George King wrote an interesting column in the NY Post today, making a case
for Brian McCann as the Yankees MVP.
The topic becomes debatable now that Mark Teixeira , who at one point
was being mentioned as a possible candidate for League MVP,
has gone on the DL along with his 31 Home Runs and 79 RBIs and .255 BA.
There is no question that McCann has been terrific, not only with the bat ..
24 Home Runs, 83 RBIs but also behind the plate, handling the pitching staff
and throwing out 39% of would-be base stealers (3rd in AL),
but when it comes to the 2015 MVP I’m going in a different direction.
The Offense has put up big power numbers ( 2nd in Runs Scored, 3rd in HRs)
but has also been extremely inconsistent and streaky ( and that includes Mac & Tex).
The same can be said for the
Starting Pitching …Middle Relief … and Fielding for that matter.
The one aspect of the 2015 Yankees that has been consistently dominant
is the back end of the Bullpen … which is the teams biggest strength, and also
a key component for potential post-season success.
Andrew Miller has been absolutely outstanding :
48 Games, 48.1 Innings, 74 K’s, 1.86 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 30 Saves
The only thing that slowed down Andrew all year was a brief
stint on the DL with forearm tightness.
Which brings me to my vote for MVP up to this point in the 2015 Season
DELLIN BETANCES
61 Games, 69.1 Innings, 109 K’s, 1.30 ERA, 0.91 WHIP
Dellin has served in a role that is reminiscent of Mariano Rivera in 1996,
pitching in the 8th inning and many times getting outs in the 7th inning, and
even pitching the 9th, gathering 8 Saves while Miller was on the DL.
As a matter of fact Dellin has put up back-to-back seasons
that remind you of Mariano’s ’96 season.
Who else on this team has put up back-to-back consistently dominant
seasons ?? Who else has come close to doing that ??
Dellin also has a personality similar to Mariano.
No attention grabbing fist pumps or gyrations, and for that reason can tend
to be overlooked and taken for granted.. but not here.
Consider this …
The Yankees are an amazing 56 – 2 when leading after 6 innings this season.
Dellin Betances is a big contributor to that mind-boggling stat !!
Who’s your vote for Yankee MVP ??
As always,
GO NYY !!
