Pittsburgh Pirates Wake Up Call – First time MVP’s crowned

In our daily Wake-Up Call, we get you ready for the day with a complete look at all things Pittsburgh Pirates.

Award season is wrapping up in Major League Baseball and it’s official, the 2017 Most Valuable Players have been announced in both the National League and American League. And neither of the winners are surprising while both are deserving.

After hitting 59 home runs, Miami Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton won his first NL MVP Thursday. He became the first player in Marlins history to be named MVP. Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve won the award in the AL after helping lead the Astros to its first World Series in franchise history. Altuve was the first Astro to win the award since Jeff Bagwell in 1994.

Both players had years that warranted the awards. However, if I were to have voted, I would have given my first place vote in the NL to a player like Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. Stanton’s season was beyond historical and he was without a doubt one of the best players in the league in 2017, but I would have liked to see the award go to a player whose team’s season didn’t end after the regular season. Goldschmidt was the lone NL MVP candidate from a playoff team.

Goldschmidt was a huge difference maker for a D-Backs team that advanced to the NLDS and while JD Martinez was also an impact player, Arizona wasn’t in the playoffs without the leadership of Goldschmidt, someone who I believe is one of the most underrated players in baseball. Goldschmidt hit 36 home runs with 120 RBIs while batting just below .300 on the season.

Joey Votto, who lost out on the award by two points, was also incredibly deserving after proving to be arguably the best overall player in the NL. He played in all 162 games while hitting .320 with 36 home runs and 100 RBIs.

Altuve, in my opinion, was the undisputed AL MVP. And I’m not just saying that because Altuve has a stellar first name and represents the short guys like myself.

The Astros star second baseman, who easily won his first MVP award by beating Aaron Judge and Jose Ramirez Thursday, was in the top 10 in most offensive categories and was a main contributor to the world champions. The Astros had a lot of depth en route to their championship, but they don’t get to the World Series without Altuve.

Baseball talk on the web

• Commissioner Rob Manfred confirmed new pace of play rules for next season.
• Agent Scott Boras is open to discussing a contract extension with the Washington Nationals for his client, Bryce Harper.

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