Los Angeles Angels
MVP: Mike Trout
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| Trout has a .341/.401/.541 line and 16 steals as the Angels' leadoff hitter |
Mark Trumbo has really paced this team
offensively. And yet, Mike Trout gets the MVP. Why? Well, just to
give him some much deserved recognition. Overshadowed by Bryce Harper
in Washington, Trout is quietly putting together one heck of a rookie
season. While his .341 batting average probably won’t maintain all
year, his mix of speed and power will not only keep him in the Angels
lineup, but make him a key contributor to the team.
Best Case Scenario:
The pitching continues to be great
(currently second in the AL with a 3.53 ERA), and the offense—sparked
by Albert Pujols—round into form as the season heads into summer.
Trumbo continues to hit monster home runs, Trout continues his
do-it-all season, and some secondary hitters (Kendrys Morales, H owie
Kendrick, Vernon Wells…) pick it up, and start to make significant
offensive contributions.
Worst Case Scenario:
The team continues to struggle scoring
runs. Currently fourth-from-last in the AL in runs scored, the Angels
need to improve offensively.
Bottom Line:
This team should most certainly be in
the hunt for a playoff spot in the fall. The lineup will improve, and
the pitching will remain near the top of the AL. While the Rangers
may well run away with the division, the Angels should at least be in
the conversation for the wild card spot.
Oakland Athletics
MVP: Pitching Staff
It’s tough to give out an MVP to any
one player, since this team really is pretty bad. They are trusting a
line-up of no-names (Josh Reddick is their best hitter? Huh?), and a
pitching staff made up of young kids (Tommy Milone, Jarrod Parker),
and veteran journeymen (Bartolo Colon, Brian Fuentes). However, while
the lineup has performed as expected—i.e., terribly—the pitching
staff has quietly put together one of the best ERAs in the American
League. So, with a team made up of relative no-names, why not give
the MVP award to the pitching staff?
Best Case Scenario:
Honestly, playing in a division with
the Rangers and the Angels means that there is no way this team
sniffs the playoffs. The best outcome of the year, then, is for some
of their long-term pieces to develop. This means the young arms
continue to pitch competently, and the bats of Jemile Weeks and
Yoenis Cespedes wake up.
Worst Case Scenario:
The hitting continues to blow us away
with mediocrity, while the pitching staff falls back to earth.
Bottom Line:
The A’s are not a good team. Being in the
AL West, they have to play two good teams regularly. That sums it up
right there.
Seattle Mariners
MVP: …
The team leader in batting average is
hitting in the low .280s, the team leader in home runs recently got
into double digits, and the starting pitcher with the lowest ERA on
the club is Kevin Millwood, who sports a 3-5 record, with a
middle-of-the-road ERA of 3.57. You have it right there: this team is
too mediocre in too many areas to have an MVP at this point.
Best Case Scenario:
This team is never going to hit the
ball particularly well. With this, the team has to hope for King
Felix Hernandez to rebound and look like an ace again, and for Jesus
Montero to truly develop into a middle of the order bat.
Worst Case Scenario:
In baseball, you want to either be
really good (and thus competing for the playoffs), or really bad (and
thus competing for the first overall pick). This Mariners team has
the feel of a middle of the road team, which also happens to be the
worst case scenario for the year.
Bottom Line:
Like the A’s, the Mariners are an
average team, playing in a good division. That’s not a good thing.
Texas Rangers
MVP: Josh Hamilton
Hamilton leads the majors in home runs,
RBI, and slugging; he is in the top-10 in OPS, OBP, runs and batting
average. In short, he is having a monster season and is pacing the
Rangers.
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| If healthy, Hamilton is a legitimate triple-crown threat |
Best Case Scenario:
This team is built to succeed. There
really isn’t any major weakness. They will probably win the
division. The Angels continuing to hover around .500 would just be
icing on the cake.
Worst Case Scenario:
Management goes on Twitter, notices his
pleas, and sign Jose Canseco to a long-term deal.
Bottom Line:
This team is good. Really good. That
should continue to show as the season head into the summer months.
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