Yasiel Puig already is forcing decision-makers to consider how many games are too few to be an All-Star.
He may ultimately do the same for the MVP race, especially if his suddenly hot Dodgers continue to surge and he is the muscle and hustle behind it. Despite his limited playing time, he definitely has barged into Rookie of the Year discussion.
Puig joined the season already in progress — giving others a two-month head start — yet at the midpoint of the schedule (every team has played roughly 81 games) he is without question the Most Captivating Player of 2013. For the rest of the halfway honors — and dishonors — Hardball presents:
NL MVP
Yadier Molina, Cardinals
It is not Puig — yet. But consider this: Puig already is 26th in the NL in Wins Above Replacement — which factors in offense, defense and baserunning — although he had yet to reach even 100 at-bats. Still, no NL player is more central to both the offense and defense of his team than Molina. He is like former Cardinals star Ozzie Smith in that he always has been a defensive stalwart whose hitting has improved. For Smith that meant to good. For Molina, it is pretty great.
If not for a broken rib, Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki might have earned this distinction. David Wright and Milwaukee’s Carlos Gomez have been sensational on non-contenders, which tends to hurt candidacies.
2. Paul Goldschmidt, Diamondbacks. 3. Carlos Gonzalez, Rockies. 4. Buster Posey, Giants. 5. Joey Votto, Reds.
NL ANTI-MVP
B.J. Upton, Braves Ike Davis made it a close decision. But, ultimately, Atlanta gave Upton a five-year, $75 million pact last offseason to be a difference maker and his .180 batting average going into yesterday was a season high.
2. Davis. 3. Starlin Castro, Cubs. 4. Angel Pagan, Giants. 4. Martin Prado, Diamondbacks. 5. Danny Espinosa, Nationals.
NL CY YOUNG
Matt Harvey, Mets
He has been the most overpowering pitcher in the majors. He shouldn’t start the All-Star Game because it is at Citi Field. He should start it because he has earned it. Though it should be noted that stumbles moving forward are going to heavily impact such a tight race, with Clayton Kershaw, Cliff Lee and Adam Wainwright all thriving and all more experienced at the 200-inning long haul.
2. Kershaw, Dodgers. 3. Wainwright, Cardinals.
4. Lee, Phillies. 5. Patrick Corbin, Diamondbacks.
NL ANTI-CY YOUNG
Edwin Jackson, Cubs
Jackson leads the majors in executives believing he has untapped potential. That is how he ended up with a four-year, $52 million deal last offseason. But he is 3-10 with a 5.84 ERA. If this were a team award, it would go to the Giants, who usually prosper on the strength of the rotation, but this year have Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum, Barry Zito and Ryan Vogelsong (now on the disabled list) all struggling.
2. Lincecum. 3. Brandon League, Dodgers. 4. Ian Kennedy, Diamondbacks. 5. Dan Haren, Nationals.
AL MVP
Chris Davis, Orioles
He led the majors in homers and OPS, carrying over a strong finish from last year to stardom this season. Davis’ OPS with runners in scoring position was 1.326 — and amazingly that was not as good as Miguel Cabrera’s 1.469. In Davis and Manny Machado, the Orioles have the best first-third combo in the majors, even better than Prince Fielder and Cabrera. If the Angels rally this year to contention, Mike Trout is going to be a major contender for MVP again.
2. Cabrera, Tigers. 3. Evan Longoria, Rays. 4. Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox. 5. Machado.
AL ANTI-MVP
Josh Hamilton, Angels
After scoring the largest haul for a position player in the offseason ($125 million for five years), Hamilton has been a detriment to the Angels lineup — a strikeout machine who has been non-competitive against lefties and who hasn’t balanced that with enough impact hitting.
2. Mike Moustakas, Royals. 3. Elvis Andrus, Rangers. 4. Jeff Keppinger, White Sox. 5. Will Middlebrooks, Red Sox.
AL CY YOUNG
Max Scherzer, Tigers
In a somewhat down year for Justin Verlander, Scherzer has taken over as Detroit’s ace and Cy Young candidate. He is 12-0, is second in the AL in strikeouts and has allowed 74 hits in 110 1/3 innings. You can make a case that three Japanese starters — Yankee Hiroki Kuroda, Texas’ Yu Darvish and Seattle’s Hisashi Iwakuma — all could be in the top five, which makes you wonder if executives will push even harder and pay even more for imports from that country.
2. Felix Hernandez, Mariners. 3. Darvish. 4. Chris Sale, White Sox. 5. Clay Buchholz, Red Sox.
AL ANTI-CY YOUNG
Fernando Rodney, Rays
His fall is from 48 out of 50 in saves and a 0.60 ERA to a major league-high-tying five blown saves with a 4.83 ERA.
2. Joe Blanton, Angels. 3. Mike Pelfrey, Twins. 4. Wade Davis, Royals. 5. Joe Saunders, Mariners.
NL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Shelby Miller, Cardinals
This might be the most interesting race with Puig charging hard, but also the recent call-ups of Zack Wheeler, Pittsburgh’s Gerrit Cole and Washington’s Anthony Rendon impacting a field that already had Colorado’s Nolan Arenado, Atlanta’s Evan Gattis and Julio Teheran, Miami’s Jose Fernandez and Marcell Ozuna, Puig’s Dodgers teammate Hyun-Jin Ryu, Arizona’s Didi Gregorius and Milwaukee’s Jim Henderson.
2. Puig. 3. Ryu. 4. Fernandez. 5. Teheran.
AL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Jose Iglesias, Red Sox
The disparity between the NL and AL rookies is so enormous that a part-time player who spent a portion of this season in the minors currently wins this honor. The AL has neither a pitcher who qualifies for the ERA title nor a hitter who qualifies for the batting title. My suspicion is that Jurickson Profar of Texas or the recently summoned Wil Myers of Tampa Bay will grab hold of this race. But you wonder what this means for the near future to have this kind of disparity in the leagues, albeit just so far for one year.
2. Nick Franklin, Mariners. 3. David Lough, Royals.
4. Jose Cisnero, Astros. 5. Preston Claiborne, Yankees.
NL MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Clint Hurdle, Pirates
Could it be that the Pirates will break their 21-year embarrassment of not finishing over .500 or making the playoffs in one glorious year?
2. Bud Black, Padres.
3. Walt Weiss, Rockies.
4. Mike Matheny, Cardinals. 5. Fredi Gonzalez, Braves.
AL MANAGER OF THE YEAR
John Farrell, Red Sox
After the tumultuous humiliation of 2012 under Bobby Valentine, Boston officials hoped that bringing in a manager who was known and liked from the clubhouse to the executive offices would be the proper tonic. It has been, as the Red Sox’s former pitching coach, Farrell, has come from Toronto to return the focus to baseball.
2. Terry Francona, Indians. 3. Joe Girardi, Yankees. 4. Buck Showalter, Orioles. 5. Bob Melvin, A’s.