All of the awards have been announced now, so let’s recap:
Rookie of the Year
American League
My Pick: Pedroia
Winner: Pedroia, by a large margin.
I’d change my vote for runner-up here to Joakim Soria, who had a fantastic year on a team nobody watches, and as a closer for a team that rarely wins.
National League
My Pick: Tulowitzki
Winner: Braun, by two points.
I still stick by my Tulowitzki pick, but Braun’s numbers were apparently too good. I think this comes down to whether the award goes to the player that performed the best (Braun) or the one that showed the most potential/promise (Tulowitzki).
Cy Young
American League
My Pick: Sabathia
Winner: Sabathia, by a fair margin
I was actually surprised that the voting wasn’t closer. Perhaps there’s a little Boston backlash or maybe the voters are starting to realize that wins are a garbage statistic.
National League
My Pick: Peavy
Winner: Peavy (unanimous)
Most Valuable Player
American League
My Pick: Rodriguez
Winner: Rodriguez, all but two votes
National League
My Pick: Holliday
Winner: Rollins, by a small margin
This was the biggest surprise. Rollins had a great year, but Holliday had a monster year. Playing on an east coast team, at a more important position, and being more “exciting” (i.e. faster), as well as the Coors Field effect, must have been the deciding factors here. In hindsight, I probably should have picked Rollins as the runner-up.