Justin Verlander Named AL MVP

Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander won the American League MVP Award Monday morning, adding to the Cy Young Award he claimed just last week.

Verlander received 13 of 28 first-place votes and 280 points in voting done by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

Boston center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury was second in the voting with four first place votes and 242 points, followed by Toronto right fielder Jose Bautista who garnered five first place votes and 231 points.

Yankees center fielder Curtis Granderson was fourth with 215 points and Detroit first baseman Miguel Cabrera rounded out the to-five receiving 193 points.

Verlander became the first pitcher voted the league’s MVP since Oakland’s Dennis Eckersley in 1992 and the first starting pitcher since Boston’s Roger Clemens did it in 1986. The 2006 AL Rookie of the Year, Verlander, joined the Brooklyn Dodgers’ Don Newcombe as the only players to win all three majors awards in their careers.

Verlander won the AL’s pitching triple crown, going 24-5 with a 2.40 ERA and 250 strikeouts, the most wins in the major leagues since Oakland’s Bob Welch went 27-6 in 1990. He pitched his second career no-hitter at Toronto on May 7.

Other pitchers to win MVP and Cy Young in the same year were Newcombe (1956), Los Angeles’ Sandy Koufax (1963), St. Louis’ Bob Gibson and Detroit’s Denny McLain (1968), Oakland’s Vida Blue (1971) , Milwaukee’s Rollie Fingers (1981) and Detroit’s Willie Hernandez (1984).

The NL MVP winner will be announced Tuesday. To read more click here.