[ttwarrior1]

[ttwarrior1]

The Detroit Tigers' Justin Verlander on Monday became the first starting pitcher in 25 years to win a Most Valuable Player award.
Verlander, who was a unanimous selection for the AL Cy Young, led the Tigers to the AL Central title with a 24-5 record, a 2.40 ERA and 250 strikeouts. The righthander led the league in wins, ERA, winning percentage, WHIP and strikeouts.
Justin Verlander also was selected as Sporting News MLB Player of the Year. (AP Photo)
The last pitcher to win an MVP was Dennis Eckersley of the Oakland A's, who won as a reliever in 1992.
You have to go back to the 1986, when Verlander was three, to find the last starting pitcher who received the honor. That year Roger Clemens of the Boston Red Sox beat out Don Mattingly for the New York Yankees to win the award.
Verlander also was voted Sporting News MLB Player of the Year and AL Pitcher of the Year.
Pitchers who won MVP and Cy Young in the same year:
1956 (NL): Don Newcombe, Brooklyn Dodgers (only one Cy Young awarded that year)1963 (NL): Sandy Koufax, Los Angeles Dodgers1968 (AL): Denny McLain, Detroit Tigers1968 (NL): Bob Gibson, St. Louis Cardinals1971 (AL): Vida Blue, Oakland A's1981 (AL): Rollie Fingers, Milwaukee Brewers*1984 (AL): Willie Hernandez, Detroit Tigers*1986 (AL): Roger Clemens, Boston Red Sox1992 (AL): Dennis Eckersley, Oakland A's*

[ttwarrior1]

Associated Press

NEW YORK — Detroit's Justin Verlander has become the first starting pitcher in a quarter-century to win a Most Valuable Player award, adding it to his Cy Young Award last week.
Verlander earned the American League MVP honor Monday, receiving 13 of 28 first-place votes and 280 points in voting announced by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.
Boston center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury was second with 242 points, followed by Toronto right fielder Jose Bautista with 231 points.

[dfberger23]

Did not expect that.

[neverstoppers23]

Total bull shit.

[benjy]

Just silly. Any of the next 4 or 5 vote getters would be a better choice.

[Deuce]

Total bull shit.

You see his numbers and how he dominated every single category? Guy had an unreal season. No hitter, lead in every single category for pitching.

[Regul8er]

I dont like this at all.
Guys who play every day are more valuable then guys who play every 5th.

If say Lebron was FAR and AWAY the best player statistically in the NBA, but only played 16 games, would be the better option for MVP then guys who were slightly less statistically but played 82 games??

I'm sorry guys......I have no problem with him winning CY Young, heck he deserved it......but not MVP. Give it to Jacoby or Jose!

[ttwarrior1]

granderson should of gotten some votes

[Deuce]

I dont like this at all. Guys who play every day are more valuable then guys who play every 5th. If say Lebron was FAR and AWAY the best player statistically in the NBA, but only played 16 games, would be the better option for MVP then guys who were slightly less statistically but played 82 games?? I'm sorry guys......I have no problem with him winning CY Young, heck he deserved it......but not MVP. Give it to Jacoby or Jose!

He single handedly gave his team 24 wins. The award is for the MVP for their team within their respected league. He is most definitely the MVP of the Tigers and that being said, has Jose and Jacoby given their teams that amount of wins based solely off their performances?

[Deuce]

granderson should of gotten some votes

He most certainly did. He was 4th out of the top 5.

Verlander
Jacoby
Jose
Grandy
M. Cabrera

[Bcatswin]

Dont necessarily agree bug congrats and

[Regul8er]

He single handedly gave his team 24 wins. The award is for the MVP for their team within their respected league. He is most definitely the MVP of the Tigers and that being said, has Jose and Jacoby given their teams that amount of wins based solely off their performances?

Single handedly??? Really?? He got fu(kin 5.56 Runs per Game in Support. In fact 15 of his 24 wins Detroit scored him 5+ runs. I'm not downplaying Justin, because he had a freakishly good season.

I would re-phrase single handedly won 24 games, because you don't even have to put forward a quality start to win with 5+ runs!

[Regul8er]

Im obviously in the minority, because the voters spoke......but Im not happy with it.

[ttwarrior1]

Im not either,, thats why they have a cy young award, hell why not give cy young to yadier molina if their gonna do stuff like this.

He is not even mvp of his own team

[benjy]

Single-handedly. Egad. That's silly. But as long as we're being silly:

WAR: Verlander 7.0,

Tied or better: Ellsbury 9.4, Joey Bats 8.4, Pedroia 8.0, Kinsler 7.7, Miggy 7.3, Granderson 7.0

[gryfyn1]

Single-handedly. Egad. That's silly. But as long as we're being silly:

WAR: Verlander 7.0,

Tied or better: Ellsbury 9.4, Joey Bats 8.4, Pedroia 8.0, Kinsler 7.7, Miggy 7.3, Granderson 7.0

Keep in mind you are quoting Fangraphs WAR here, fWAR is based on FIP, which, while a great gauge of the raw performance of the pitch, oft times undervalues what actually happened when that is based on stats which a very much tied to luck and the surrounding players.

baseball references WAR or bWAR had verlander tied for the lead with baustista, bWAR uses runs above replacement, which does give a pitcher for factors which mostly (but not entirely) beyond his control.

also Verlander faced 970 batters, over 300 more than Bautista had at bats.

[benjy]

Keep in mind you are quoting Fangraphs WAR here, fWAR is based on FIP, which, while a great gauge of the raw performance of the pitch, oft times undervalues what actually happened when that is based on stats which a very much tied to luck and the surrounding players.

baseball references WAR or bWAR had verlander tied for the lead with baustista, bWAR uses runs above replacement, which does give a pitcher for factors which mostly (but not entirely) beyond his control.

also Verlander faced 970 batters, over 300 more than Bautista had at bats.

Interesting. Thanks for the additional info.

Interesting take on batters faced vs. AB's too. Although I certainly oversimplified earlier, I think this part of your argument does the same as, for example, it ignores defence.

[ttwarrior1]

[paco]

Well deserved.

I called this shit and posters laughed about a pitcher wont win Cy young and MVP