Recapping The 2011 MLB Awards (National League Edition)

MVP: The Baseball Writers and I agree on this one, Ryan Braun’s year was a phenomenal one and 100% deserving of the MVP award. Posting .332, 33, and 111 respectively, along with stealing 33 bags, the Hebrew Hammer was just that, a hammer. Along with Prince, he led the Brewers all the way to the NLCS, which has previously been uncharted territory for this generation of Brew Crew fans. Owner Mark Attanasio has already claimed that there will be a bronze statue of Braun in front of Miller Park when he decides to hang it up.

ROY: Braves flamethrower Craig Kimbrel claimed the Rookie of the Year award. As part of a revamped and dominant Atlanta bullpen, Kimbrel’s 100+ mph fastball allowed him to record a league leading 46 saves while averaging a mindblowing 1.65 K/IP ratio. Kimbrel will clearly be a force to be reckoned with in the NL for a long time.

COY: The Dback’s Kirk Gibson is this year’s Coach of the Year. Gibson, largely rememberd for hitting one of the most infamous homeruns in ML history, has turned the Dback’s around from worst to first, getting a lot of excitement and energy out of his young team. The sting from that Game 5 NLDS loss this year has left them hungry for more, and with all their young talent and Gibson calling the shots, there is no reason to believe that these guys won't be back in the postseason next October.

CY Young: Clayton Kershaw wins this year’s award for best pitcher. Like Verlander, he too won the pitcher’s version of the Triple Crown putting up 21 W’s while having a 2.28 ERA and striking out 248 batters along with grabbing a Gold Glove. Adding a slider to his arsenal clearly has made hitters uneasy at the plate and elivated the young phenom to super star status.

Comeback Player: The only reason I didn’t mind the St. Louis Cardinals winning was because the Big Puma (Ed. Note- SEABASS) got his ring. Lance Berkman, winner of this year’s comeback player, has been a feared hitter throughout his career. After injuries plagued him in the 09’ and 10’ seasons, Berkman stormed back hitting .301 while blasting 31 HR’s and driving in 94 runs. Good for Berkman but fuck the Cardinals.

Aaron Award: Matt Kemp was the NL's best pure hitter this year. Kemp and Kershaw were the few bright spots in an otherwise abysmal season for the Dodger’s. Kemp, probably the best offensive player in the entire league this year, won a Gold Glove along with recording a monster season at the plate posting .324, 39, 126 and stealing 40 bags. Basically he was worth every penny of the 160 million dollar contract he signed.

NL Gold Glove Winners

C- Yadier Molina
1B- Joey Votto
2B- Brandon Phillips
3B- Placido Polanco
SS- Troy Tulowitzki
LF- Gerardo Parra
CF- Matt Kemp
RF- Andre Ethier
P- Clayton Kershaw

Biggest Snub- While the disparity in this is nowhere near as bad as the AL’s, I feel Carlos Ruiz was snubbed due largely because Yadier has become a staple in that slot. Yes,Yadier is a monster and is the best defensive catcher in the league, but Carlos had a slightly better year defensively and handled the pitching staff more effectively.


NL Silver Slugger Awards


C- Brian McCann
1B- Prince Fielder
2B- Brandon Phillips
3B- Aramis Ramirez
SS- Troy Tulowitzki
OF- Ryan Braun
OF- Matt Kemp
OF- Justin Upton
P- Daniel Hudson

Biggest Snub- Lance Berkman probably got snubbed out in favor of Justin Upton. Similar to Cabrera’s argument had a better BA, OPS, OBP, and Slugging PCT, along with more homers and about 30 less strikeouts. However Upton had way more hits and more runs scored so you could go either way. Kind of like Tila Tequila, Andy Dick and the Hudson River.

-Palaz