league has seen this year and he has not disappointed.
Mike: Joc Pederson – Aside from his impressive performance at the Home Run Derby on Monday night, Joc has burst onto the scene in Los Angeles this season. Pederson brings a Chris Davis/Mark Reynolds-type of presence to the Dodgers lineup, and is very all or nothing (20 HR, 107 K). But the young CF has the longest average HR distance in the MLB, and it’s not even close.
AL Manager of the Year
TK: Paul Molitor – Quick, name 5 Minnesota Twins not named Joe Mauer or Torii Hunter. I’ll wait. Also, check the last time the Twins were 9 games above .500 at the All Star break. Brian Dozier is having a career year, Joe Mauer is doing what he always does, Torii Hunter still has one of the prettiest righty swings you’ll ever see, and Glen Perkins knows how to shut the door. No one on the team stands out, but that’s a testament to the job Paul Molitor has done with this group. It might not be the toughest division, but Paul Molitor has his team in a place to compete for the division crown as the season wears on.
Mike: A.J. Hinch – Baseball is back in Houston, and Hinch has played a big role in bringing the Astros back into the #WinColumn. Managing a young team is always tough, and Hinch’s youngsters have had a taste of success, sitting in 1st place most of the 2015 season. Trailing by just 0.5 games at the break, Hinch has his work cut out for him down the stretch.
NL Manager of the Year
TK: Mike Matheny – How are the Cardinals always so good? Hacking other teams’ computers might have something to do with it. But skipper, Mike Matheny, deserves a lot of credit. The leader of the pitching staff and perennial Cy Young candidate, Adam Wainwright, went down early on. Things started to look bleak when 1B Matt Adams and OF Matt Holliday hit the disabled list too. But Matheny and the Cardinals found a way to recover as a team and finish the first half of the season at a league best 56-33. Anybody else get tired of seeing these guys playing on ESPN every night?
Mike: Mike Matheny – This guy has the best job in baseball. The amount of talent at this guy’s disposal is insane, and he does so in one of the best baseball towns in the country. This year, it certainly became a bit more difficult for Matheny after unexpectedly losing top-prospect Oscar Tavares, and dealing with consistent injuries as TK mentioned. Matheny has kept all of the pieces together, and has the Cardinals playing as well as anyone in baseball.
The Win Column’s Steve Pearce Award
Jimmy Paredes – The guy no one paid all that much attention to until he was hitting .400. Just like Steve Pearce last year. I guess Paredes enjoyed being the talk of the town, because he continued his hot start after returning from the disabled list. Pearce continued to do damage down the stretch, it will be interesting to see if Jimbo can maintain his production with the league adjusting to his aggressive style.
Thanks for reading, comment your thoughts below!
The Win Column 