Awards Week : MVP Predictions

The big one, the one we have all been waiting for, the MLB MVP will be announced tonight at 6:00 pm ET on MLB Network. The MVP is the biggest Award for any positional player, or any player in my eyes, in all of baseball and is the highest honor you can achieve. Here is a list of all 10 finalists for the award in each league.

American League Finalists:

Miguel Cabrera- DET

Mike Trout - LAA

Robinson Cano - NYY

Josh Hamilton - TEX

Adrian Beltre - TEX

Miguel Cabrera won the Triple Crown, what more really needs to be said here? If hitting .330 with 44 home runs and 139 RBIs is not enough then his 377 total bases, .999 OPS, .606 SLG in 161 games should be enough. I get that Mike Trout had a great season, especially for a rookie, but Andruw Jones was Mike Trout just 16 seasons ago. We have not seen a triple crown winner since 1967 and probably never will again in my lifetime and that is just special. No disrespect to Cano, Beltre, Hamilton, or Trout but I wasted way more time on this then I should have had to. Congrats to Miguel Cabrera and if I am wrong I will lose all faith in the award system in Major League Baseball.

National League Finalists

Ryan Braun - MIL

Chase Headley - SD

Andrew McCutchen - PIT

Yadier Molina - STL

Buster Posey - SF

Somehow midst all the steroid rumors and losing basically his only protection in Prince Fielder the Brewers Ryan Braun found a way to have a BETTER season in 2012 then his MVP season of 2011. Andrew McCutchen could have really had a case had he not faded in the last month or two of the season and had a power outage. No offense to Chase Headley and Yadier Molina because they had great seasons all things considered but I think they are just here to fill spots, they have no reason being in the discussion for the NL MVP.  Ryan Braun finished 2012 with 41 home runs (33 in 2011), 112 RBIs (111 in 2011), a .319 average, .391 OBP, .595 SLG, and a league leading .987 OPS. Buster Posey may end up taking the award home at the end of the night but in my eyes it needs to go to Ryan Braun.