2014 AL MVP and Cy Young awards

With a little more than five weeks left in the regular season, who are you front-runners for the AL MVP and Cy Young if the season ended today?

MVP:

Mike Trout

Jose Abreu

Victor Martinez

Miguel Cabrera

David Ortiz

Michael Brantley

Edwin Encarnacion

Jose Bautista

Adam Jones

Nelly Cruz

CY:

Felix Hernandez

Scott Kazmir

Wei-Yin Chen

Corey Kluber

Rick Porcello

Max Scherzer

Sonny Gray

Jon Lester

Chris Sale

Jered Weaver

David Price

James Shields

I think Trout is the MVP right now, but I think you could really build a case for AJ or Victor Martinez.

I think Felix Hernandez gets the Cy Young award, and it really isn't close.

Trout & Felix by a landslide

AJ Orioles MVP

Any reason Sale is not on your list?

Trout and Hernandez for the win.

Any reason Sale is not on your list?

Trout and Hernandez for the win.

I meant to include Sale on there, he is a bad man.

I think Trout is the MVP right now, but I think you could really build a case for AJ or Victor Martinez.

Martinez is a .945 OPS DH who's also played 20 games as a poor defensive first baseman. Trout is a decent center fielder with a .930 OPS. They're not close, and would require far more than the Miguel Cabrera legend to justify keeping the MVP from Trout. By fWAR Martinez is the 6th-best Tiger.

Jones is having a fine season, but wouldn't even qualify under the convoluted but oft-cited "guy who was most important on a team that just squeaked into the playoffs" rational. With the O's 9-game lead they could have lost anyone on the roster and would likely still be in first.

If there's anyone who could make a case for being better than Trout this year it's Donaldson. Or Felix. Or just give it to Alex Gordon for being the best player on the first Royals team to mean anything in almost 30 years.

I think it's more about who finishes 2nd through 5th this year.

Speaking of which, it wouldn't surprise me if Jonesy finishes top five despite being outside the top ten in most AL offensive categories. The top three are probably going to be Trout, Donaldson and Abreu (with Abreu being a bit overrated).

Martinez is a .945 OPS DH who's also played 20 games as a poor defensive first baseman. Trout is a decent center fielder with a .930 OPS. They're not close, and would require far more than the Miguel Cabrera legend to justify keeping the MVP from Trout. By fWAR Martinez is the 6th-best Tiger.

Jones is having a fine season, but wouldn't even qualify under the convoluted but oft-cited "guy who was most important on a team that just squeaked into the playoffs" rational. With the O's 9-game lead they could have lost anyone on the roster and would likely still be in first.

If there's anyone who could make a case for being better than Trout this year it's Donaldson. Or Felix. Or just give it to Alex Gordon for being the best player on the first Royals team to mean anything in almost 30 years.

I agree with most of what you wrote here. Trout is the extreme front runner, no doubt about it.

With Jones, I think he is the unquestioned leader of the Orioles. The numbers alone are not worthy, no. But his tenacity and will to win definitely set the daily tone for that team. I disagree with you here, in that I believe he is the one guy on that roster the O's cannot afford to lose for any significant amount of time. If they lost him instead of Wieters, I think the O's would have sunk quickly. No way to measure it, but winners like AJ are what make good teams great ones. If he continues to produce the same, I would think he would get a good number of votes, maybe Top 3-5. Not everyone subscribes totally to the numbers.

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I agree with most of what you wrote here. Trout is the extreme front runner, no doubt about it.

With Jones, I think he is the unquestioned leader of the Orioles. The numbers alone are not worthy, no. But his tenacity and will to win definitely set the daily tone for that team. I disagree with you here, in that I believe he is the one guy on that roster the O's cannot afford to lose for any significant amount of time. If they lost him instead of Wieters, I think the O's would have sunk quickly. No way to measure it, but winners like AJ are what make good teams great ones. If he continues to produce the same, I would think he would get a good number of votes, maybe Top 3-5. Not everyone subscribes totally to the numbers.

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I know this isn't an opinion shared by all, but I'm not of a mind to give MVP awards based on leadership when the on-field stuff isn't close. Maybe if Jones was a 6-win player and Trout a 7-win guy I could see a case.

I know this isn't an opinion shared by all, but I'm not of a mind to give MVP awards based on leadership when the on-field stuff isn't close. Maybe if Jones was a 6-win player and Trout a 7-win guy I could see a case.

That is fair.

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No love for Robinson Cano?

No love for Robinson Cano?

12 HR, 71 RBI, and his team is in third. Not enough clutch or leadership for me.

12 HR, 71 RBI, and his team is in third. Not enough clutch or leadership for me.

I do love good sarcasm.

12 HR, 71 RBI, and his team is in third. Not enough clutch or leadership for me.

I agree, Cano doesn't even make my short list of MVP candidates.

Trout pretty much as this award sewed up, at least IMO.

I agree, Cano doesn't even make my short list of MVP candidates.

Trout pretty much as this award sewed up, at least IMO.

I was kidding. Cano won't win it because of Neanderthal sportswriters who think like my last post, but he has a case.

I was kidding. Cano won't win it because of Neanderthal sportswriters who think like my last post, but he has a case.

He has a case, correct, and should be on the initial list of MVP candidates

IMO, he doesn't make it to my own short list.

1. Trout

2. Cabrera

3. Abreu

again, this is just my own short list.