New York's Alex Rodriguez beat out Boston DH David Ortiz to win the CC.com American League Most Valuable Player award. The Yankee third baseman hit .321/.421/.610 with 48 homers and 130 RBI, plus 21 steals and 124 runs scored this season. The .421 OBP was a career-high for Rodriguez, and his .321 batting average was his highest mark since he hit .358 in 1996 with Seattle, when he was 20 years old.
Rodriguez had nine first-place votes, with Ortiz getting five and Los Angeles' Vladimir Guerrero garnering one. Boston's Manny Ramirez finished third overall, followed by Guerrero, Cleveland's Travis Hafner, Rangers first baseman Mark Teixeira, Chicago's Paul Konerko, Gary Sheffield of the Yankees, Baltimore's Brian Roberts and Texas' Michael Young to round out the top ten. Ten others received votes.
(Full voting results are available under the Read More link.)
With his fifth huge year in as many major league seasons, Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols won the 2005 CC.com National League Most Valuable Player award, beating out rival Derrek Lee of the Cubs by nine points overall. Pujols hit .330/.430/.609 with 41 home runs, 117 RBI, 38 doubles and 129 runs scored. He set new career bests in steals (16) and walks (97).
Pujols placed first or second on all fifteen ballots, with eight first-place votes. Lee was first on five ballots, and Atlanta's Andruw Jones, who finished a distant third, received the other two top votes. Filling out the top ten were Houston's Morgan Ensberg, Florida's Miguel Cabrera, Pittsburgh's Jason Bay, Florida's Carlos Delgado, Padres outfielder Brian Giles, Mets third baseman David Wright and Ken Griffey, Jr. of the Cincinnati Reds. A remarkable 20 other players received recognition from the 15 voters.
(Full voting results are available under the Read More link.)
AMERICAN LEAGUE MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 TOTAL
A. Rodriguez, NYY 9 3 3 - - - - - - - 141
D. Ortiz, BOS 5 7 3 - - - - - - - 137
M. Ramirez, BOS - 2 4 6 2 - - - - - 104
V. Guerrero, LAA 1 1 1 6 4 1 - 1 - - 101
T. Hafner, CLE - - 4 2 4 1 2 - - - 83
M. Teixeira, TEX - 1 - - 3 2 3 - 4 1 58
P. Konerko, CHW - - - 1 - 1 6 3 1 1 48
G. Sheffield, NYY - - - - 1 3 - 2 4 1 36
B. Roberts, BAL - - - - - 1 2 2 1 7 28
M. Young, TEX - - - - 1 2 - 1 1 1 22
M. Rivera, NYY - 1 - 1 - 1 - - - - 21
J. Giambi, NYY - - - - - 1 - 1 2 1 13
M. Tejada, BAL - - - - - - 2 - - 2 10
R. Sexson, SEA - - - - - - - 2 1 - 8
H. Matsui, NYY - - - - - 1 - - - - 5
G. Sizemore, CLE - - - - - - - 1 - - 3
B. Colon, LAA - - - - - - - 1 - - 3
J. Santana, MIN - - - - - - - 1 - - 3
C. Crawford, TAM - - - - - - - - 1 - 2
J. Garland, CHW - - - - - - - - - 1 1
NATIONAL LEAGUE MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 TOTAL
A. Pujols, STL 8 7 - - - - - - - - 143
D. Lee, CHC 5 6 3 - 1 - - - - - 134
A. Jones, ATL 2 2 4 1 1 - - 1 - 1 87
M. Ensberg, HOU - - - 7 3 3 - 1 - - 85
M. Cabrera, FLA - - 2 2 4 1 1 3 - - 72
J. Bay, PIT - - 3 1 2 - 1 1 2 - 54
C. Delgado, FLA - - 2 2 2 - 2 - 2 - 54
B. Giles, SDP - - 1 2 - 1 1 - - 2 33
D. Wright, NYM - - - - - 3 2 1 2 2 32
K. Griffey Jr., CIN - - - - - - 1 4 - 2 18
C. Utley, PHI - - - - - 1 1 1 1 2 16
J. Edmonds, STL - - - - - 1 2 - - - 13
L. Berkman, HOU - - - - 1 - 1 - - 1 11
P. Burrell, PHI - - - - - 1 1 - - 1 10
A. Dunn, CIN - - - - - 1 - 1 1 - 10
R. Clemens, HOU - - - - 1 - - - 1 - 8
C. Carpenter, STL - - - - 1 - - - - - 6
C. Lee, MIL - - - - - 1 - - - - 5
D. Willis, FLA - - - - - 1 - - - - 5
B. Abreu, PHI - - - - - - - - 2 1 5
C. Cordero, WAS - - - - - - 1 - - 1 5
J. Rollins, PHI - - - - - - - 1 - - 3
A. Ramirez, CHC - - - - - - - 1 - - 3
A. Pettitte, HOU - - - - - - - 1 - - 3
C. Biggio, HOU - - - - - - - - 1 - 2
J. Kent, LAD - - - - - - - - 1 - 2
T. Clark, ARI - - - - - - - - 1 - 2
J. Peavy, SDP - - - - - - - - 1 - 2
N. Johnson, WAS - - - - - - - - - 1 1
T. Glaus, ARI - - - - - - - - - 1 1