Tough call in a crowded field. Rodriguez is the best defensive catcher in baseball and, while he averaged .332, he also hit an AL-record 35 home runs. Other candidates are the Rangers' Rafael Palmeiro, Cleveland's Manny Ramirez and Roberto Alomar, the Yankees' Derek Jeter and Boston's Nomar Garciaparra, the AL batting champion at .357. And while Martinez is the obvious choice as the Cy Young Award winner, given to the best pitcher in the league, he's not the MVP, even thought Martinez seems to be gaining support to win both postseason awards. The awards, voted on by the Baseball Writers Association of America, will be announced in November.
Ballots have to be turned in by the end of the regular season.
Pitchers usually win the award when there are no clear-cut everyday players that are candidates for the award. Palmeiro, who played the season with a sore right knee, is the left-handed bat the Rangers needed. He had an outside chance at winning the Triple Crown and his clutch hitting is a big reason the Rangers won the AL West. Each are among the top 10 in the AL in hitting. Alomar's defense is spectacular and he's having his the best all-around season of his career.