First Half MVPs – AL East
By Editorial Staff
Wrapping up our series on the season’s first half MVPs from each division will be the AL East.
Baltimore Orioles – J. J. Hardy
Acquired in the offseason as another bat, Hardy has more than lived up to what was expected. He also had a stint on the 15-day DL with an oblique strain but has been on fire ever since he came back. His first game back he hit a homerun and 2 days later, a grand slam. Now he’s batting leadoff and has a .289 batting average as well as 33 RBIs and 13 homeruns, which is more than Nick Markakis, Matt Wieters, and Luke Scott. It’s also more than Orioles shortstops in the past 3 years combined. To top it off, he’s great defensively at SS.
Boston Red Sox – Adrian Gonzalez
Without a doubt, it’s a no brainer that the highly touted first baseman is the Red Sox first half MVP. He has been everything as advertised when the Red Sox gave up four talented prospects to acquire Gonzalez from the San Diego Padres over the winter. He leads the Majors in RBI’s with 76 and the AL in batting average at .351 while belting 17 home runs and 28 doubles.
Gonzalez continues to collect big hits in key times during crucial games. It’s been mentioned that he was made to hit at Fenway and that couldn’t be more accurate. It is a lot of fun to watch his smooth swing drive balls off the Green Monster for an easy run scoring double. During an early season struggle for the Red Sox as a team, it was Gonzalez who remained the one steady bat when he hit over .300 for the month of April. His value is also greater than just at the plate or at first base. With Gonzo in the lineup he makes both Kevin Youkilis and David Ortiz better as he allows them to see better pitches. Other teams can’t pitch around all 3 when they come to the plate in consecutive order.
Derek Stykalo – BoSox Injection
New York Yankees – Curtis Granderson
Although there are many deserving candidates, Curtis Granderson is clearly the MVP for the Yankees so far this season. He leads the team in WAR (4.8), slugging (.583), and triples (7); he’s tied for the team lead with Mark Teixeira (25) in homers, and three behind Marky Mark (62) for the team lead in RBI. He’s third on the team with 87 hits and, not that it means much but, is second behind Robinson Cano for the most at-bats on the team (321). This year he’s hitting .260/.321/.604 with nine homers and 22 RBI in 96 at-bats against lefties whereas his career numbers against southpaws are .221/.281/.376 with 29 homers and 88 RBI in 866 at-bats.
That’s not even taking into account his stellar defense in center.
Honorable mention: LF Brett Gardner
Andrew Corselli – Yanks Go Yard
Tampa Bay Rays – James Shields
The Rays have surprised a lot of baseball people out there by continuing to contend despite all the changes they went through in the off-season. One of the pleasant surprises has been Super Sam Fuld. He has dazzled Rays fans with plays like this, this and oh yeah, especially this. He hit well to begin the year, but has really tailed off the past month or so. As fun to watch as he has been to watch, the real MVP of the Rays has been “Big Game”, “Complete Game” James Shields. He has reemerged from a terrible 2010 campaign to become one of the best pitcher’s in the American League. He’s thrown three shutouts and five complete games (both of which lead baseball) which has given the bullpen some much-needed nights off. He is just 8-6 (2.47 ERA) due to a lack of run-support, but no doubt he has been the Rays stopper and best player.
Jonathan Bohall – Rays Colored Glasses
Toronto Blue Jays – Jose Bautista
Who else? The guy has been the best hitter in all of baseball so far this season. 3rd in the MLB in average (.333), 2nd in runs (69), 1st in home runs (29), 1st in on base percentage (.467), 1st in slugging (.691), and first in walks (71). Fresh off signing a 5 year deal worth $65, Bautista has proven that 2010 was no fluke. He gets on base at a phenomenal rate, and consistently hits the ball hard. A versatile defender (has played both third base and right field this season), Bautista is without question, the cornerstone of the Toronto Blue Jays.
Here’s the rest of our series, First Half MVPs.