NL MVP, CY Young and ROY Leaders

by faketeams on Jun 10, 2008 8:54 AM EDT in Baseball

Rotojunkie has taken over the dynamic feature started by Baseball Happenings that draws on the collective knowledge of the blogging community to provide intelligence on which players are currently considered the leading contenders for the big three baseball awards - MVP, Cy Young and ROY - for the American and National leagues. This week's NL voting should be available later today/early tomorrow. Here are the results from last week's AL voting .

Here is the way I voted. My biases for voting in the Cy Young and MVP awards lean towards those hitters and pitchers playing on contending teams. ROY determination is not tied are strongly to his team's record, but good rookies on expected paly-off contenders will get additional consideration.

NL Cy Young:
1. Brandon Webb Arizona Diamondbacks
2. Edinson Volquez Cincinnati Reds
3. Tim Lincecum San Francisco Giants

I sat down ready to switch my 1st place vote from Webb to Volquez. This meant ignoring Webb's 11 Wins for a 1st place team, but a closer look kept me from doing it. Webb has pitched 15 more innings and more than half the walks. Brandon Webb is the better pitcher.

NL MVP:
1. Chase Utley Philadelphia Phillies
2. Lance Berkman Houston Astros
3. Albert Pujols St. Louis Cardinals

This was an easy choice. Chase Utley plays for a 1st place team and the more challenging defensive position. I don't think it is even close right now.

NL ROY:
1. Geovanny Soto Chicago Cubs
2. Joey Votto Cincinnati Reds
3. Kosuke Fukudome Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs, like the Tamp Bay Rays last week, get their 1st place in the standings props from the voters in Rookie-OF-The-Year. Fukudome's OBP contribution keeps in ahead of starting pitchers like Jair Jurrjens of Atlanta, John Lannnan in Washington and Hiroki Kuroda in Los Angeles.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Reds' 1B Joey Votto out-produce all NL rookies by season's end. Will it be enough to take the award from Geovanny Soto though?

Poll

Which vote should have gone the other way?

Edinson Volquez over Brandon Webb

13 votes

Lance Berkman over Chase Utely

13 votes

Joey Votto over Geovanny Soto

5 votes

None. You got all three top voter getters right.

32 votes

63 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

Votto

I think Soto will slow down through the dog days of summer…..wait….they are already here in early June. I voted for Votto…..nice ROY campaign slogan….Vote for Votto…

raygu

by Ray Guilfoyle on Jun 10, 2008 10:20 AM EDT reply actions

Dog Days

If Soto avoids the rookie wall and the rigors of catching through the dog days of summer, then Votto would have to hit 10+ more HRs and rive in 20-30 more to snatch the ROY form Soto.

Fake Teams - a proud member of the SB Nation

by faketeams on Jun 10, 2008 10:44 AM EDT reply actions

Soto

He will slump some during a stretch in the heat, but he wins the ROY b/ of position played and on a winning team…..not to mention the 25 hr and 95 rbi and 285 average…..Volquez will have a string(5+) of bad starts ….Webb not likely to have any.

MLG_true_MVP-88'

by Hinz57er on Jun 11, 2008 8:47 PM EDT reply actions

Volquez vs. Webb

Webb has been great, but come on. he has pitched more innings, but he also has one more start than Volquez because Volquez started the year as the Reds 5th starter. and Volquez’s walks arent that big of an issue because they never score. the guy has an ERA+ of 261 while Webb’s is 139. 261 and 139. and the argument about Webb getting extra points for the D-Backs being a contending team is a little flimsy, seeing as Volquez’s Reds are only 4 games worse than the D-Backs. Webb probably gets the nod over Lincecum, but no way he beats out Volquez.

Stephen A. Douglas was a great debater, but Abraham Lincoln was the Great Emancipator.

by Charlie Scrabbles on Jun 26, 2008 10:40 AM EDT reply actions