Experts' Awards Picks

PRINT EMAIL FACEBOOK DIGG TWITTER RSS SHARE

Joe Mauer achieved the modern Triple Crown by leading the AL in average (.365), on-base (.444) and slugging (.587) percentages. Elsa/Getty Images

SI.com's resident experts weigh in with their selections for the eight major awards.

AL MVP

Tom Verducci: Joe Mauer, Twins.
Nobody is in a class with Joe Mauer, a guy who led the league in the modern triple crown (batting, on-base and slugging averages) and won a Gold Glove while playing the most demanding position for a division winner. That makes three batting titles for Mauer, and three for every other catcher in baseball history combined.

Jon Heyman: Mauer.
He led the American League in all the percentage categories (batting average, slugging percentage and on-base percentage) and led the Twins into the playoffs. The consummate pro. Easy call.

Ted Keith: Mauer.
Cry not for Derek Jeter, he of the 10 All-Star Games, $189 million contract, superstar lifestyle and oh, yes, five World Series wins. But for the second time in four years, Jeter is likely to lose out on the MVP award to a player from the small-market Twins. Just as in 2006, when he finished second to Justin Morneau, Jeter's best efforts this season (.334, .406 OBP, 30 steals, 212 hits, 107 runs) are extremely good, but not good enough to win him his first MVP honor. Instead, the hardware goes to Mauer, who became the first American League player in 29 years to lead the AL in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. With Morneau sidelined the last three weeks by injury, Mauer helped carry the Twins to a remarkable comeback resulting in an AL Central title. Mauer also had more home runs (a career high 28) and RBIs (a career high 96) than Jeter, despite not debuting until May 1 because of injury. Score one for the little guy.

Joe Posnanski: Mauer.
When the Twins made their late season charge for the playoffs -- and then actually made the playoffs -- they ended the "Mauer didn't play for a winner" argument and left no question. A good-fielding catcher who leads the American League in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage? It had never happened before. Mauer missed 24 games, but his historic season should make him slam dunk MVP.

Ben Reiter: Mauer.
You look at his jaw-dropping final numbers -- a baseball-leading .365 batting average, 28 home runs, 96 RBIs, a .444 on-base-percentage -- and you almost forget that a back injury prevented him from playing until May 1. Then you consider that he plays catcher, the game's toughest position, and plays it very well, and that he led a club that had lost former MVP Justin Morneau in September to an unlikely playoff berth, and you don't have to consider anything else.

Joe Lemire: Mauer.
When a player leads his league in all three major rate categories (average, on-base percentage and slugging), wins a Gold Glove for his defense at the grueling position of catcher and leads his team to a division crown while the second-best player (in this case, Morneau) misses the season's final month, there should be no debate over the league's MVP. None. Nor will it be entertained here.

David Sabino: Mauer.
Despite missing the entire month of April with a bad back, the Twins catcher came back to repeat as AL batting champ (.365), the third hitting crown of his career. He led the majors in on-base percentage (.444) and the AL in slugging (.587), amassing 28 home runs and 92 RBIs for the AL Central champs. Most impressively, he was a driving force behind Minnesota's late-season surge to the division crown without cleanup hitter and '06 AL MVP Morneau.

NL MVP

Tom Verducci: Albert Pujols, Cardinals.
Pujols led the league in (deep breath here) on-base percentage, slugging, OPS, runs, total bases, home runs, adjusted OPS, runs created, extra-base hits and times on base. It's not even close.

Jon Heyman: Pujols.
This award was decided no more than halfway through the season. Should be a unanimous pick after Pujols didn't come all that far from the from becoming the first National Leaguer to win the Triple Crown since Cardinal Ducky Medwick in 1937. The only real question is who finishes second.

Ted Keith: Pujols.
In this, what will become his third MVP season, Pujols may have been the most impressive he's ever been, which, given the astounding numbers he's produced in his nine-year career, is saying something. In fact, rather than point out the many ways Pujols dominated the NL, let us compare him to the only measuring stick he can fairly be judged by: himself. In '09, Pujols batted .327, which was actually tied for the second-lowest of his career, but he had 47 home runs (second-highest of his career), 135 RBIs (second-highest) a .443 on-base percentage (second-highest), .658 slugging (third-highest) and 115 walks (personal best), and he did it all for a division champion and in a lineup that ranked in the middle of virtually every statistical category.

Joe Posnanski: Pujols.
He's the best player in baseball, and his typical brilliance (.327 average, led league in on-base percentage, slugging percentage, home runs, runs scored, extra-base hits, etc.) obscures the fact that there were quite a few players in the National League who had great years. Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun in Milwaukee had huge years. Philadelphia's Chase Utley was great, as was Florida's Hanley Ramirez. Pujols was the clear No. 1, though.

Ben Reiter: Pujols.
Even an un-Pujolsian finish to the season -- he hit his MLB-best 47th and last homer on Sept. 9, with 21 games to go -- couldn't derail his MVP candidacy. He posted an OPS better than 1.000 for the seventh time in his nine seasons, and he led the NL in not only homers but runs (124), on-base-percentage (.443), slugging (.658) and total bases (374). Until further notice, this award belongs to him.

Joe Lemire: Pujols.
Another runaway winner: Pujols is the game's greatest player. He led all of the majors in seven significant categories -- slugging, OPS, runs, total bases, extra-base hits, home runs and intentional walks -- and led the NL in on-base percentage. He was second in the league in doubles and third in walks and RBIs. Oh, and he also did this while leading his team to a central division crown.

David Sabino: Pujols.
In 2009 he led the majors with 47 home runs, becoming the only player to begin his career with nine straight 30-homer seasons (including a career-best 10 multi-home run games). He also topped the bigs in runs scored (124), slugging percentage (.658), extra-base hits (93), times on base (310) and total bases (374) and set a major league mark for most assists by a first baseman with 185.