Another MVP for A-Rod, Pena ninth

Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez won his third AL MVP award Monday, dominating the voting by the Baseball Writers Association of America, and Rays 1B Carlos Pena finished ninth.

Rodriguez received 26 of 28 first-place votes and beat runner up and Tigers OF Magglio Ordonez, who received the other two first place votes, by a 382-258 margin. Angels OF Vladimir Guerrero, Red Sox DH David Ortiz and Red Sox 3B Mike Lowell rounded out the top five.

Pena -- who was second to Rodriguez in the AL with 46 homers – received 64 points, which included two third-place votes, two sixth place, two seventh place, three eighth place, eight ninth place and five 10^th place votes. Two members of the BBWA in each AL city ranked their top 10 players.

Pena finished behind Yankees C Jorge Posada (sixth), Indians C Victor Martinez (seventh) and Mariners OF Ichiro Suzuki (eighth), but was ahead of Tigers OF Curtis Granderson, Yankees SS Derek Jeter and Indians OF Grady Sizemore, who finished 10^th through 12^th respectively.

Pena still received the most MVP points by a Tampa Bay player. Only three times has a Rays player received points: Aubrey Huff (four in 2003), Jorge Cantu (one in 2005) and Carl Crawford (two in 2006).

Comments

[TD]

Pena should be higher. There is a clear bias against Rays players. I am not saying he should be the MVP, but he should have received better votes.

[Bob R.]

I also think Pena deserved more votes. I have no problem with A-Rod, Ordonez, Posada and Ortiz ahead of him, but after that I don't think the distinctions are so clear. Perhaps Granderson 5th and then Pena. I certainly would not have put Lowell higher. I can understand elevating Martinez due to position importance, but I still think Pena's year was better than his, Guerrero's or Ichiro's.

I do not chalk this up to bias so much as familiarity and publicity.

[D-Ray]

Pena should definitely have been higher than Ortiz. Had a way better year and was a positional player.

[Bob R.]

I think a case can be made for Pena over Ortiz, and certainly the fact that he was a good first baseman is in his favor. But their offensive numbers are pretty close.

Ortiz: .332/.445/.621; 171 OPS+; 52 Doubles;
35 HRs; 341 total bases

Pena: .282/.411/.627; 172 OPS+; 29 Doubles;
46 HRs; 307 total bases

I might also select Pena, but if someone stresses out making I could understand them saying it's Ortiz. But I cannot see having Ichiro or Lowell or Vlad ahead of Pena. You really have to focus on defense at premium positions to argue for any of them.