Should a Cy Young award winning pitcher have an opportunity to win the Most Valuable Player award? Detroit Tigers ace starting pitcher Justin Verlander is the subject of this debate, and his credentials in 2011 do not lie: 24-5 record in 34 starts, 2.40 ERA, 4 complete games, 2 shutouts including one no-hitter against my Toronto Blue Jays (GRR!), and 250 strikeouts put the Tigers all-star in all important pitching categories, if not all. In fact, Verlander succeeded in picking up the "Triple Crown" for pitching: Leading in wins, ERA, and strikeouts. Not since the days of a resurgent, reinvigorated, and disputedly juiced up Roger Clemens with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1997 and 1998 has a pitcher so captivated the baseball world with his prowess and skill; what is more impressive with pundits is he accomplished those feats with a team already with a strong, elite core of baseball players on the Detroit Tigers.
However, does he deserve the American League MVP award? The old argument of pitchers playing every fifth day no longer works here as pitchers face as many batters during the regular season than batters that accumulate at-bats, so while pitchers have off days they play harder and for longer on the field when it is time to work. My man is Jose Bautista, who is the right fielder for the Toronto Blue Jays, and his production in the second half to the regular season in 2011 dropped off. He still finished with the league best 43 homeruns, when everyone expected 30+ earlier in the year. It's possible the lack of a clear cut fielder in the MVP debate makes things interesting in the American League, and gives Justin Verlander more chances to become American League Most Valuable Player on top of being the league's best pitcher.
Verlander is the best baseball pitcher in 2011, and in the American League he is the best player as well.
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