Saturday, November 15, 2008

The Baseball Blog: 2008 MLB Awards

2008 MLB Awards

It’s time to give out my 2008 MLB Awards. Some of these are just my selections for the traditional awards handed out after the season (MVP, Cy Young, etc.), but I’ve also come up with some other awards not normally handed out. I’ll clarify whenever necessary.

-Note that all awards are based on the regular season only unless otherwise noted.
-For all Most Valuable Player Awards, I base it on which player was most valuable to his team, not which player was most valuable to a winning team. I only go to team performance as a sort of tie-breaker in a really close case.
-For Cy Young Awards, I base it on the best pitcher, not the best pitcher for a winning team. I only go to team performance as a sort of tie-breaker in a really close case.
-I don’t give out defensive awards because fielding is just too hard to hard to grade effectively. However, I do take into account defensive performance when selecting the winner of each award. But for the most part, I’ll only use defense as a sort of tie-breaker in really close cases, unless a player is either exceptionally good or bad defensively.

American League Most Valuable Player Award

Winner: Kevin Youkilis-First Base-Boston Red Sox
Runner-up: Alex Rodriguez-Third Base-New York Yankees
Third Place: Carlos Quentin-Left Field-Chicago White Sox
Comments: This was a really hard year to pick the AL MVP. There was no clear-cut winner and you could have selected any one of 9 guys. Carlos Quentin was my definite winner until his season ended due to a broken wrist in early September. That left Quentin with only 130 games played and he ended up being 3rd in my voting. Milton Bradley had the best rate stats but he couldn’t stay in the lineup enough. Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer had great years but their power numbers just didn’t compare with the rest of the League. Dustin Pedroia had an excellent year but his power numbers and clutch numbers were just okay. A-Rod had the best numbers of any AL player in 2008 but he only played in 138 games due to injury and he did not have a good season in the clutch. I ended up going with Youkilis because he was strong in every area and wasn’t weak in any area. Youk played in 145 games and he was consistently great all season, never hitting worse than .275 in any month, and batting .300 or better in 5 of 6 months. He was solid in all offensive areas, finishing in the top 6 in the AL in Runs Created, Runs Created per 27 Outs, batting average, OBP, Slugging, OPS, RBI, and Extra Base Hits. He scored 91 runs, had 112 RBI, and hit 29 dingers. He had another fine season defensively and he was once again at his best in the clutch, batting .374 with Runners in Scoring Position and .328 with RISP and 2 out. This year Youkilis was not just another guy in a stacked Red Sox lineup. He was really the one constant in the middle of the Boston lineup while David Ortiz, JD Drew, and Mike Lowell battled injuries, Manny Ramirez was traded away, and Jason Varitek struggled. Youkilis helped the Red Sox win 95 games and the Wildcard.

National League Most Valuable Player Award

Winner: Albert Pujols-First Base-St. Louis Cardinals
Runner-up: Lance Berkman-First Base-Houston Astros
Third Place: Ryan Howard-First Base-Philadelphia Phillies
Comments: This ended up being a runaway win for Fat Albert. The race for second place was full of good candidates but I ended up picking Berkman second, with Ryan Howard 3rd. Berkman’s major weak point was his mediocre second half. Howard had a number of weak points, including a mediocre first half, 199 strikeouts, a .251 batting average, and a .339 OBP. Big Albert was the runaway winner. He was easily the best player in the NL in 2008. A-Pu hit .357/.462/.653/1.114 (average/OBP/SLG/OPS) with 37 homers, 116 RBI, 100 runs, 187 hits, 44 doubles, and 104 walks. He led the NL in Runs Created, Runs Created per 27 Outs, Slugging, OPS, Times on Base, and Total Bases. He was 2nd in the NL in batting average, OBP, Walks, and Extra Base Hits. Pujols was tied 4th in the NL in Homers, tied 4th in RBI, and tied 4th in doubles. He was 3rd in hits and tied 14th in runs. Pujols was the best defensive first baseman in the NL again this year. He was stellar as usual in the clutch, hitting .339 with RISP and .326 with RISP and 2 out. Pujols hit at least .302 all 6 months of the season and he was the driving force behind the Cardinals’ surprising 86 win season.

American League Cy Young Award

Winner: Cliff Lee-Starter-Cleveland Indians
Runner-up: Roy Halladay-Starter-Toronto Blue Jays
Third Place: Mike Mussina-Starter-New York Yankees
Comments: This ended up being way closer than I thought it would be. Halladay and Lee were clearly the top 2 pitchers in the AL. I gave Mussina third place over Dice-K because of Matsuzaka’s mediocre WHIP. Lee and Halladay were really close in my opinion. They were both excellent. Halladay was 20-11 with 2.78 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. He led the AL in innings pitched, WHIP, Complete Games, and K to BB. Halladay was tied for 1st in the AL in shutouts, tied for 2nd in Quality Starts, tied for 2nd in wins, 2nd in ERA, 3rd in K’s, 5th in Quality Start PCT, 3rd in BB/9, 5th in H/9, 7th in BAA (minimum 120 innings), and 10th in K/9. Cliff Lee went 22-3 with a 2.54 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP. Lee led the AL in wins, winning percentage, ERA, Quality Start PCT, and BB/9. He was 2nd in innings pitched, 2nd in WHIP, 2nd in Complete Games, tied 1st in Shutouts, tied 2nd in Quality Starts, 4th in K/BB, and 9th in K’s. I ended up giving Lee the nod because of his ridiculous 22-3 record and .880 winning percentage in 31 starts for a team that went just 81-81 on the year. Lee made at least 5 starts in all 6 months and had an ERA of 3.41 or better in each month.

National League Cy Young Award

Winner: Tim Lincecum-Starter-San Francisco Giants
Runner-up: Johan Santana-Starter-New York Mets
Third Place: Cole Hamels-Starter-Philadelphia Phillies
Comments: This one was a whole lot closer than I thought it would be. Brandon Webb finished out of my top 3 because the only thing that was elite for Webb this year was really his win total, and because he faded badly down the stretch. Hamels was a clear 3rd place because he led the League in WHIP and was in the top 10 in almost all other categories but he ended up with just a 14-10 record and was inconsistent. Both Lincecum and Santana were worthy choices for the award. Lincecum went 18-5 with a 2.62 ERA in 33 starts and 1 relief appearance for a Giants team that went just 72-90. Santana was 16-7 with a 2.53 ERA in 34 starts for the 89 win Mets. Lincecum led the NL in strikeouts, K/9, batting average against (minimum 120 innings pitched), and H/9. He was 3rd in innings pitched, 2nd in wins, 2nd in winning percentage, 2nd in ERA, 2nd in Quality Starts, 3rd in Quality Start PCT (minimum 120 innings), tied 9th in starts, 8th in WHIP, tied 6th in Complete Games, tied 7th in Shutouts, and 10th in K/BB. Santana led the NL in innings pitched, ERA, and Quality Starts. He was tied for 1st in the NL in starts, 2nd in K’s, tied 7th in Wins, tied 8th in winning percentage, 6th in WHIP, tied 3rd in CG, tied 3rd in Shutouts, 2nd in Quality Start PCT, 9th in K/BB, 7th in batting average against, and 7th in H/9. Santana’s win total and won-loss record were both greatly affected by his team’s performance in his starts, as Santana lost 5 games in which he threw a quality start. Santana had a 3.74 ERA or better in all 6 months and he was clutch as they come for the Mets down the stretch, going 3-0 with a 1.91 ERA in August and 4-0 with a 1.83 ERA in September. This race was so close I had to go to some Sabermetric numbers to figure out the winner. In the end, I gave Lincecum the slight edge because his DIPS ERA (ERA independent of the defense behind him) and Component ERA (ERA based on hits and walks allowed) were both significantly better than Santana’s, and because Lincecum’s BIPA (batting average against of balls in play) was very high, meaning he led the League in batting average against despite some bad luck.

American League Rolaids Relief Award (Best Relief Pitcher)

Winner: Mariano Rivera-Closer-New York Yankees
Runner-up: Francisco Rodriguez-Closer-Los Angeles Angels
Third Place: Joakim Soria-Closer-Kansas City Royals
Comments: This choice might leave some speechless but it wasn’t that tough of a decision for me. I’m sure the AL Relief Award might look like an easy choice this year to some, with K-Rod breaking the all-time Saves record with 62, but Saves aren’t the only stat with which you can measure a reliever. This award came down to either the greatest closer of all-time, Mariano Rivera or the new single season saves leader, Francisco Rodriguez. Joakim Soria, by the way, had one of the quietest breakthrough years in recent memory, making 63 appearances for KC and saving 42 games in 45 chances with a 1.60 ERA and a 0.86 WHIP. Soria was third but the top two were easily K-Rod and Mo. If you were going to give the award to K-Rod, you had to do so based on his overwhelming number of saves. Rodriguez pitched in 76 games for the Angels with a 2-3 record and recorded a Major League record 62 saves in 69 save opportunities with a 2.24 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP over 68.1 innings. If you were going against Rodriguez and giving the award to Rivera, you did so because he had one of the most dominant seasons ever for a closer. Rivera pitched in 64 games for the Yanks going 6-5 with 39 saves in 40 save chances while posting a 1.40 ERA and a 0.67 WHIP over 70.2 innings. K-Rod had 20 more saves than any other pitcher in the AL and 23 more saves than Rivera, but he also had 29 more save opportunities than Mo. And while Rodriguez blew 7 saves for a solid 89.9% save percentage, Rivera had just 1 blown save all year for a ridiculous 97.5% save percentage. K-Rod struck out 77 while walking 34 over 68.1 innings for a 10.14 K/9, a 2.27 K/BB, and a 4.48 BB/9. Rivera fanned 77 while walking just 6 batters over 70.2 innings for a 9.81 K/9, a 12.83 K/BB, and a 0.76 BB/9. Both pitchers allowed only 4 homers all season, Rodriguez allowed 7.11 H/9, while Rivera allowed just 5.22 H/9. K-Rod held opposing batters to .216/.314/.316/.629 (average/OBP/Slugging/OPS) batting while Rivera held hitters to just .165/.190/.233/.422 hitting. Rodriguez stranded 11 of 18 inherited runners, while Rivera stranded 16 of 20 inherited runners. K-Rod led the AL in appearances and saves. Rivera was tied 4th in the AL in saves, and with a minimum of 40 innings pitched Rivera was 1st in K/BB, 1st in WHIP, 3rd in batting average against, and 4th in ERA. Yes, K-Rod had a historic season as far as saves, but Rivera was the best relief pitcher in the AL in 2008.

National League Rolaids Relief Award (Best Relief Pitcher)

Winner: Brad Lidge-Closer-Philidelphia Phillies
Runner-up: Jose Valverde-Closer-Houston Astros
Third Place: Kerry Wood-Closer-Chicago Cubs
Comments: This one was easy. Wood was a solid third because of his 34 saves combined with a good ERA, a great WHIP, and his dominant strikeout numbers. Valverde was my runner-up as he led the NL in saves with 44 and had a solid 3.38 ERA and a great 1.18 WHIP over 72 innings in 74 appearances for Houston. But Lidge had one of the great seasons any closer has ever had, going 2-0 with 41 Saves in 41 save opportunities for the Phillies, posting a 1.95 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP over 69.1 innings in 72 appearances. Lidge held opposing batters to .198/.297/.269/.563 hitting and did not allow a homerun all season. Lidge fanned 92 while walking 35 over 69.1 innings for an 11.94 K/9 and he had a 6.49 H/9.

American League Rookie of the Year Award

Winner: Evan Longoria-Third Base-Tampa Bay Rays
Runner-up: Alexei Ramirez-Second Base-Chicago White Sox
Third Place: Armando Galarraga-Starter-Detroit Tigers
Comments: This was an easy one. I liked Galarraga better than all of the position players other than Longoria and Ramirez. He went 13-7 with a 3.73 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP as a rookie in the AL and that’s pretty solid. Ramirez got my vote for 2nd, as he hit .290/.317/.475/.729 with 21 homers and 77 RBI. He led all qualified AL rookies in hitting and was 2nd in Slugging and OPS. He was 2nd among AL rookies in homers and RBI. But Longoria was the easy choice for this award. He hit .272/.343/.531/.874 with 27 homers, 85 RBI, and 7 SB in 7 attempts. Longoria was a leader as a rookie for the AL East champion Rays. He led all qualified AL rookies in OBP, Slugging, and OPS. Longoria led all AL rookies in homers and RBI, he was 2nd among AL rookies in doubles, 3rd in walks, 4th in hits, and 4th in runs. He did all this despite playing in only 122 games and getting just 448 at bats.

National League Rookie of the Year Award

Winner: Geovany Soto-Catcher-Chicago Cubs
Runner-up: Joey Votto-First Base-Cincinnati Reds
Third Place: Jair Jurrjens-Starter-Atlanta Braves
Comments: This one was really tough. Jurrjens gets 3rd place over Jay Bruce despite the fact that he faded badly down the stretch and wasn’t that much better than a few other rookie pitchers. Soto and Votto were the clear top 2 rookies in the NL. Votto hit .297/.368/.506/.874 with 24 homers and 84 RBI, while Soto hit .285/.364/.504/.868 with 23 homers and 86 RBI. Votto led all qualified NL rookies in batting average, OBP, Slugging, and OPS, and he led all NL rookies in hits, homers, total bases, runs created, and runs created per 27 outs. Votto was 2nd among all NL rookies in runs, doubles, RBI, and extra base hits, and 4th in walks. Soto was 2nd among all qualified NL rookies in batting average, Slugging, and OPS, and 3rd in OBP. Soto led all NL rookies in doubles, RBI, and Extra Base hits. He was 2nd among NL rookies in hits, homers, total bases, runs created, and runs created per 27 outs. Soto was 3rd among NL rookies in runs and walks. Clearly, Votto ended up with slightly better numbers offensively, but Soto was a full time catcher, while Votto played first base. Soto was solid defensively behind the plate, while Votto was a below average defensive first baseman. Thus, I gave a slight nod to Soto.

American League Manager of the Year Award

Winner: Joe Maddon-Tampa Bay Rays
Runner-up: Ron Gardenhire-Minnesota Twins
Third Place: Ozzie Guillen-Chicago White Sox
Comments: This was one of the easier awards to give out. I also considered Terry Francona, as the Sox were leveled by injuries throughout the 08 season. I had Ozzie third because his team improved by 17 games despite crippling injuries to the everyday lineup. Gardenhire was my runner-up, as he led the Twins to 88 wins and a tie for 1st in the AL Central, despite the departure of Torii Hunter and Johan Santana. But clearly Maddon was the choice for this award, as he led the Rays on their remarkable turnaround from the worst record in the League to the 2nd best record and the AL East title. The Rays improved by 31 games and Maddon’s leadership was vital during a number of rocky moments.

National League Manager of the Year Award

Winner: Charlie Manuel-Philadelphia Phillies
Runner-up: Joe Torre-Los Angeles Dodgers
Third Place: Tony LaRussa-St. Louis Cardinals
Comments: There was no clear-cut leader for this award. I also considered Lou Piniella, who managed the Cubs to an NL best 97 wins. LaRussa had one of his greatest managerial seasons ever this year, in my opinion, as he led an undermanned Cardinals team to 86 wins, despite horrible injury luck. Torre managed the Dodgers back to the postseason and oversaw the introduction of Manny Ramirez into the clubhouse. But for me the Manager of the Year in the NL was Charlie Manuel. Manuel guided the Phillies through a number of rough spots and led them to a second consecutive NL East title, as they once again caught the Mets from behind. Manuel’s use of his bullpen and bench was outstanding.

Other Awards

American League Middle Relief Pitcher of the Year Award

Winner: Grant Balfour-Reliever-Tampa Bay Rays
Runner-up: Joey Devine-Reliever-Oakland Athletics
Third Place: Scott Downs-Reliever-Toronto Blue Jays
Comments: Balfour and Devine were the clear top two middle relievers in the AL. I gave it to Balfour because he pitched in 9 more games, threw 12.2 more innings, and stranded 35 of 44 inherited runners, compared with 15 of 22 by Devine.

National League Middle Relief Pitcher of the Year Award

Winner: Carlos Marmol-Reliever-Chicago Cubs
Runner-up: Taylor Buchholz-Reliever-Colorado Rockies
Third Place: Hong-Chih Kuo-Reliever-Los Angeles Dodgers
Comments: All three players had super years in middle relief but the award had to go to Marmol. He pitched in 82 games for the Cubs and had 30 Holds, a 2.68 ERA, a 0.93 WHIP, 114 K’s, and held batters to a .135 average.

American League Rookie Pitcher of the Year Award

Winner: Armando Galarraga-Starter-Detroit Tigers
Runner-up: Joey Devine-Middle Reliever-Oakland Athletics
Third Place: Jim Johnson-Middle Reliever-Baltimore Orioles
Comments: There were a number of candidates for the top 3 but these were the 3 best in my opinion. Galarraga was on a little big of a different level from the rest because he has very effective as a staring pitcher, going 13-7 with a 3.73 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP.

National League Rookie Pitcher of the Year Award

Winner: Jair Jurrjens-Starter-Atlanta Braves
Runner-up: Hiroki Kuroda-Starter-Los Angeles Dodgers
Third Place: John Lannan-Starter-Washington Nationals
Comments: There were a few good candidates for the top 3 but I ended up going with the top 3 starters over some good middle relievers. Lannan was just 9-15 but he threw 21 Quality Starts in 31 starts for a 68% QS percentage. Kuroda was 9-10 with a 3.73 ERA, a 1.22 WHIP, and 2 shutouts. I gave the nod to Jurrjens but just barley, as he went 13-10 with a 3.68 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP.

All-American League Team (Best player at each position)

Catcher: Joe Mauer-Minnesota Twins
First Base: Kevin Youkilis-Boston Red Sox
Second Base: Dustin Pedroia-Boston Red Sox
Third Base: Alex Rodriquez-New York Yankees
Shortstop: Johnny Peralta-Cleveland Indians
Left Field: Carlos Quentin-Chicago White Sox
Center Field: Josh Hamilton-Texas Rangers
Right Field: Nick Markakis-Baltimore Orioles
Designated Hitter: Aubrey Huff-Baltimore Orioles
Left Handed Starter: Cliff Lee-Cleveland Indians
Right Handed Starter: Roy Halladay-Toronto Blue Jays
Left Handed Middle Reliever: Scott Downs-Toronto Blue Jays
Right Handed Middle Reliever: Joey Devine-Oakland Athletics
Left Handed Closer: BJ Ryan-Toronto Blue Jays
Right Handed Closer: Mariano Rivera-New York Yankees

All-National League Team (Best player at each position)

Catcher: Brian McCann-Atlanta Braves
First Base: Albert Pujols-St. Louis Cardinals
Second Base: Chase Utley-Philadelphia Phillies
Third Base: David Wright-New York Mets
Shortstop: Hanley Ramirez-Florida Marlins
Left Field: Matt Holiday-Colorado Rockies
Center Field: Carlos Beltran-New York Mets
Right Field: Ryan Ludwick-St. Louis Cardinals
Left Handed Starter: Johan Santana-New York Mets
Right Handed Starter: Tim Lincecum-San Francisco Giants
Left Handed Middle Reliever: Hong-Chih Kuo-Los Angeles Dodgers
Right Handed Middle Reliever: Carlos Marmol-Chicago Cubs
Left Handed Closer: Billy Wagner-New York Mets
Right Handed Closer: Brad Lidge-Philadelphia Phillies

All-Major League Team (Best player at each position)

Catcher: Joe Mauer-Minnesota Twins
First Base: Albert Pujols-St. Louis Cardinals
Second Base: Chase Utley-Philadelphia Phillies
Third Base: David Wright-New York Mets
Shortstop: Hanley Ramirez-Florida Marlins
Left Field: Manny Ramirez-Boston Red Sox/Los Angeles Dodgers
Center Field: Josh Hamilton-Texas Rangers
Right Field: Ryan Ludwick-St. Louis Cardinals
Left Handed Starter: CC Sabathia-Cleveland Indians/Milwaukee Brewers
Right Handed Starter: Roy Halladay-Toronto Blue Jays
Left Handed Middle Reliever: Hong-Chih Kuo-Los Angeles Dodgers
Right Handed Middle Reliever: Carlos Marmol-Chicago Cobs
Left Handed Closer: Billy Wagner-New York Mets
Right Handed Closer: Mariano Rivera-New York Yankees

Major League Baseball Player of the Year Award (Best player in MLB)

Winner: Albert Pujols-First Base-St. Louis Cardinals
Runner-up: Manny Ramirez-Left Field-Boston Red Sox/Los Angeles Dodgers
Third Place: Lance Berkman-First Base-Houston Astros
Comments: Pretty easy really. Pujols led the Majors in RC, RC27, Slugging, OPS, Total Bases, Times on Base, and Intentional BB. He was 2nd in the ML in batting average and OBP. He was 3rd in the ML in Walks and Extra Base Hits. He was tied 4th in the ML in homers, 9th in RBI, tied 10th in doubles, and 7th in hits.

Major League Baseball Starting Pitcher of the Year Award (Best starter in MLB)

Winner: CC Sabathia-Cleveland Indians/Milwaukee Brewers
Runner-up: Cliff Lee-Cleveland Indians
Third Place: Roy Halladay-Toronto Blue Jays
Comments: Sabathia was just 17-10 in 35 starts but he threw 10 complete games, 5 shutouts, fanned 251 over 251 innings, and posted a 2.70 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP. In his final 16 starts, Sabathia went 10-2 with 7 complete games, 3 shutouts, a 1.59 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP with 123 K over 124.2 innings. He led the Majors in innings pitched, starts, complete games, and shutouts. Sabathia was 4th in the ML in ERA, 5th in WHIP, 5th in K/9, 2nd in K’s, and 8th in K/BB.

Major League Baseball Relief Pitcher of the Year Award (Best reliever in MLB)

Winner: Mariano Rivera-Closer-New York Yankees
Runner-up: Brad Lidge-Closer-Philadelphia Phillies
Third Place: Francisco Rodriguez-Closer-Los Angeles Angels
Comments: All 3 had historically great seasons but Rivera was the best.

Major League Baseball Rookie Player of the Year Award (Best rookie position player in MLB)

Winner: Geovany Soto-Catcher-Chicago Cubs
Runner-up: Joey Votto-First Base-Cincinnati Reds
Third Place: Evan Longoria-Third Base-Tampa Bay Rays
Comments: They all had similar numbers but you have to give the award to Soto because he did it as an everyday catcher.

Major League Baseball Rookie Pitcher of the Year Award (Best rookie pitcher in MLB)

Winner: Armando Galarraga-Starter-Detroit Tigers
Runner-up: Jair Jurrjens-Starter-Atlanta Braves
Third Place: Hiroki Kuroda-Starter-Los Angeles Dodgers
Comments: Galarraga finished stronger and had a better overall year than Jurrjens.

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