Considering how the winter played out, we were expecting this to be the Year of the Marlins. Instead, it is Trout season.
David Wright, R.A. Dickey and Terry Collins are all in play for major awards as we have reached the statistical midway point of the season. Which helps explain why the Mets — surprisingly — are in play for a postseason spot.
There’s zero shock that Robinson Cano is an MVP candidate. But how about his old pal, Melky Cabrera?
Frank McCourt from the Dodgers, Kevin Youkilis from the Red Sox and an empty no-hit column from the Mets all disappeared. In the Dodgers’ case, they used a little Magic (Johnson). The Red Sox used the magic wand of Will Middlebrooks. The Mets used sleight of Johan (Santana).
Unfortunately too many stars also vanished because of injury in the first half as even Mariano Rivera proved destructible. Andy Pettitte performed this trick: Re-appearing out of nowhere before vanishing amid the sport-wide tsunami of broken bodies.
Positively, Mike Trout and Bryce Harper emerged as twin Energizer Bunnies to provide a 2.0 against the game getting too old.
There were five no-hitters, with six Seattle pitchers combining for one and Phil Humber throwing a perfect game in a year in which he has a 6.06 ERA. There were three cycles, two by Arizona’s Aaron Hill, who from 2008-10 had the most at-bats in the majors (1,415) without a triple. And there was one Joey Votto, which was more than enough for NL pitching.
Halfway through the season Pittsburgh, not Philadelphia, is the best team in Pennsylvania and A.J. Burnett is a steadying, veteran influence on those Pirates. Who saw that coming? Before we see what is coming for the second half, here are Hardball’s first-half awards:
NL MVP: Votto, Reds
At this time last year, it seemed possible Jose Reyes would become the first Met to win an MVP Award. Now we can say the same about Wright. But Votto is going to be difficult to overcome. He was hitting .352 with a .472 on-base percentage and a .630 slugging percentage. Those totals all have been reached in one season just four times in modern NL history: Twice by Rogers Hornsby (1924-25) and twice by Barry Bonds (2002, ’04). Votto also had a 1.355 OPS with runners in scoring position.
2. Andrew McCutchen, Pirates.
3. David Wright, Mets.
4. Carlos Beltran, Cardinals.
5. Melky Cabrera, Giants.
NL ANTI-MVP: Ryan Zimmerman, Nationals
In late February, Washington gave Zimmerman a six-year, $100 million extension that made him the second-highest-paid third baseman ever to Alex Rodriguez. Since a June 24 cortisone shot into his problematic right shoulder, Zimmerman was hitting .386. Still, his overall first half was worrisome enough that you wonder if that will make the Mets hesitant to extend Wright, who is so often compared with his boyhood pal Zimmerman. The next two guys on this list — Rickie Weeks and Cameron Maybin — also have tanked since receiving big extensions.
2. Rickie Weeks, Brewers.
3. Cameron Maybin, Padres.
4. James Loney, Dodgers.
5. Gaby Sanchez, Marlins.
AL MVP: Trout, Angels
He defines “Valuable.”
The Angels were tied for the second-worst record in the majors at 6-14 before his promotion from the minors and are a major league-best 39-23 since. There is no coincidence. He changed the conversation from Albert Pujols’ struggles/cranky personality to a discussion about Trout’s wondrous all-around skills.
He is leading the AL in hitting and steals. He has a .551 slugging percentage and is an elite defender. Josh Hamilton has cooled since a scintillating start, and Cano has gotten hot (but still has those poor numbers with runners in scoring position).
2. Josh Hamilton, Rangers.
3. Robinson Cano, Yankees.
4. Adam Jones, Orioles.
5. Jose Bautista, Blue Jays.
AL ANTI-MVP: Adrian Gonzalez, Red Sox
Pujols and Prince Fielder signed the largest contracts of the offseason to jump from the NL, and seem to have cast a curse over first base in the AL. In fact, if you add Mark Teixeira and Gonzalez, you have the four AL first basemen with the largest pacts ever all under-performing. Add in that Philadelphia’s Ryan Howard hasn’t played this season and makes the most per annum ($25 million) of any first baseman ever and you wonder if teams will stop doling out this kind of money at this position. Gonzalez’s seven-year, $154 million extension just began this season and, though he has a 15-game hitting streak, he has just six homers and a .727 OPS. We will make this an all-first basemen category.
2. Eric Hosmer, Royals.
3. Michael, Young, Rangers.
4. Justin Smoak, Mariners.
5. Casey Kotchman, Indians..
NL CY YOUNG: Dickey
A guy who throws a knuckleball has the best WHIP in the NL and is averaging just two walks per nine innings and threw back-to-back one-hitters and is tied for the major league lead in double-digit strikeout games (5). He is the Amazin’ Met.
2. Stephen Strasburg, Nationals.
3. Zack Greinke, Brewers.
4. Matt Cain, Giants.
5. Johnny Cueto, Reds.
NL ANTI-CY YOUNG: Tim Lincecum, Giants
The two-time Cy Young winner had his very rotation spot threatened last month. He is 3-9 with a 6.08 ERA. The worst ERA in San Francisco Giants history for a qualifying starter is 5.80 by Terry Mulholland in 1995. Another Cy Young winner, Cliff Lee, has been hurt by a lack of bullpen/offensive support, but still how do you ignore that before beating the Mets yesterday he was 0-5 in 13 starts? It feels as if the Mets’ bullpen can be nominated for this category, but you can’t ignore a homegrown Met in Heath Bell, who has five blown saves and a 6.39 ERA after signing a three-year, $27 million deal with the Marlins.
2. Jeremy Guthrie, Rockies.
3. Randy Wolf, Brewers.
4. Heath Bell, Marlins.
5. Cliff Lee, Phillies.
AL CY YOUNG: Justin Verlander, Tigers
It does not feel as dominant as last year, but once again no one has outpitched the defending AL Cy winner.
2. Chris Sale, White Sox.
3. Jered Weaver, Angels.
4. Felix Hernandez, Mariners.
5. David Price, Rays.
AL ANTI-CY YOUNG: Daniel Bard/ Mark Melancon, Red Sox
Because Boston obtained Melancon (for NL All-Star Jed Lowrie), it was comfortable moving Bard from the pen to the rotation. But Melancon pitched to a 49.50 ERA, had to be sent to the minors and was soon followed by Bard, who lost the strike zone and his confidence. Now Melancon is back and pitching much better (one run in 9 2⁄3 innings), and Bard is trying to convert back to relief in the minors. Maybe they will help the Red Sox have a more powerful pen. Another trade that netted an NL All-Star was Kansas City giving up Cabrera to the Giants for Jonathon Sanchez (1-4, 6.80 ERA).
2. Jonathon Sanchez, Royals.
3. Ervin Santana, Angels.
4. Hector Noesi, Mariners.
5. Ricky Romero, Blue Jays.
NL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Harper, Nationals
He has slowed of late but, like Trout, his all-around skills helped elevate a contender.
2. Wade Miley, D’backs.
3. Andrelton Simmons, Braves.
4. Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Mets.
5. Wilin Rosario, Rockies.
AL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Trout
Fred Lynn (1975) and Ichiro Suzuki (2001) are the only players to ever win Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season. They soon may have a partner. Off of strong late cameos last year, Matt Moore and Jesus Montero generally were viewed as the front-runners for this award. But the league (especially in comparison with the NL) is so rife with impressive rookie showings that Moore and Montero do not make the ballot. The A’s have four players who deserve consideration: Yoenis Cespedes, Ryan Cook, Tommy Milone and Jarrod Parker — all of whom they obtained in the offseason. And international imports such as Cespedes, Texas’ Yu Darvish and Baltimore’s Wei-Yin Chen have excelled.
2. Will Middlebrooks, Red Sox.
3. Yu Darvish, Texas.
4. Jarrod Parker, A’s.
5. Addison Reed, White Sox.
NL MANAGER OF THE YEAR – Davey Johnson, Nationals
It is hard not to hand this to Collins, who is so instrumental in changing the Mets’ culture. But the Nationals faced expectations as an organization for the first time and have benefitted from the uber-confident persona of their manager. Johnson has handled the young/talented duo of Strasburg and Harper well and helped Washington maintain first place despite a slew of injuries to the bullpen and lineup.
2. Terry Collins, Mets.
3. Clint Hurdle, Pirates.
4. Don Mattingly, Dodgers.
5. Dusty Baker, Reds.
AL MANAGER OF THE YEAR – Robin Ventura, White Sox
This was a difficult call. Joe Girardi has helped steer the Yankees to first place by again manipulating a bullpen well, this time without Rivera. Buck Showalter’s influence is being felt on the upstart Orioles. Joe Maddon, as always, has done a terrific job, even with the Rays’ best player, Evan Longoria, out most of the first half. Bobby Valentine has shown his downside (self-inflicted storms), but also his greatest skill: identifying and properly using talent (see Middlebrooks, Franklin Morales, Felix Doubront). But Ventura, in his own rookie season, has a roster with nine rookies atop the AL Central. Pretty impressive.
2. Buck Showalter, Orioles.
3. Joe Maddon, Rays.
4. Joe Girardi, Yankees.
5. Bobby Valentine, Red Sox.
joel.sherman@nypost.com