NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUND UP - CY YOUNG AND MVP

by Matt Minucci

Is it me, or do they all look alike?

Yesterday we took a look at the best the American League had to offer for their coveted awards - the MVP and Cy Young. Today, we turn our attention to the National League. The NL race for MVP has been pretty predictable all year. So when I looked at my mid-season picks and saw that, with one exception, that I had gotten them all right, it wasn't that big a deal. A blind man could have seen 'em coming if you get me.

Stemkovsky showing me just what he thinks of blind people. 

However, the Cy Young on the other hand has been a complete mess, with pitchers rising and falling with such rapidity, you'd think they worked for Stemkovsky during one of his famous purges. I kid. Or maybe I don't. Point is, the Cy Young in the NL is a total crap shoot - and will probably go right down to the last start. But first, let's run through the MVP race, which was pretty much over in April.  

Stemkovsky once more prepares to edit one of my articles.

Nation League MVP:  

7. Mark Reynolds, 3B/1B, Arizona Diamondbacks

Notice the ball is already way past the bat. 206 K's Mark? Really?

Reynolds has had quite a monster season in several respects. First off, I briefly noted him at mid-season because he did have 25 HR and 63 RBIs to go with 16 steals. But he was hitting just .268 and had struck over 100 times - which was just amazing. Well, Reynolds didn't slow down in any category. Finishing with fantastic and unbelievable totals in every category except batting average. He clubbed 43 homers, drove in 100 runs, scored 93 and stole 34 bases. His season has truly been epic...especially when you consider he has struck out a major league record 206 times. TWO HUNDRED AND SIX strikeouts?!?! That's just phenomenal. Says Reynolds, "I got my 100 RBIs, I could care less how many times I strike out." And that is why you are not the MVP Mark. His totals:

Player               BA   HR   RBI   2B   Runs Hits Slg OBP  SB

Mark Reynolds .266 43 100 29 93 144 .562 .358  24

6. Chase Utley, 2B, Philadelphia Phillies  

Mugs N' Jugs? 

Utley, part of the Phillies fantastic foursome (with Howard, Werth and Ibanez), has helped lead the Phillies back to the playoffs with another NL East crown. His mid-season numbers were terrific, especially for a second baseman, hitting .302 with 21 HR and 66 RBI. However, his numbers slipped a bit in the 2nd half, and while he's still had a fantastic season, it's not close to the MVP-type years others are having. Still, 30 homers, 20 steals, nearly 100 RBI and 100 runs have to be given at least a nod, so that's why Utley gets the mention here. His totals: 

Player               BA   HR   RBI   2B   Runs Hits Slg OBP  SB

Chase Utley .295 31 91 28 105 158 .533 .412  23

5. Matt Kemp, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers

Kemp really, uh, love the fans. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Kemp has really emerged this season as the Dodgers wonderboy, just doing it all. Hitting for power, average, stealing bases, knocking in runs. He, along with Manny Ramirez and Andre Either are part of the Dodgers potent offense and a main reason why they are leading the NL West at year's end. At the halfway point, Kemp was hitting .320 with 13 homers and 55 runs batted in. He also had 20 steals and 6 triples. While his average has tailed off, his homers, RBIs and steals have not. And he's still hitting well over .300, despite the mild slump. Overall, Kemp has had a great year and slides in at number 5 in the NL MVP race. 

Player               BA   HR   RBI   2B   Runs Hits Slg OBP  SB

Matt Kemp .306 25 97 25 94 173 .504 .361  34

4. Ryan Howard, 1B, Philadelphia Phillies  

Howard with Snoop Dogg. And I'm not implying anything with this pic. Really.

Ryan Howard is having a typical Ryan Howard season, smashing the crap out of the baseball. It's really a testament to the quality of hitting in the NL this year, that he slots in 4th, when really, his numbers could win the MVP on any given year. When I looked at Howard at the break, he was struggling with his average, hitting just .259, but he had 24 homers and 69 RBIs - great numbers. Well, Howard has actually gotten better as he continued to slug HR and amass RBIs at a massive rate, he actually raised his batting average significantly. While Howard ranks 4th on this list, his still remarkably close to two of the top 3 guys above him, having nearly identical numbers to Prince Fielder and better power numbers than Hanley Ramirez. 

Player               BA   HR   RBI   2B   Runs Hits Slg OBP  SB

Ryan Howard .271 41 126 34 95 155 .559 .353  7

3. Prince Fielder, 1B, Milwaukee Brewers  

I really can't use the caption I want to with this pic. 

Number three with a bullet, Prince Fielder has put up amazing numbers this year, contending for the RBI crown with Albert Pujols and clubbing over 40 bombs to boot. At the midway point, Fielder had an impressive line of .312-24-86, which was just plain nutty. He cooled off a bit, but his overall numbers are still a virtual carbon copy of Ryan Howards totals. He gets the nod over Howard, however, by virtue of having a slight edge in RBIs, hits, slugging and OBP, while hitting for a 25 point higher average. Fielder could easily be the MVP if not for the presence of Albert Pujols and Hanley Ramirez. 

Player               BA   HR   RBI   2B   Runs Hits Slg OBP  

Prince Fielder .296 41 129 33 95 163 .590 .409

2. Hanley Ramirez, SS, Florida Marlins 

Sup, playa.

Ramirez has had just had a flat out monster season. He's been Mr. Everything for the Marlins this season, winning the batting title, going 20-20 (homers-steals), driving in over 100 runs for the first time in his career, scoring over 100 runs (probably, he's got 96 with 10 games to go), and netting over 200 hits (again, probably, as he's got 193 with 10 games to go). At the midway point, Han-Ram was hitting .348 with 15 homers, 62 RBI, and 13 steals. He did nothing but improve on those numbers, and his gaudy batting average coupled with his speed and power, get him to number 2 on this list, just behind the big man, Albert Pujols. 

Player               BA   HR   RBI   2B   Runs Hits Slg OBP  SB

Hanley Ramirez .352 23 102 41 96 193 .556 .416  26

1. Albert Pujols, 1B, St. Louis Cardinals

Mr. MVP.

Meet the 2009 NL MVP. I predicted he would be the MVP at mid-season, but it wasn't a very bold prediction, since his numbers were absurd, as he hit .328 with 34 homers and 90 RBIs. That's a fantastic ENTIRE season, let along half a season. Albert also had 77 runs, 22 2B, 10 steals and was slugging at a Ruthian .711 clip. His numbers really had nowhere to go but down, and he did slow down, allowing other hitters to narrow the gap, somewhat. But really, no one can come close to Albert's numbers. He's hitting .330 for crying out loud and closing in on 50 homers. He's got 47 with 10 games to go, leading the NL in both homeruns and RBIs. He's got an astounding 120 runs scored, a .679 slugging pct and a .448 OBP. Add 42 2B and 110 walks, and clearly, Pujols stands head and shoulders above the rest of the field in the NL. In fact, if not for Hanley Ramirez's fantastic .352 mark, Pujols would be the triple crown winner. So, there you have it. NL MVP...Albert Pujols.

Player               BA   HR   RBI   2B   Runs Hits Slg OBP  SB

Albert Pujols .330 47 129 42 120 175 .679 .448  14

NATIONAL LEAGUE CY YOUNG

The Cy Young award doubles as a handy symbol if you're starting a dictatorship.

Wow. What a mess. Where the NL MVP has been as easy as A-B-Pujols, the NL Cy Young has been anything but. Aces have risen and fallen like the tides and my top two mid-season picks, the San Francisco Giant duo of Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain, have both slumped enough to probably cost themselves a shot at the award. Both are still having tremendous seasons, but other hurlers have passed them by.The field has really been narrowed down to five top starters. Let's run through the carnage and roadkill these five left in their wake.  

Wandy Rodriguez was one of my considerations at the break, having gone 10-6 with a 2.72 ERA. But he stumbled considerably in the second half winning just 3 games after the break to finish 13-11 with a 2.97 ERA. Sad.

The notorious Jason Marquis, 12-6 with a 3.49 ERA at the break, likewise stumbled with just 3 wins post break, to find himself on the sidelines with a 15-11 mark and 3.84 ERA to go with it. Weak. His teammate, Aaron Cook, was 9-3, but had a pretty high 3.94 ERA. The second half was a disaster as he got hurt and won just 1 time, to finish 10-6 with an unsightly 4.47 ERA. Snake eyes, you crapped out Aaron.

And he slept right through the 2nd half.

Dodger ace Chad Billingsley was one of my favorites, and a guy I thought could contend for top honors, as he was 10-5 with a 3.72 ERA at the break, but his second half was an unmitigated disaster as he went 2-5 and saw his stats plummet to a mediocre 12-10 mark and a 4.05 ERA. Next.

The New York Mess had a horrific, snake-bit season, but their one shinning knight, Johan Santana, seemed to be above their cursed year, with an 11-7 mark and a 2.92 ERA at the break. Sadly, the curse caught up with him as he would win just twice more and then his season would mercifully end due to injury. He finished 13-9 with a 3.13 ERA. Sad. Send flowers.

Meet the Mets.

Finally, Philly rookie phenom, J.A.Happ came out of nowhere to go 7-0 at the break with a crisp 2.68 ERA. However, I pointed out that his late start meant he'd pretty much have to match those numbers in the 2nd half, and, really, it wasn't possible. But he did have a fairly solid 2nd half to finish 10-4 with a 2.77 ERA and he's right in the middle of the Rookie of the Year race. Just not the Cy Young.  

Now, on to the top five:  

5. Matt Cain, SP, San Francisco Giants  

Sadly, Cain wasn't that able in the 2nd half either.

Cain was my Cy Young pick at mid-season and he pretty much sank like a stone in the second half. At the break, he was a gaudy 11-2 with a 2.32 ERA and 103 K in 124 IP. He seemed like a lock for at least 17 wins, an ERA under 2.50 and to me, looked every bit the Cy Young. But he struggled mightily in the 2nd half, going just 2-5 and his ERA rose to almost 3.00. His overall numbers are still good...but he sinks to the bottom of the top 5 as four other hurlers stormed past him. 

Player W L ERA   IP   K   CG   Sho

Matt Cain 13 7 2.99  204    158     4     0

4. Josh Johnson, SP, Florida Marlins

Marlin Mermaids? Only in Florida. What's next? Yankee Yentas?

Johnson has been the Man for the Marlins this year, turning in quality start after quality start, and was a major reason why the Marlins contended for as long as they did. He pretty much blew through the NL in both the first half and the 2nd half. His mid-season numbers were a solid 8-2 with a 2.74 ERA. He kept motoring in the second half, going 7-3 to compile a 15-5 mark. His numbers are great. There's just three starters who happen to be better.

Player W L ERA   IP   K   CG   Sho

Josh Johnson 15 5 3.12  199    181     2     0

3. Tim Lincecum, SP, San Francisco Giants

Seriously, how old is this kid? Twelve?

Putting Lincecum 3rd was a really tough call. Last year's Cy Young winner, Tiny Tim has done nothing to lose the award, pitching every bit like the best pitcher in the National League. However, he's simply been plagued by a mediocre Giant offense and questionable bullpen. A close loss here and there are what's probably going to cost him the Cy Young this year. At the break, Tim was 10-3 with a 2.45 ERA and 168 Ks in 139 IP. He kept right on rolling the 2nd half, with gaudy strikeout totals, solid starts and an ERA that was essentially the same. But whereas he went 10-3 pre-break, he could only go 4-3 post-break, thanks largely to an ineffective Giant lineup. At 14-6, despite the low ERA and ridiculous strikeout numbers, he's just not got better totals than the two Cardinal hurlers atop him on this list. In fact, not only does he have fewer wins, his ERA is worse that Carpenter's and not all that much better than Wainwright's. So, Lincecum falls to third this year. Maybe he should demand a trade.

Player W L ERA   IP   K   CG   Sho

Tim Lincecum 14 6 2.47  211    247     4     2

2. Chris Carpenter, SP, St. Louis Cardinals  

Carpenter has been the man this year for the Cards.

This is really a tie. In fact, it's really not even decided yet. Chris Carpenter is every bit as deserving of the Cy Young as Adam Wainwright. And as the teammates go down to the final 10 games, they each have two starts remaining (in theory, unless the Cards want to juggle their post season rotation). It will come down to those last 2 starts. If Carpenter wins both and Wainwright wins none or 1, they'll finish either tied in wins with 18 or Carp will be one behind 18 to 19 and in that scenario, I think he gets the Cy Young. However, if Wainwright wins both his starts, and gets to the hallowed 20 win plateau, given his otherwise sterling stats, I think the 20 wins will push him over the top. Either way, it's going to be a compelling race, right down to the wire. My prediction is Wainwright because I think he will get to 20 wins. Carpenter, by the way, is every bit deserving of the Cy Young. At mid-season, he was rounding into form, coming back from injury to go 8-3 with a 2.26 ERA. In the second half, all he's done is go 8-1 with a similar ERA. 16-4 is good enough for the best winning percentage among NL starters. His overall numbers:

Player W L ERA   IP   K   CG   Sho

Chris Carpenter 16 4 2.34  180    136     3     1

1. Adam Wainwright, SP, St. Louis Cardinals  

Of course, Adam Wainwright has also been the man for the Cards.

There's not really much I can add that I haven't said above. Wainwright is battling Carpenter for the Cy Young and with two starts to go, I think that if he gets to 20, he'll win it. Also, if Carpenter doesn't win his last 2 starts, Wainwright will also probably get it, in that scenario. His other numbers are close or just better than Carps, as he's thrown more innings, has a far better strikeout rate, and his ERA is comparable. In fact, at mid-season, Wainwright was just 11-6 with a 3.01 ERA. In the second half, he's streaked to the finish with a 7-2 mark and lowered his ERA to a sparkling 2.59. He's got a shot at 20 wins, and I think is the prohibitive favorite to win the NL Cy Young.

Player W L ERA   IP   K   CG   Sho

Adam Wainwright 18 8 2.59  219    193     1     0

Wookie of the Year.

At this point, I'd like to touch on the National League Rookie of the Year, as I did in the American League round up article. If you thought the NL Cy Young was a mess, the race for NL Rookie of the Year is even worse. Or great, if you're a fan of tight races. Three starting pitchers and four hitters have put up solid numbers and all are deserving, but picking out the one winner is a tricky prospect.

First, Randy Wells, the Cubs rookie hurler has had a fantastic first season in Chi-town, going 11-9 with an even 3.00 ERA. His 93 K's in 153 innings are also quite solid. However, two other starters have been better.

But good look deciding between the two of them. They're practically identical:

Player W L ERA   IP   K   

Tommy Hanson 10 4 2.85  113    100     

JA Happ 10 4 2.77  152   105

Both Happ and Hanson have pitched spectacularly for the Phillies and Braves respectively. And both have pitched under pressure, with Happ helping the Phillies nail down the NL East, while Hanson has kept the Braves in the Wild Card race over the 2nd half. I suppose, if forced to choose, I'd give Hanson the nod over Happ based soley on his strikeout to inning pitched ration. But really, that's just splitting hairs. They've both been phenomenal.  

Apparently, JA Happ is a very, very, very lonely guy.

And those have been the pitchers. The four hitters - and there's more those four really - have been just as good. First of all, there's been a nice crop of rookie hitters in the NL, but I am dismissing the following from the conversation in an effort to narrow down the field: Dexter Fowler, OF, Colorado (.271, 27 SB); Carlos Gonzalez, OF, Colorado (.280-12 HR-16 SB, 250 AB); Gerrardo Parra, OF, Arizona (.292-5 HR-59 RBI-5 SB); and Colby Rasmus, OF, St. Louis (.258-16-51). While all are having good seasons, none are better or even equal to the three hitters to be mentioned below, and what's more, they're not even close to the three pitchers mentioned above. Sorry guys, thanks for playing.

Chris Coghlan has played third base and left field for the Marlins this year and has put up fantastic numbers for a rookie, hitting .314 with 9 homers, 43 RBI, 7 SB, 146 hits, 75 runs, 25 2B and 6 3B. He's done it all, and has probably had the best overall season, given that he's had over 500 plate appearances (460 AB, 50 BB), the most by any of the rookie hitters.

A late addition to the ROY race, Pirate outfielder/first base man, Garrett Jones, has come literally out of nowhere to smoke 20 homers in just 276 at bats. He also ripped 19 doubles, 9 stolen bases and a .301 batting average. He's definitely making a case rookie of the year, but I think his limited number of at bats will have a negative impact on the voters.

I love the internet.

However, equally impressive has been the shortened season Casey McGehee has had for the Brewers. McGehee, in just 324 at bats, has played a solid third base and put up gaudy numbers, ripping the ball for a .303 average, 15 homers, 61 RBI, 54 runs, 18 2B and a .503 slugging percentage. Lack of at bats could actually hurt McGehee in this race, however, since voters may view him as not really playing a full season and having time to 'cool down'.  

So, i debated: Coghlan...Mermaid...Coghlan...Mermaid...guess who won?

Finally, Andrew McCutchen, who took over in the outfield after the Pirates traded fan favorite Nate McLouth to the Braves, has had quite an impressive season in his own right, batting .281 with 12 homers, 52 RBI, 16 steals, 63 runs scored, 25 2B, 7 3B and 110 hits in just 392 at bats. While McGehee's power numbers are slightly better, McCutchen adds the extra dimension of speed, with his ability to steal, score runs and hit for extra-base hits (2B and 3B).  

It's really a crap shoot in the NL this year for the Rookie of the Year, but I think, while it's going to be a close vote, I say, Tommy Hanson narrowly edges JA Happ for the award. 

Hanson is the Man, son! Sorry. That was terrible.