AL MVP, CY Young & ROY Leaders

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 AL voting should be available later today. 

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.

AL Cy Young:
1.  Roy Halladay, Toronto Blue Jays
2.  Cliff Lee, Cleveland Indians
3.  Joe Saunders, Los Angeles Angels

Despite having two fewer wins and a higher ERA, Roy Halladay gets my 1st place vote over Cliff Lee.  Halladay has thrown 15 more innings (107.7 vs 92.7) and has a better K/BB ratio (6.6 vs 5.4).  With Lee returning back to Earth, he only has wins to prevent others from seeing he is no longer the front-runner for the award.

AL MVP:
1.  Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers
2.  J.D. Drew, Boston Red Sox
3.  Milton Bradley, Texas Rangers

Josh Hamilton remains at the top of the AL MVP voting, but he is being challenged by teammate Milton Bradley, who current lead the AL in OBP (.451) and OPS (1.081).  Making a surprise leap into the top three is Boston Red Sox RF J.D. Drew.  With David Ortiz out of action, Drew has stepped-up in June with 7 HRs and a .447 AVG.  On the season, he is second in OBP and OPS to Milton Bradley.  He gets the 2nd place vote thanks the his team being in first and Bradley getting competition from Josh hamilton.

AL ROY:
1.  Jacoby Ellsbury, Boston Red Sox
2.  David Murphy, Texas Rangers
3.  Joba Chamberlain, New York Yankees

Anyone notice the New York Yankees have four rookie pitchers on their staff not including Ian Kennedy?  Maybe this plan of fiscal discipline will pay-off - assuming all of them last past the July 31st trading deadline.  I can see a couple of these rookies, like Jose veras and Russ Ohlendorf, finding their way the the Seattle Mariners for LHP Jarrod Washburn or Miguel Batista.