Little Big Man

wins 2009 AL MVP Award. I guess some people can't stand Pedroia but I don't know why. He is a sabremetric dream, plays hard, wins, and basically just goes about his business.

It is strange that he would win the award in the AL but his counterpart in the NL couldn't finish in the top fifteen. I fail to see how Utley is not a top 5 MVP player. Pedroia didn't have to compete against Pujols for his MVP, but surely Utley is better then just about anyone else in the NL. He's a 2nd baseman for God's sake not some beer leaguer 1st baseman. Besides his outstanding offense he was so far above the rest of his peers in defense at 2nd base, he was like Ozzie Smith.

I had hoped that Russel Martin would be our Dustin Pedroia but that hope is waning. My favorite part about Pedroia is the confidence the Red Sox had in him. He started out his career as dismal as anyone ever has, and on May 1st, 2007, after 20 games had an OPS of .518. The Red Sox didn't waver in their confidence and continued to put their young  2nd baseman out there for every game. Their confidence was rewarded as he increased his OPS  from May 1st to June 3rd until it peaked at .889. He ended the season with an .822 OPS and a 112 OPS+. After his MVP season  he is on the same plane as future HOF Roberto Alomar.

This Little Big Man can play the game.