Top Three 2009 American League MVP Candidates

3. Kevin Youkilis, First Base/Third Base, Boston Red Sox

Kevin Youkilis is one of the hardest outs in baseball, reaching base safely at a .417 clip, second highest in the AL.  He also hits for great power, racking up 30 doubles and 22 home runs for the fourth best slugging percentage in the league, .558.  Defensively, Youkilis plays a Gold Glove-caliber first base, and as necessary he has played a large portion of games at third base in place of a hobbled Mike Lowell.  Youkilis is one of the top candidates for the 2009 American League MVP award.

2. Miguel Cabrera, First Base, Detroit Tigers

Miguel Cabrera has bounced back from what was a down year by his standards in 2008 to put up elite numbers again in 2009.  Cabrera is hitting .343 with 27 home runs and 82 RBI.  He is getting on base at a .407 clip and ranks second in the AL with a .986 OPS.  Cabrera has single-handedly carried the Tigers’ offense as their only regular hitting over .280, getting on base at a higher rate than .350, and posting an OPS in excess of .810.  Miguel Cabrera has been the league’s second best hitter and he is a top candidate for the 2009 American League MVP award.

1. Joe Mauer, Catcher, Minnesota Twins

Not since Mike Piazza’s prime has a catcher put up numbers as strong as Joe Mauer is producing, and unlike Piazza, Mauer is doing so while playing great defense behind the plate.  Mauer is the AL’s leader in average (.373), on-base percentage (.442), slugging percentage (.622), and OPS (1.064), all by large margins.  Joe Mauer has always been a great average and on-base hitter, but he’s adding in power this year.  Before 2009, Mauer had 44 career home runs in over 2000 at-bats.  Through just under 400 at-bats this year, he has already slugged 25 balls out of the park.  As the league’s best hitter at the most important defensive position, Joe Mauer is the top candidate for the 2009 American League MVP award.