WHY CANO SHOULD BE THE MVP

The debate is heating up and of course, right before the playoffs everyone is saying that the Ranger's Josh Hamilton deserves the AL MVP. His numbers are great, that is true. The Rangers are in the playoffs, that helps. He has broken ribs... um, what?

Yes, Hamilton is an amazing ballplayer, .359 batting average is incredible. His 32 home runs kicked ass and he was totally on a roll, until he broke his ribs crashing into a wall on September 4th. While crashing into a wall to make a catch should alone give you the MVP, the problem is he missed the rest of the season. So why am I telling you this? Because when that happened, Cano's already stellar season went into overdrive.

He ended the season with a .319 average, 29 home runs and over 100 RBI's. Oh yeah and that little thing called hits. 200. Actually, it's 200 for the second year in a row. No small feat.

Rangers fans are now going to be all in my face. "How dare you, .359 Average is amazing. Cano doesn't hit like Hamilton." But my argument plain and simple is Cano didn't get hurt, Hamilton did. Secondly, the final weekend in Fenway, Cano left a lasting impression with the voters. He went 6-for-8 with a home run, two RBIs, two runs scored, two walks, and a stolen base in the Yankees' doubleheader against the Red Sox Saturday alone. He ended his season with an OBP of .381. I'll take that.
Hamilton's was .411, but again, he had been out since the beginning of September. Personally, I feel like that hurts his chances.

Now, there are other notables. Look at Blue Jays freak slugger Jose Bautista. 54 Home Runs, .260 average and 124 RBI's. The home runs are sick, but that's it. Wow, he had 13 home runs in 2009, 54 home runs this year. Damn, can someone test this guy? (I'm joking, no conspiracy theories) That home run total is great, but that doesn't get you an MVP award.

And let's look at Miguel Cabrera, He was an animal all year with the Tigers and if anyone is going to compete with Cano for the MVP, it's Cabrera. 38 Home Runs, 126 RBI's and 180 hits. Nice, but factor in one for thing. The Tigers aren't in the playoffs. To me, that small factor alone, could hurt him. I've always said that a winning team helps chances for personal awards because in the end, an individual's playing ability helps the team win. While the numbers are there, they aren't in the playoffs like the Yankees are and like the Rangers are. I always feel like that should be a factor. I'm not sure the voters believe that, but I do. Another factor is fielding. Cano's fielding this year has been top notch. Cabrera is not a great fielder. Hamilton is.

In the end, I'm a Yankee fan, and I've seen Cano play 162 games and play them well. He's come through in the clutch and his season is a highlight in his career. You can't take that way from him. He should be the MVP and the Yankees should be repeat World Champs... with Cano's help or course.

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