My MLB Awards Picks Part 1

As Sam Borden writes, today starts awards week. Let's take a look at who I think should be in the conversation for the awards. I will do the MVP's tomorrow but for now, here's the others:

American League Cy Young

1. Zack Grienke - I could go with King Felix or Grienke here and be OK with it but Grienke's season was so good, I don't think you can deny him the award
2. Felix Hernandez - If the award was truly about who you beat, then King Felix may take it. But the award is for the best pitcher in the league so I think he falls just short
3. CC Sabathia - Yeah, I could have gone with Roy Halladay (who would be close to winning it had it not been for his bad pitching after he didn't get traded), Justin Verlander or Mariano Rivera here (among others). But I went with the big lefty who ate up more innings that anyone and pitched his best in the second half when his team really took off.

National League Cy Young

1. Tim Lincecum - I understand what the dynamic duo did in St. Louis but Lincecum was better. Not by a lot, but he was better. Although I don't trust WAR when it comes to pitchers, his was 8.2 and the next closest NL pitcher was 6.6. He was dominant. 
2. Adam Wainwright - Flip a coin with him and Carpenter, but I give it to Wainwright who pitched the entire season and dominated
3. Chris Carpenter - Javier Vazquez and Dan Haren will get overlooked here but I think that it's worth it. Carpenter had a great season and deserves Cy Young love despite missing some time.
   

American League Rookie of the Year

1. Andrew Bailey - Closers get overlooked for every award but Bailey was great this year with 83.1 innings, 1.84 ERA, .167/.228/.248 slashes against, 9.8 K/9 and 26 saves (to only 4 blown saves--87% success rate)
   
2. Rick Porcello - Sometimes I think that the ROY award should go to the guy with the most promise and Porcello certainly has that as the youngest player in the AL this past year (he was born a couple of days before New Years 1989) and 14 wins to go along with a sub-4.00 ERA
   
3. Elvis Andrus - I know most think he's the ROY, but not with that bat. His glove, however, should have won him a Gold Glove despite his 22 errors. A lot of promise here as well.

National League Rookie of the Year

1. Tommy Hanson - Sure he didn't pitch a lot of innings, but the innings he did pitch were some of the more impressive in the National League. He was 11-4 with a 2.89 ERA and 8.2 K/9. His most impressive feat? Beating the Yankees and Red Sox in back-to-back starts and giving up zero runs.
2. Andrew McCutchen - Extremely impressive rookie campaign, especially considering he only played in 108 games. .286/.365/.471 with 47 XBH and 22 SB looks like it's only just the beginning for this star in the making.
3. JA Happ - I went back and forth between Happ and Chris Coghlan here (though there are other really good candidates). But Happ was 12-4 with a 2.93 ERA and was a force in the rotation before the Phillies ever traded for Cliff Lee or signed Pedro. His importance to the team makes him the choice here.

American League Manager of the Year

1. Joe Girardi - When the team was scuffling early on, I thought he was done. But he guided this team to be the best in the American League and despite the salary, that turnaround is worth this award.
2. Mike Scioscia - He navigated the early loss of John Lackey and Ervin Santana to injuries and navigated the loss of Mark Teixeira and K-Rod to free agency. I think sometimes he's overrated as a manger, but he did a great job this year.
3. Ron Gardenhire - The Twins could have folded and shut down the season when Justin Morneau went down for the season but Gardenhire kept them focused and they overtook Detroit at the end of the season.

National League Manager of the Year

1. Jim Tracy - I don't know how it could be easier to figure out the best manager: he took over a team that was 18-28 and turned them into a playoff team. Great job by Tracy.
2. Charlie Manuel - Manuel had no rotation for most of the season and no reliable closer either and still ran away with the division. He's an unassuming guy who is one of the better mangers in the league.
   
3. Joe Torre - Give Torre credit - they lost their best player (Manny Ramirez) and actually played better. No manager works his way around controversy better and Torre did a tremendous job once again

Agree? Disagree? Put your opinion in the comments below.

Stay tuned for Part 2 tomorrow!