Mark It Down Now: Mark Teixeira for 2009 A.L. MVP
August 15, 2009 · Doug Rush · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
Before the 2009 season started, most Yankee fans were hoping Mark Teixeira would just fit in and be a good player on a playoff contender.
In the middle of August, he’s looking more like an MVP candidate every day.
The Yankees snagged Teixeira away from the Red Sox two days before Christmas for an eight-year, $180 million contract and be a corner piece for the Yankees for a very long time.
Teixeira’s 2009 did not start out wonderfully, batting .200 with three home runs and 10 RBI in the month of April.
His jump start really didn’t come until May 9 in Baltimore, when Alex Rodriguez returned from the disabled list from hip surgery. Instead of pitching around Teixeira, they were throwing to him with A-Rod’s bat as protection.
By the end of May, he was hitting .281 with 16 home runs and 43 RBI; so in the month of May, he hit 13 homers and had 33 RBI, a huge improvement in just one month.
Come to think of it, every first basemen since Don Mattingly who has put on pinstripes has had a rough beginning in the Bronx.
Tino Martinez took a while to get used to being in pinstripes replacing Mattingly in 1996, but we all know how his career turned out four World Series titles later.
Jason Giambi came in 2002 to take over for Martinez and he had his struggles too, until he hit a game-winning, walk-off grand slam in May in the pouring rain to beat the Twins 13-12.
It was Teixeira’s turn to see how he would handle the daily grind, and he’s done it with pure class.
As of Friday night’s game, Teixeira is hitting .288 with 30 home runs and 86 RBI. His 30th home run came in Friday night’s game in Seattle. Teixeira took a Mark Lowe slider and drilled it deep into the right field seats to put the Yankees ahead 3-2. They went on to win 4-2.
That was the second time in a matter of five days where a Teixeira home run has put the Yankees ahead late in the game.
On Sunday against the Red Sox, Teixeira drilled a fastball from Daniel Bard over the right field wall to put the Yankees ahead 3-2 and they again went on to win the game over Boston 5-2. And now Friday’s game.
Teixeira is now not only hitting home runs for the Yankees, but he’s hitting them in the clutch.
But what has really been impressive is his fielding skills at first base. Teixeira has made only one error to date. He’s already won two Gold Glove Awards in 2005 and 2006 with the Rangers, and he is making a case to win a third one now with the Yankees.
Of all the awards to win in the American League, in the end, the 2009 American League MVP may be the one Teixeira wins in November.
If you look at all the other candidates, here are the other possibilities:
Carlos Pena: .216, 31 home runs, 77 RBI
Justin Morneau: .298, 28 home runs, 91 RBI
Jason Bay: .252, 24 home runs, 81 RBI
Evan Longoria: .277, 24 home runs, 85 RBI
Joe Mauer: .370, 21 home runs, 70 RBI
Kevin Youkilis: .311, 20 home runs, 66 RBI
Last year’s A.L. MVP Dustin Pedroia will probably not factor into the voting this year as he’s having a down year from 2008; he’s at .298, nine home runs and 50 RBI.
Pena’s batting average and strikeouts will probably drop him lower in the voting.
Bay’s struggles with the hamstring injury have taken his numbers down lately, which could hurt him here, too.
Youkilis is putting up solid numbers, but if Boston’s slide in the A.L. East continues, don’t expect him to win it.
Longoria once looked like a lock to win with his staggering RBI totals, but injuries and a struggling Tampa team also might hamper his chances.
Morneau is always a candidate to win, as he did win the 2006 A.L. MVP and finished second in the 2008 voting. The same thing goes with Mauer and his high average, but if Minnesota fails to make the post-season, it could reflect on their votes as well.
Why would it reflect? Because the Most Valuable Player usually is a player who helps gets his team into the post-season to go along with their strong season.
Boston, Tampa Bay and Minnesota are on the border of making the playoffs, but not the Yankees.
The Yankees are 30 games over .500 and the best team in the majors.
Teixeira has been a big reason why the Yankees have that record, and he could be collecting his first MVP trophy for 2009.
There are still 46 games left to play, but as long as the Yankees stay strong and make the post-season, the MVP could come from the Yankees and not be named Alex Rodriguez this time.
I’m making my case now: Mark Teixeira deserves to win the A.L. MVP Award for 2009.
For Teixeira’s case, lets hope the voters feel the same way, because he has earned it.
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