Joe Mauer was named the American League's Most Valuable Player.
This was a no-brainer. Mauer easily beat Yankee teammates Mark Teixeira and Derek Jeter, who finished second and third, respectively. The Twins star was a near-unanimous winner, receiving 27 of 28 first-place votes. The lone dissenter gave his first-place vote to fourth-place finisher Miguel Cabrera. Mauer led the league in batting average (.365), on-base percentage (.444), and slugging percentage (.587); a feat never before accomplished by a catcher. He also led the league by a substantial margin in Value over Replacement Player (VORP). Oh, and he played Gold Glove defense at a premium position. |