MLB Awards

NL MVP – 1B Albert Pujols St. Louis Cardinals
His reign of terror continues on National League pitchers.

AL MVP – C Joe Mauer Minnesota Twins
You can add another batting title to his second straight MVP award.

NL Cy Young – Roy Halladay Philadelphia Phillies
With the lineup they have he will easily get 20 wins by late August.

AL Cy Young – Cliff Lee Seattle Mariners
He’s back in the AL in a pitchers paradise. Arguably the best lefthander in the AL.

NL Rookie of the Year – OF Jason Heyward Atlanta Braves
If he’s not on the Opening Day roster, he will be around in May hitting over .300.

AL Rookie of the Year – P Brian Matusz Baltimore Orioles
They will bring him along slowly, but his stuff is good enough to get him 10-15 wins.

NL Manger of the Year – Bobby Cox Atlanta Braves
The Braves return to the postseason will be a nice touch to a great career on the bench.

AL Manger of the Year – Joe Maddon Tampa Bay Rays
His baseball IQ is unmatched as he gets the Rays back into contention.

Postseason Projections

AL Division Winners – Angels, Twins, Yankees

AL Wild Card – Rays

NL Division Winners – Rockies, Cardinals, Phillies

NL Wild Card – Braves

ALCS – Angels vs. Yankees

NLCS – Phillies vs. Rockies

World Series – Yankees vs. Phillies

It isn’t like me to predict a rematch in the World Series, but I just don’t see it happening any other way. The Angels, Rays and Twins don’t have the pitching that will help them stop the offense of the Yankees. All the American League teams can hit, but the Yankees have the established pitching that they will need to get to another World Series.
Over in the National League it’s the same concept. Pitching will get you where you need to be this year. The Phillies have tremendous depth in the rotation and the bullpen has a question mark in Brad Lidge, but they will out hit most of their opponents to not even have to worry about the ninth inning.
I would like to pick Angels vs. Rockies, but to do that would do me a disservice. The Angels are my team, I will admit that, but they don’t appear to be ready to dethrone the Yankees. There is just too much of Jeter, Teixeira and A-Rod. Now with Curtis Granderson bringing youth to the lineup and Javier Vazquez now the fourth starter, the Yankees are without a doubt the favorites to win the AL pennant.
The Rockies are a great young team that will be contending as long as Tulowitzki, Hawpe and Stewart continue to produce. They have good depth in the pitching department, but not one person steps out and wows you. It will hurt them when they face off against the Phillies which still consist of Rollins, Utley, Howard, Werth and Victorino. You put Roy Halladay in the rotation with Cole Hamels and company and you have yourself a pretty good recipe for multiple World Series appearances.
All in all I don’t think the Yankees will repeat. It will be to the Phillies who with arguably the best pitcher in the game in Halladay, they now won’t have any trouble winning at least three games should it be a 7 game series. The Phillies showed they could match the Yankees hitting in the last year’s Series, but the pitching ultimately is what let them down. Can that all change because of one guy? Yes, if that one guy is Roy Halladay. Phillies in six games.