MLB: A Look Back and a Look Ahead

By James O’Hara

These are my midseason MLB award picks and playoff picks at the midpoint of the MLB season.  Let me hear what you think deserves them.

AL MVP  and Rookie of the Year – Mike Trout

What can I say besides the fact that the kid is a beast with a slash line of .341/.397/.562.  Doing all this at the age of only 20 and being the main catalyst behind the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim getting to one of the best first half records in baseball after a lousy start.

AL Cy Young – Justin Verlander

The Tigers are my second favorite team behind the Nats and I own a Verlander jersey so there is a bit of homerism in this pick.  But his 2.58 ERA and 128 strikeouts in a league leading 132.2 innings is nothing but impressive.  Not to mention his insane .95 WHIP.

NL MVP – Joey Votto

Votto is probably the best hitter in the game right now and he’s doing it for a Reds team that is just one game out of first and on top of the NL Wild Card race.  His slash line of .348/.471/.617 is absurd even for a first baseman.

NL Cy Young – R.A. Dickey

This is a clear case of first half recognition over a prediction of who will probably win it at the end of the year.  Dickey had an amazing first half throwing back to back one hitters and exciting baseball fans everywhere with his mysterious knuckler.  The only question is if he can keep it up with a notoriously fickle pitch.

NL Rookie of the Year- Bryce Harper

If a rookie is doing something that Hall of Famers didn’t even do then it’s a pretty clear cut choice of who to pick.  Harper’s .826 OPS if it holds would be the third highest by a nineteen year old since 1900 ahead of the likes of Willie Mays and Ken Griffey, Jr. Pretty incredible.

Second Half Predictions

In the NL I have the division winners as the Nationals, Giants, and Reds in that seeding order. I love the Nats and Giants pitching and the Reds stars will carry them in a wild division.  I think the two wild card winners will be the Cardinals and the Braves. The Dodgers and Pirates will be on the outside looking in as they are not yet ready for primetime.  Look for all of these teams outside of possibly the Cardinals to be in playoff conversations for years to come.

In the AL I see the division winners as being the Rangers, Yankees, and White Sox again in seeding order.  The Rangers and Yankees are the two best teams this year easily managing the few injuries they’ve had.  While the White Sox have the most consistent production from their star players in the division. I’m going with the Angels and Rays to slot into the two wild card spots as both are simply more talented than their closest competitors.