We have reached the half-way point, sort of, in the 2010 Major League Baseball season.  Can you say that your World Series predictions are still valid?  Yes.  No.  Half of the prediction.  Well, Philadelphia and the New York Yankees are still alive and well, but my awards predictions are another matter.  Not totally blown up, but I do have to revamp a few spots.  Lets delve into them shall we?

American League MVP – 1B Miguel Cabrera – Detroit Tigers
.346 AVG, 22 HR, 77 RBI

The way I see it with MVP awards is that it stands for Most Valuable Player.  Doesn’t have anything to do with the team, just what the individual player has done for that season.  Why do you think Andre Dawson (1987) and Alex Rodriguez (2003) won the award when their teams went no where?  It was a toss up between Cabrera and Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers.  Hamilton has been on fire since June 1 and he is almost single handily winning the AL West for Texas.  You notice I said “almost.”  Vladimir Guerrero, Ian Kinsler, Michael Young are just three names that are in the mix for the Rangers success.  That to me will cancel out any Rangers for votes.  The same goes for the Yankees bats.  Yes, Robinson Cano will get votes, but lets be honest.  I could bat sixth in that lineup and bat close to .300 too.  Cabrera is putting up a case for the Triple Crown.  Not saying he will get it, but he doesn’t have nearly the kind of protection that Texas and New York give their candidates.

National League MVP – 1B Joey Votto – Cincinnati Reds
.314 AVG, 22 HR, 60 RBI

I like this guy a lot.  His father passing away last year set him back not just in his game, but mentally as well.  He needed all the time in the world to make everything right before he stepped back on the field.  Now that he has this year, it seems he hasn’t missed a beat.  He was on pace for some remarkable stats last season and now it’s showing this year.  The only other viable candidate at the moment that could make a run for the award would be 1B Adrian Gonzalez of the San Diego Padres.  You take him or Votto out of the middle of their respective lineups and their teams aren’t even in the top three spots in their divisions.  Votto is extremely important to the Reds attack.  Yes he plays in a hitters paradise, but shouldn’t he already have 30+ HR and almost 100 RBI by now?  Gonzalez’s numbers are impressive being in a pitchers park, but San Diego is winning more on pitching than on offense.

American League Cy Young – David Price – Tampa Bay Rays
12-4, 2.42 ERA, .223 BAA

I have to give Tampa Bay a lot of credit here.  They didn’t rush Price at all when he was drafted number one overall in 2007.  The bullpen was his first assignment the next year and that helped propel the Rays to their first World Series in 2008.  Since, he has slowly risen to the top tier of starting pitchers in the American League.  The only other candidate would be Cliff Lee.  Now with the Texas Rangers, his numbers will rise a little, but not enough to keep him out of contention.  Price has the wins and the lowest ERA in the American League.  That will be enough to get him the award and solidify him as the ace of Tampa Bay’s pitching for many years to come.

National League Cy Young – Ubaldo Jimenez – Colorado Rockies
15-1, 2.20 ERA, .198 BAA

I don’t like to give the award to the guy who has the most wins, but Ubaldo has been unhittable almost all year.  He has hit a bit of a wall going into July, but what’s so remarkable about him is his BAA (batting average against) is still below .200.   I would put St. Louis’ Adam Wainwright and Florida’s Josh Johnson also into the mix.  Johnson doesn’t have the wins, but his ERA (1.70) is the best in baseball and his strikeout (123) to walk ratio (28) is phenomenal.   Wainwright is great in St. Louis (9-0), but average on the road (4-5).  That will hurt him, but he will be a strong contender down the stretch like he was last year.  Ubaldo doesn’t seem to be primed for a big let down.  Even with his struggles of late, he has bounced back nicely through most of the rough outings.

American League Rookie of the Year – Brennan Boesch – Detroit Tigers
.342 AVG, 12 HR 49 RBI

Yes, my original pick (Brian Matusz) has flamed out, but this is a great story.  Boesch has come out of nowhere in the Detroit system and hasn’t disappointed in the majors.  This is the best protection for AL MVP Miguel Cabrera, but it is working.  He could have gotten consideration for the All-Star game too, but I’m not gonna go there.  I’m expecting his numbers to settle at some point, but it hasn’t happened yet.  I’m sure it will, but until then he is the runaway choice in the American League.

National League Rookie of the Year – Gaby Sanchez – Florida Marlins
.302 AVG, 9 HR, 38 RBI

If not for a log jam at first base, Sanchez would get considered for the All-Star game as well.  Florida has Hanley Ramirez and now Gaby Sanchez to anchor the middle of their lineup.  Jason Heyward went down with an injured hand, which might cost him unless he picks up where he left off before the injury.  Jaime Garcia of the St. Louis Cardinals will get a lot of publicity, but I think Sanchez deserves it.  For a rookie in his position to have the kind of patience (.365 OBP) and some decent pop is rare.  He might have Marlins fans forget that they had Adrian Gonzalez at one point in their organization.  Him and a slew of other All-Stars too, but Sanchez is another piece that they will use until it’s time to move onto the next one.

American League Manager of the Year – Ozzie Guillen – Chicago White Sox
1st Place: 49-38 record

If Tampa Bay takes the division, Joe Maddon will get the award.  Until then, Ozzie deserves all the accolades.  Chicago was dead in the water it seemed going into the summer.  Their pitching was in shambles.  The lineup was inconsistent.  Ozzie didn’t even have one of his patented tirades and yet the White Sox got on a roll and began to pass Minnesota and Detroit to be atop first place.  If the trend continues, Chicago might think they can win the whole thing again.  Rest assured the White Sox will miss Jake Peavy, but GM Ken Williams will make a move to get a starter to help bolster the starting staff for the playoff push.  Ozzie hasn’t lost the magic and the White Sox would be wise to not let him go for the wrong reasons.

National League Manager of the Year – Bobby Cox – Atlanta Braves
1st Place: 52-36 record (best in NL)

His last season is looking like he can keep managing for another 10 years.  Atlanta has the best record in the National League, thanks to great pitching and a balanced lineup.  There aren’t any power bats in the lineup, but small ball is their game and they use it well.  Pitching and defense are what made the Braves contenders throughout the 1990s.  Atlanta has the fourth best ERA in the National League and it starts at the top with Bobby Cox.  The Braves are starting to pull away from the pack in the NL East with Philadelphia and the New York Mets soon to be fighting for the Wild Card.