Lorenzo Cain conquers, named ALCS MVP

Lorenzo Cain‘s performance was beyond the average MLB player’s in the 2014 American League Championship Series. Of course his path to playing Major League Baseball was also outside that of the average player.

The 28-year-old Cain did not start playing organized baseball of any kind, not even Little League, until he was a sophomore in high school, according to FOX Sport’s Jon Paul Morosi who spoke with Cain before the third game of the ALCS.

More from Kansas City Royals

• Kansas City Royals: John McMillon call-up is a development win
• Kansas City Royals: Trade with Atlanta Braves for Taylor Hearn confusing
• Kansas City Royals: What to expect from Cole Ragans
• Grading J.J. Picollo and the Kansas City Royals front office at the season’s midway point
• MLB bullpen report: A couple of things to keep an eye on in June

He only even joined the baseball team because he was cut from the basketball team. Oh, and there was the slight issue that his mother wouldn’t let him play football.

The Royals are lucky that happened. They were also lucky to have acquired the young outfielder, who played both center and right field during the ALCS, in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2010.

That trade is best known for sending ace right-hander Zack Greinke along with Yuniesky Betancourt to the Brewers in exchange for Cain, current Royals’ teammate Alcides Escobar and two other minor leaguers.

His path to the majors stands out because it is so different from the norm. His performance in the ALCS shined the brightest, standing out enough to earn him MVP honors in the American League Championship Series.

While there were many standout performances by Royals’ players during their four game sweep of the Baltimore Orioles, Cain mentioned third baseman Mike Moustakas, first baseman Eric Hosmer and designated hitter Billy Butler by name when talking to MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch after game four of the ALCS, his performance stunned everyone propelling him to stardom on the national stage.

He excelled at the plate while showing off his speed on the basepaths and defensive skills in the outfield. Cain went 8-15 with two doubles, two walks and a stolen base in the series.

He also put down the bunt, the first in his career, that advanced the runners who would eventually score the only two runs the Royals needed to win complete their sweep and advance to the 2014 World Series.

Cain’s defensive plays were just as outlandish as his batting average (.533) during the series.

He also tied a Royals’ frachise record with his eight hits in the series. It was set the last time the Royals were in the postseason, the same year they last won the World Series. Willie Wilson also got eight hits in the 1985 ALCS.

Cain tied two Royals’ records, actually, by getting four hits in game two. Those four hits also aided him in becoming the first player since Carl Crawford in 2008, to get at least four hits, score at least two runs and steal a base in the same postseason game.

To say that Cain earned his ALCS MVP Award may be an understatement. As Hosmer put it,

"“You really get spoiled with the outfield out there. Every ball that’s up in the air, you think it’s just going to get caught. … The way he’s playing defense and the way he’s playing offense, he’s stepping up big time.”"

Yes, Cain has definitely been stepping up, stepping up onto the big stage in a very big way.