Of all the great races that characterized the playoff push in the National League—the battle in the east between the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets and the seventh one-game playoff in Major League history to decide the Wild Card between the San Diego Padres and Colorado Rockiesshy;—the MVP race is the best of all. The coveted award could easily go to any one of four young stars, all of whom were involved in the frantic pennant race: David Wright, Prince Fielder, Matt Holliday and Jimmy Rollins.
Wright, the 24-year-old third baseman for the Metropolitans, vaulted himself into the race with a huge second half, batting .364 with 14 home runs and 56 RBIs after the break. However, the Mets’ epic collapse, losing a seven-game lead with only 17 to play, has all but destroyed Wright’s hopes of taking home the prize.
Fielder, the 23-year-old first baseman for the Milwaukee Brewers and son of two-time MVP runner-up Cecil Fielder, cemented his place in the race when he became the youngest player to hit 50 home runs in a season. In addition to leading the league in homers, he ranked first in slugging percentage (.622) and third in RBIs (119). He’s carried much of the offensive load for the Brew Crew as they battled the Chicago Cubs for the NL Central title. Besides Fielder, the only other Brewer with more than 80 RBIs was rookie Ryan Braun. Unfortunately, there will be no MVP redemption for Papa Fielder, as his son’s season was overshadowed by two players on playoff-bound squads.
Holliday, the 27-year-old outfielder for the Rockies, drove his team to an improbable 14-1 finish to the season and a Wild Card berth after a one-game playoff Monday night. He has the best overall numbers of the four, leading the league in batting average (.340), hits (216), RBIs (137), total bases (386) and doubles (50), and finished fifth in home runs (36). He’s even done it down the stretch when it’s mattered most, batting .356 with 12 homers and 27 RBIs in September. Holliday also plays a solid left field, and his hustle was apparent in scoring the final run in the Rockies improbable win during their 163rd game of the season. Unfortunately, he will always be dogged by the stigma attached to his numbers playing in the thin air of the Mile High City. His stats at home (.376, 25, 82) are significantly better than those on the road (.301, 11, 55).
But for taking the burdens of a franchise on his back, 28-year-old Phillies’ shortstop Jimmy Rollins should take home the hardware. He talked the talk and then promptly went out and backed it all up. He boldly declared the Phillies the “team to beat” in spring training after finishing 12 games behind the Mets in 2006. His leadership and five-tool presence are undeniable. Rollins became only the fourth player in major league history to join the 20-20-20-20 club, piling up 38 doubles, 20 triples, 30 long bombs and 41 stolen bases. He knocked in almost 100 runs from the leadoff spot (94) and leads the league in runs, triples and multi-hit games. He’s also only the third shortstop in history to jack 30 homers and swipe more than 30 bags. Despite an All-Star snub, Rollins continued to carry his team down the stretch. He hit .382 with two homers and six steals in seven late-season games against the Mets, all Philadelphia wins.
Right now, who gets the award is anyone’s guess. It could be a repeat of 1979, when St. Louis’ Keith Hernandez shared the award with Pittsburgh’s Willie Stargell, but if you ask me, the phightin’ Phil should get the nod.
