The Race for M.L.B.'s Most Valuable Player

What does it mean to be the Most Valuable Player? Baseball is America’s favorite pastime. Fans from all over have witnessed many marvelous players who have ever played the game of baseball.  Throughout the history, ball players that stood out among the rest were rewarded by the Major League Baseball Organization. Growing up, baseball was always one of my favorite sports. I enjoyed watching it, and loved it when my favorite players were recognized for being the best at what they did. The baseball M.V.P. award is one of the greatest honors that the M.L.B. has to offer.  Here is September; the race is close for the 2010 baseball M.V.P. for both the National League and the American League.  To me, what makes a candidate worthy of the Most Valuable Player award is a player who not only puts up great statistics, but is one that impacts his team, a player who without them in the line-up or rotation, the team becomes weaker.  A few names come to mind when thinking about this year’s candidates for Most Valuable Player in each league.

The National League has a few names that stand out when it comes to choosing the National League Most Valuable Player. Albert Pujols is no stranger when it comes to discussing the M.V.P. award. Arguably one of the greatest and most consistent hitters in baseball, Pujols once again finds himself not only in the M.V.P. race, but is also trying to win the Triple Crown which is an award not to many batters can obtain. The Triple Crown award is given to a player who leads the league in homeruns, runs batted in and batting average. This award is very rare to achieve. In fact, the last player to do this was Carl Yastrzemski way back in 1967. He played leftfield for the Boston Red Sox, and he is the last player to become the Triple Crown winner. Albert Pujols is batting .313 with thirty five homeruns and ninety five runs batted in. Pujols isn’t the only batter in the National League that not only is eligible for a M.V.P., but also a Triple Crown award as well.

The Cincinnati Reds’ first baseman, Joey Votto is another candidate who is making a run at both of these awards. Votto is hitting .325 with thirty two homeruns and ninety seven runs batted in. Votto is just impressing fans with his statistics, but he is making a push for the playoffs with his Reds leading the National League Central division for the first time in many seasons. Joey Votto has a huge impact on his team’s success this season which puts him on one of the top spots for voting in the National League M.V.P. race.

Another player who is making a name for himself is a player who has come into his own as a successful baseball player. The Colorado Rockies seem to be closer of becoming out of the race for the playoffs, but Rockies fans have something to be very proud of and that is their center fielder, Carlos Gonzalez. He too is not only in the race for Most Valuable Player, but is a threat to win the Triple Crown award as well. Gonzalez is hitting .332 with thirty one homeruns and ninety three runs batted in. It’s been a while since the Colorado Rockies have had a young player to rise this quickly to becoming a successful and talented baseball player.

Last, but certainly not least, Adrian Gonzalez has been leading the unstoppable San Diego Padres to the big show in October. A team that meaning people did not even suspect would be in playoff contention, the Padres have shocked fans all over with their ability to become the National League West division leaders for most of the season. Much of that has to do with their All-Star first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. Gonzalez is an impact bat which provides the Padres with most of their offensive productions. Gonzalez is hitting .299 with twenty seven homeruns and eighty seven runs batted in. A lot of trade talk involving Gonzalez was being discussed at the beginning of the season, but now San Diego Padres are glad they decided to keep Gonzalez and make a run for a chance to play in the World Series.

Just like the National League, the American League also has its fair share of candidates who could take home the Most Valuable Player award this season. Top on this list is a name that many fans are familiar with, not only because of the way he plays, but is his ability to overcome some of life’s demons and struggles. Josh Hamilton, once again, is becoming fan favorites all over the world of baseball. Hamilton and the Texas Rangers have a strong hold lead in the American League West division. With strong pitching, and productive offense, the Rangers show no sign of slowing down. Hamilton is a huge bat to have in the middle of their line-up. He is hitting a remarkable .361 with thirty one homeruns and ninety seven runs batted. Spending most of last season on the disabled list, Hamilton has come back in full throttle and Ranger fans are gearing up for the race to October, a place where the Rangers have not been in many seasons.

Another consistent and productive hitter that seems to always put up M.V.P. numbers is the Detroit Tigers first baseman, Miguel Cabrera. Although still considered a young player, Cabrera is no stranger to offensive numbers. This season, he once again is having a fantastic season with the bat hitting .336 with thirty three homeruns and a hundred and eight runs batted in. although it looks as if the Tigers have fallen out of contention for the playoffs, Miguel Cabrera still has a good shot of winning the M.V.P. award.

From his rookie year till now, Evan Longoria has evolved into an all around talented baseball player. Just in his mid twenties, Longoria has become an offensive batter who has helped turn the franchise of the Tampa Bay Rays into contenders. Once again the Rays find themselves in the race for October. Longoria is hitting .296 with nineteen home runs and eighty nine runs batted in. Longoria is the type of impact player that helps the Tampa Bay Rays become more of a threat in the American League East division. With Longoria still in the early stages of his career, I am pretty sure we have yet to see the best of his career. Longoria is a name baseball fans will be getting familiar with in seasons to come.

To play the catching position is one of the toughest positions in baseball. To be one of the best catchers in baseball requires a lot of talent. Not only being a great catcher, but having the ability to be one of the best hitters in the game puts this next baseball player on top of the list when deciding for an American League Most Valuable Player. Joe Mauer has already one M.V.P. awards and a couple of batting titles already to add to his resume. A combination of defense and offense has made Joe Mauer a terrific player in today’s game. Mauer is once again hitting the lights out of the ball. With a .324 batting average, nine homeruns and sixty nine runs batted in, Mauer once again finds his name being discussed as a potential winner of another M.V.P. award. With the Minnesota Twins in lead in the American League Central division, it is no surprise people are once again discussing Mauer as a name for the American League Most Valuable Player award.

There are a few other names that probably should be on this list, but for me, these are the players that most likely impact their team in a positive way. Without these players in the everyday line-up, the team’s offensive production becomes less. It will be interesting to see who exactly will end up with the league’s Most Valuable Player award and also the possibility to see if we may have a Triple Crown award winner. Baseball once again has become fun to watch and keep up with. Thanks to these players for making Major League Baseball America’s favorite pastime once again.