The winner of the American League MVP is the same winner as the Cy Young Award — showing just how dominant the Detroit Tigers starter was this year. The ace went 24-5 this year with a 2.40 ERA in a league leading 251 innings. He also struck out a league leading 250 while walking only 57.
In short, Verlander was money every single time he was on the mound, providing the old-school sort of workhorse that teams could count on decades ago. It’s amazing that any arm could hold up that much over the course of a season, but the fact that Verlander simply dominated the way that he did throughout the season shows you just how amazing of a player he is — and it’s why he deserves both the Cy Young and the MVP.
In his career, Verlander is now 104-57 with a 3.54 ERA. At only 28, he’s just now entering his prime and he should be a force in the AL Central for years to come.
Verlander finished with 12 first place votes and 280 points. Jacoby Ellsbury and Jose Bautista came in second and third.