2013 MLB Picks and Predictions: Updated American League Award Favorites: The 2013 MLB season is just over 60 games old, and while teams are slowly sorting out the pecking order within their respective divisions, players are building beginning to make their case for the sport’s top individual honors. Granted, there is still plenty of season left, and a fast start is never as important as a strong finish when it comes to winning one of baseball’s top awards. That being said, building a solid resume early makes it that much easier to compete for a top honor when all is said and done. With that in mind, here is a closer look at the early frontrunners for the top individual awards in the American League.
American League Most Valuable Player: Miguel Cabrera, Third Baseman, Detroit Tigers
The defending winner of the award is steamrolling to another MVP, and Cabrera has entrenched himself as the best hitter in baseball. He currently leads the majors with a .358 average, a .450 on-base percentage and 69 RBIs. Meanwhile, he ranks second in hits, runs scored, slugging percentage and OPS and third in home runs. Detroit is amassing a comfortable lead in the AL Central, and Cabrera is amassing ridiculous offensive numbers across the board. At this point, the better question might be whether or not he can win another Triple Crown because he is cruising toward back-to-back MVPs.
American League Cy Young: Yu Darvish, Texas Rangers
Clay Buchholz and Hisashi Iwakuma are both in the mix, but Darvish has a slight edge at this point. His 2.64 ERA and 0.94 WHIP are both fourth in the AL, and his .181 batting average against and 127 strikeouts are both tops in the league. In fact, Darvish has 21 more strikeouts than any other pitcher in the majors right now. He has a 7-2 record overall, and no pitcher has been tougher on batters on a consistent basis than Darvish thus far.
American League Rookie of the Year: Dan Straily, Starting Pitcher, Oakland Athletics
It has been a brutal year for AL rookies, and Straily is basically the default frontrunner at this point. He has a 4-2 record in 10 starts for an Oakland team that is leading the West Division. His 4.45 ERA isn’t great, but he does have 47 strikeouts in 58.2 innings. He also has a .216 batting average against and a 1.07 WHIP so his advanced statistics suggest that his ERA should be falling anyway. Straily has been a quality starter for an excellent, and that is enough to make him the early leader in the Rookie of the Year race.
Comeback Player of the Year: Justin Morneau, First Baseman, Minnesota Twins
It looked like the former MVP was going to be forced into early retirement because of lingering issues from multiple concussions, but he has been healthy for the first time since early in 2010. He currently leads the Twins with 38 RBIs, and his .294 average is the second best on the team. Granted, he has just two home runs so his power has been missing in action, but he does have 16 doubles. More importantly, the mere fact that he has become a productive bat in the middle of the Minnesota order after facing possible retirement just a year ago makes him worthy of being named Comeback Player of the Year.
Rolaids Relief Man: Joe Nathan, Texas Rangers
The sentimental favorite is Mariano Rivera, but Nathan’s has been even more unhittable than the future Hall of Famer. He has converted 20 of his 21 save opportunities to go along with a 1.71 ERA. More impressively, Nathan boasts a 0.80 WHIP and a .143 batting average against. Heck, he has only allowed 13 hits in 26.1 innings of work. Plain and simple, Nathan is getting the job done in the ninth for Texas.
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