The 2010 A.L. MVP Award will be announced at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, and Texas' Josh Hamilton appears to be the front-runner. Although voting should be closer than it wound up being in the N.L. MVP, which went to Cincinnati's Joey Votto in a landslide.
2010 A.L. MVP: Josh Hamilton Looks To Complete Comeback By Winning Baseball’s Biggest Honor
Hamilton, who played both left and center field, led all A.L. hitters with a .359 batting average, a full 31 points higher than Miguel Cabrera in second place. Hamilton also ripped 32 home runs, collected 100 RBI, and posted a league-leading 1.044 OPS while serving as the top bat for a Rangers team that coasted to the playoffs. About the only drawback is that he missed most of September with a rib injury, but by that point the team was already locked at the top of the division.
Hamilton will face competition from a number of other contenders. New York's Robinson Cano batted .319 as an everyday second baseman, slugging .534 while driving in 109 runs. Cabrera, for Detroit, finished second to Hamilton with a 1.042 OPS, posting his in a less hitter-friendly environment. Cabrera also led the league with 126 RBI.
Additionally, Toronto's Jose Bautista blasted 54 home runs - 15 more than runner-up Paul Konerko - and Boston's Adrian Beltre put up a .919 OPS while playing arguably the best defense at third base in baseball. While Hamilton was an excellent player for five months, he was probably not far and away the league's most valuable.
It’s worth noting that Hamilton led all hitters with runners in scoring position, and also batted .421 in clutch situations.
Minnesota's Joe Mauer won the A.L. MVP a year ago. If Hamilton wins, it will be the first MVP of his career, and the sixth in Rangers franchise history. The last Ranger to win was Alex Rodriguez, in 2003.
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