Duff Beer

Mid-Season Awards Outlook: American League MVP

With a few idle days around the All-Star Break (actually, it's only hours, but it seems like days for most HBD geeks), now seems like the appropriate time to breakdown the awards races for the Duff Beer League.... we'll start with the AL MVP.

The American League is somewhat of a toss-up at this point. Richmond, Memphis, and Scottsdale all have commanding leads in their respective divisions and look to be strong contenders down the stretch. Charlotte, currently 2nd in the AL East, appears to be a near lock for a Wild Card playoff birth, with an impressive 54-37 record at the break. All four teams would make a formidable opponent in Portland's inevitable run to the World Series (I kid, I kid). Nevertheless, there remains a fourth American League division... as much as we would like to forget about it, one team will ultimately represent the NL North in the playoffs. At this point, three teams floundering under .500 are vying for the top of--as Chris Berman would say--the "Norest" division: Scranton, St. Louis, and Chicago. From these seven contending teams, we've narrowed down five MVP candidates. Here goes:

1. Raul Rodriguez, 1B, Richmond: Rodriguez, 26, is among the elite power hitters in the Duff Beer world. He's currently hitting .362, while sporting a ridiculous .466 OBP and slugging .730. He's the clear #1 horse at this point.

2. Denny Vernon, LF, Scottsdale: Only 24, this left-handed slugger will terrorize the American League for many seasons to come. His numbers speak for themselves (.355/.437/.637), but unfortunately, he's poised to play the Justin Morneau to Raul Rodriguez's Dustin Pedroia. Sorry, Denny.

3. Elroy Jody, LF, Richmond: Another power bat from Richmond, Jodie is off to a blistering start, posting a 1.109 OPS over 332 AB's (Yawn). If Raul Rodriguez suffers a serious injury, flees the country, or converts to Scientology in the next 60 games, Jody will be a viable contender.

4. Jesus Camacho, 3B, Memphis: Camacho is the only player with a legitimate opportunity to surpass Rodriguez, as he plays a much more difficult defensive position (and he plays it well, I might add) and he supports a greater offensive burden for his team. The decision will, of course, be left up to the voters.

5. Nap Howington, SS, Richmond: Seriously? A shortstop with an OPS above 1.000? Screw you.

Next up: NL MVP