MLB 9 Innings: GLV Baseball Writers Early Season Award Winners

As the calendar moves to May, the Guardian Liberty Voice (GLV) Baseball writers have cast their early season votes for the Cy Young and MVP of both leagues in MLB. One contest was very close, while the other three were runaways for the most part.

American League Cy Young Award: 1. Sonny Gray, Oakland Athletics, 2. Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners, 3. Mashiro Tanaka, New York Yankees

While Hernandez is having his usual quick start this season, and Tanaka is making quite an impression since moving to the Major Leagues from Japan, it is Sonny Gray who finds himself as the early season AL Cy Young winner. He garnered the most first-place votes, and the most votes overall.

Gray is 4-1 for the Athletics, who find themselves needing to lean more on the second year starter, now that A.J. Griffin joins Jarrod Parker in needing Tommy John surgery. The Athletics’ righty has a 1.76 ERA, second in the American League. Gray has given up just one home run in 41 innings of work.

National League Cy Young Award: 1. Adam Wainright, St. Louis Cardinals, 2. Jose Fernandez, Miami Marlins, 3. Johnny Cueto

Like Gray, Wainright received the most first-place votes, and had the most overall votes cast for him. He narrowly edged Fernandez, who is having an amazing year for the Miami Marlins.

Adam Wainright is second to Johnny Cueto in ERA in the National League, posting an amazing 1.20 ERA to Cueto’s 1.15. He is 5-1 already, leading the NL in wins, and has given up just 24 hits in 45.0 innings. Amazingly, Cueto is even better in this category, yielding just 22 hits in 47.0 innings pitched, while striking out eight more batters than Wainright. However, the GLV baseball writers could not overlook Wainright’s five wins, and so he becomes the early season award winner in the NL.

American League MVP: 1. Alexei Ramirez, Chicago White Sox, 1. Jose Abreu, Chicago White Sox, 3. Albert Pujols, Los Angeles Angels

Pujols is off to a quick start for the Angles, flashing some of the star power that the team was hoping for when they signed him two seasons ago, but it is two Chicago White Sox players that have the GLV baseball staff smitten. Ramirez and Abreu wind up tied for first in the April vote.

Abreu was signed out of the Cuban league by the White Sox for a whopping $68 million over four years. Many scoffed at the amount Chicago paid, but he is paying instant dividends, leading the MLB in home runs (10) and RBI (32), as well as extra-base hits (19). His RBI and home run totals set a major league record for rookies in April.

Ramirez is leading the American League in hitting, batting .351, and is quickly establishing himself as second best shortstop in the game. He also has added four homeruns, which are just two short of his total for all of last season. Even more impressive than his hitting barrage is the near flawless manner he has played short this year. Last year he made 22 errors, but this year has just one so far.

National League MVP: 1. Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado Rockies, 2. Adrian Gonzalez, Los Angeles Dodgers, 3. Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals

The reason that Ramirez is considered the second best shortstop in baseball is because the clear favorite plays about 500 miles to his west.  Troy Tulowitzki is healthy, and is establishing himself as arguably the best player in the game.

Tulo, as he is affectionately referred to by Rockies fans, is leading the majors in hitting, at .370, and is tied for third in the NL in RBI. He is also tied for fourth in home runs. He is one of the most dynamic players around, a clear five tool player, and the heart of the Rockies team.

Gonzalez is leading the NL in home runs, which is quite amazing, considering he plays in Dodger Stadium, a notorious pitchers park. Molina continues to establish himself as the best catcher in MLB, hitting .350 with four home runs, good enough to be third in the GLV baseball writers early season award rankings.

The Guardian Liberty Voice Baseball Staff is:
Brian Moore, Covering the New York Yankees and the New York Mets
Rich Peters, Covering the Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants
JeremyMika, Covering the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs
Justin Hussong, Covering the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers
Mick Varner, Covering the St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Cincinnati Reds
Ryne Vyles. Covering the Baltimore Orioles and Arizona Diamondbacks
Robert Pannier, Covering the Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Indians, Washington Nationals, Miami Marlins, Texas Rangers, Kansas City Royals, and Toronto Blue Jays
Chris Chisam, Covering the Los Angeles Angels
Glen Parris, Covering the Atlanta Braves
Jabar Morarend, Covering the Milwaukee Brewers
Chuck Podhaisky, Covering the Colorado Rockies
William Costolo, Covering the Tampa Bay Rays
Johnny Caito, Covering the San Diego Padres
Jough Brasch, Covering the Detroit Tigers