2012 MLB Picks and Predictions – National League Awards MVP, ROY and Cy Young Picks

2012 MLB Picks and Predictions: National League Awards Predictions: The 2012 MLB regular season is in the books, which means it is time to hand out some end-of-the-season awards. Looking at the National League, many of the major honors had several deserving candidates, and the final few weeks of the season ended up deciding things. Let the debate begin, but based on the numbers and the impact these players had on their teams, these are the players I believe should take home top honors in 2012.

2012 MLB Picks and Predictions: National League Awards

National League MVP: Ryan Braun, Outfielder, Milwaukee Brewers

While the cloud of his failed/not failed drug test will no doubt hang over him, Braun’s numbers speak for themselves. He led the National League with 41 home runs, 108 runs scored and a .987 OPS. He also finished second in total hits and RBIs and had the third-best batting average. Throw in 30 stolen bases, and Braun was a one-man wrecking crew at the plate. Keep in mind that he did all this without the protection of Prince Fielder this year. Braun also kept the Brewers in the thick of the wild card hunt until the final week of the season. He deserves to be named the NL MVP for the second year in a row.

National League Cy Young: R.A. Dickey, Starter, New York Mets

He went 20-6 for a Mets team that only won 74 games, meaning he accounted for more than 27 percent of New York’s victories. More importantly, his 20 wins were good enough for the second most in the NL. His 2.73 ERA was also the second best in the league, and Dickey also ranked third in WHIP in and fourth in batting average against. More impressively, he was a workhorse, leading the NL in strikeouts, innings pitched, complete games and shutouts. This is a slam dunk for Dickey.

National League Rookie of the Year: Wade Miley, Starter, Arizona Diamondbacks

Bryce Harper got the most hype of any rookie in the NL by far, but Miley delivered on the mound for Arizona. He finished the year with a 16-11 record, and his 3.33 ERA was good enough for 10th best in the league. Miley wasn’t exactly overpowering, finishing with just 144 strikeouts, but he was durable. He threw 194 innings and walked just 37 batters, and his 1.18 WHIP put him in the top 15 in the NL. The Diamondbacks finished at a respectable 81-81, and Miley was a rock solid starter for Arizona all season. He more than earned the right to be named Rookie of the Year.

Comeback Player of the Year: Buster Posey, Catcher, San Francisco Giants

Last season, Posey suffered a gruesome ankle injury at home plate that cost him the entire season. He bounced back in a big way in 2012, winning a batting title and finishing with a .336 batting average, 24 home runs and 103 RBIs. Posey also led the league in on-base percentage and finished second with a .957 OPS. Not to mention that he was basically the lone offensive weapon for a San Francisco team that won the NL West. Those numbers aren’t too bad for a player that basically had his ankle detached a year ago.

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