2011 SB Nation Awards: American League Most Valuable Player

by John Sickels on Nov 10, 2025 1:00 PM EST

Every year SB Nation takes a poll of the various Major League Baseball network blogs to determine winners for Rookie of the Year, Cy Young, and Most Valuable Player. The official BBWAA awards come out next week, but we name our own winners this week, moving forward today with the American League MVP.

The winner of the 2011 SB Nation AL MVP award is Jose Bautista of the Toronto Blue Jays.

The voting:

Num	Name	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th	Total
1	Jose Bautista	10	9	2	2							211
2	Jacoby Ellsbury	7	9	3	3							196
3	Miguel Cabrera	2	1	6	5	4	4	2				164
4	Curtis Granderson	1	2	5	5	2	5			1	1	143
5	Justin Verlander	3	3	4	2	3	1		1		1	130
6	Dustin Pedroia			1	3	4	2	4	1	2		86
7	Ian Kinsler			1	2	2	4	2	3	1	1	74
8	Adrian Gonzalez					2	2	5	1	5	2	57
9	Evan Longoria			2		2		2	3	3		51
10	Alex Gordon					2	2	1	1	1	2	33
11	Robinson Cano	1				1		1	2	2	2	32
12	Alex Avila						2	1	1	3	2	25
13	CC Sabathia							3	3	1	1	24
14	Ben Zobrist							2	3	1	4	23
15	Adrian Beltre				1	1		1		2	2	23
16	Michael Young					1	1		1			14
17	Mike Napoli				1		1					12
18	Paul Konerko								2			6
19	Jered Weaver								1		1	4
20	Elvis Andrus								1			3
21	James Shields										2	2
22	David Ortiz									1		2
23	Victor Martinez									1		2
24	Brett Gardner										1	1
25	Dan Haren										1	1
26	Mark Texeira										1	1

My personal ballot went 1-Bautista, 2-Ellsbury, 3-Miguel Cabrera, 4-Dustin Pedroia, 5-Alex Gordon, 6-Adrian Gonzalez, 7-Evan Longoria, 8-Alex Avila, 9-David Ortiz, 10-Curtis Granderson.

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Read More: Dan Haren (P - ANA), Victor Martinez (DH - DET), Michael Young (DH - TEX), CC Sabathia (P - NYY), Ian Kinsler (2B - TEX), Paul Konerko (1B - CWS), Dustin Pedroia (2B - BOS), Adrian Gonzalez (1B - BOS), Alex Gordon (LF - KAN), Curtis Granderson (CF - NYY), Justin Verlander (P - DET), Jacoby Ellsbury (CF - BOS), David Ortiz (DH - BOS), James Shields (P - TAM), Jose Bautista (RF - TOR), Miguel Cabrera (3B - DET), Robinson Cano (2B - NYY), Mike Napoli (C - TEX), Ben Zobrist (2B - TAM), Jered Weaver (P - ANA), Adrian Beltre (3B - TEX), Elvis Andrus (SS - TEX), Evan Longoria (3B - TAM), Brett Gardner (LF - NYY), Alex Avila (C - DET), Toronto Blue Jays

Comments

Verlander

Just curious, why did you not include Verlander in your top-10? Moreover, why do you think so many other voters put Verlander in their top-10? (I realize the second question require projection on your part)

by dbreer23 on Nov 10, 2025 1:05 PM EST reply actions

I was going to ask something similar

John, why do you not put pitchers in your MVP voting?

Scouting the Royals
Royals Prospects

by 306008 on Nov 10, 2025 1:09 PM EST up reply actions

pitchers

I think MVP awards should be for hitters and Cy Young for pitchers. I know it is not officially that way, but that’s how I have always thought about it.

by John Sickels on Nov 10, 2025 1:38 PM EST up reply actions

That's how I've always felt.

Big ups to you, John.

Stainer of mountaintops.

by Chairman Meow on Nov 10, 2025 2:11 PM EST up reply actions

Alex!

R.I.P. cwhitman412, Frederick0220, & Mets2k9
http://twitter.com/doublestix

by doublestix on Nov 10, 2025 1:20 PM EST reply actions

4 of your top 10

are from one team, that didn’t make the playoffs. The rest of that roster must have been useless.

by rif23 on Nov 10, 2025 1:31 PM EST reply actions

It was

The Red Sox had 4 historically great players on their offense, as well as decent options at SS, catcher, and 3b (most of the time) along with a black hole at LF and RF.

Then the pitching was putrid.

by Galt on Nov 10, 2025 2:13 PM EST up reply actions

that is

a pretty weak definition for historically great offensive players

by rif23 on Nov 10, 2025 2:45 PM EST up reply actions

Find a better foursome

You aren’t going to find many quartet of hitters in the history of baseball better than the season that Ellsbury, Pedroia, Adrian, and Ortiz put up this year. They combined for a .392 wOBA, 147.2 wRC+ and a .319/.392/.531 line.

And since three of the four are elite defensively, they combined for 28.2 WAR. That’s an AVERAGE of over 7 WAR each.

by Galt on Nov 10, 2025 4:49 PM EST up reply actions

a historically great foresome

is different than “four historically great players”

by rif23 on Nov 10, 2025 4:53 PM EST up reply actions

replying to your point

About the top 4. Semantics.

For the record, the ’27 Yankees top 4 (Gherig, Ruth, Combs, Lazzeri) combined for over 41 WAR

by Galt on Nov 10, 2025 4:58 PM EST up reply actions

oook

semantics are not insignificant when it changes the entire meaning of your point.

by rif23 on Nov 10, 2025 5:01 PM EST up reply actions

i dont disagree

when you say they are a historically elite foursome, I do when you say they are four historically elite players

by rif23 on Nov 10, 2025 5:02 PM EST up reply actions

ballot

Well looking at it again, I would move Granderson up to 7, Longoria to 8, Avila to 9, and Kinsler at 10. Given that Ortiz has no defensive value.

by John Sickels on Nov 10, 2025 1:40 PM EST reply actions

Yanks fan here.

In my eyes, there really is no other choice besides Bautista.

Stainer of mountaintops.

by Chairman Meow on Nov 10, 2025 2:12 PM EST reply actions

Red Sox fan

And I don’t see how Granderson doesn’t win it. Aside from Cano, that team had nothing. Teixeira had power, but not much else, Arod was hurt. DH was a wasteland, Jeter stunk, Russ Martin started off strong, but ended up mediocre.

Really, Cano and Granderson were the entire offense to pair with a mediocre rotation behind Sabathia.

And Granderson’s wOBA was right up near Ellsbury’s. UZR like Ellsbury more, but I discount the UZR delta between the two of them for two reasons. First, Fenway screws everything up. Second, UZR had Gardner (26) and Swisher (6) as crazy high, so I think Granderson got punished erroneously.

Point is, Granderson’s overall production was at least within a stone’s throw of Ellsbury’s and his team made the playoffs, while Boston didn’t. Unless you view the MVP award as merely “best season” regardless of impact to team, I think Granderson is the choice.

by Galt on Nov 10, 2025 2:20 PM EST reply actions

Jeter was great after the all-star break.

Almost on par with what he was doing in his prime.

Stainer of mountaintops.

by Chairman Meow on Nov 10, 2025 2:21 PM EST up reply actions

Is this a joke? Yankees had a tremendous offense, probably the best in the league. Arod, Tex, Swisher all had 800+ OPS which is still pretty good. Jeter hit .297 with a .355 OBP, Martin hit fine for a catcher, even gardner who batted low in the order had a .345 OBP. even andrew jones hit well and in a small sample size, Montero.

Yankees had a fantastic offense even if you exclude Granderson. Boston had a great offense as well.

For me, its best season though I don’t think the impact it had on the team is completely useless. But Granderson this year wasn’t even as good as Bautista last year. Its funny seeing you mentioned Yankees had nothing beside those two and CC and yet they had one of the best records in the league and won their division. Pretty sure it took more than 3 players. Wanna know what Bautista had on his team that were good? Escobar and Romero (Lawrie and Alvarez were good in a small sample size).

Bautista is the clear winner for me and Ellsbury comes 2nd because he was great all-around. Granderson finishes 3rd/4th with Cabrera.

by Sniderlover on Nov 10, 2025 3:31 PM EST up reply actions

+1

not sure about Granderson’s clutch hitting but I remember KLaw responding to tweets that Bautista’s home runs came in “garbage time” by pointing out how many of those “garbage” homers came after the 6th inning and were of the tying or go-ahead variety…..Bautista is clutch!!!

"I didn't really say everything I said."-Yogi ism

by chewbalka on Nov 10, 2025 5:24 PM EST up reply actions

I just read your ballot.

How do you put Ortiz over Granderson? How do you put him over anyone for that matter?

Stainer of mountaintops.

by Chairman Meow on Nov 10, 2025 2:22 PM EST reply actions

I was just about to put that

go long with extenze...i do

by angelsownredsux on Nov 10, 2025 2:22 PM EST up reply actions

read

Well if you will note above, I already said that if i had to do it over again I would put Granderson over Ortiz

by John Sickels on Nov 10, 2025 2:44 PM EST up reply actions

But what made you do it in the first place?

Stainer of mountaintops.

by Chairman Meow on Nov 10, 2025 2:44 PM EST up reply actions

AND

even with that… thats still 3 red sox players in front of grandyman…. why so low on granderson? he was the beat player on the best team!

by matthewmafa on Nov 10, 2025 2:46 PM EST up reply actions

agree

the value of a player on a team that loses 100 games (Royals) can be argued unless he puts up a historic season (which he didn’t)
All those red Sox don’t deserved that recognition after their historic collapse.
The Yankees ran a steady ship all season. Jeter and Arod were up and down, but Grandy was the glue that held that team together.
I can see the Bautista vote, and Vandy/MCab, but having Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, Alex Gordon (?), Adrian Gonzalez, Evan Longoria, Alex Avila (?), David Ortiz, all ahead of him makes no sense.

by ScottAZ on Nov 10, 2025 3:41 PM EST up reply actions

granderson

It was not a case of bias, since Granderson is one of my favorite players and has been since he was in college. I actually shadow-drafted him back when he was in college.

by John Sickels on Nov 10, 2025 6:03 PM EST up reply actions

to be honest, I do not remember.

by John Sickels on Nov 10, 2025 6:02 PM EST up reply actions

I asked the same thing on another site and maybe someone else has an explanation:

Was Bautista left off a ballot and Ellsbury left off of TWO ballots?

follow @casetines

by Kenneth Arthur on Nov 10, 2025 2:23 PM EST reply actions

yes that is true!!

there were 24 total votes!

jose got 23 ells 22…

LOL Fail

by matthewmafa on Nov 10, 2025 2:44 PM EST up reply actions

Yes

And I have no idea what they were smoking.

"We are all agreed that your theory is crazy. The question that divides us is whether it is crazy enough to have a chance of being correct."
- Niels Bohr

by Frag on Nov 10, 2025 2:53 PM EST up reply actions

its probably those people that think your numbers are only meaningful if you make the playoffs

by Sniderlover on Nov 10, 2025 3:31 PM EST up reply actions

Dear SB Nation,

You remember six weeks back when you did that big campaign to have people fill out your poorly-worded and even-more-poorly-designed survey to see if you could figure out whether people take you seriously as a news source about sports?

Yeah, this is why, with the exception of five national writers and maybe three of your team specific sites, nobody does! If your bloggers don’t take themselves seriously, why should any of us?

by realitypolice on Nov 10, 2025 4:31 PM EST up reply actions

There are definitely gonna be voters for the real award that leave off Bautista just because his team wasn’t very good.

Stainer of mountaintops.

by Chairman Meow on Nov 10, 2025 5:45 PM EST up reply actions

Yeah, but riddle me this:

If Ellsbury was left off of two ballots and Bautista was only left off of one, then that means that somebody had Bautista and NOT Ellsbury. So how would they explain it being a playoff or contention thing, when Ellsbury was 1 game from making the playoffs and Bautista was (im not going to look the exact number up) many more games back? How?!

follow @casetines

by Kenneth Arthur on Nov 10, 2025 6:19 PM EST up reply actions

Guessing it was a Bautista supporter

He must of seen Ellsbury as his biggest competition.

by dudedudedude on Nov 10, 2025 8:11 PM EST up reply actions

How would folks fill out their ballots?

Mine: 1) Jacoby Ellsbury; 2) Justin Verlander; 3) Jose Bautista; 4) Miguel Cabrera; 5) Ben Zobrist; 6) Curtis Granderson; 7) Dustin Pedroia; 8) Adrian Beltre; 9) Adrian Gonzalez; 10) Ian Kinsler.

by gogotabata on Nov 10, 2025 3:03 PM EST reply actions

I always love the WTF? vote in any awards voting

who voted for Brett Gardner?

Friend:why do you love ripping on Jeff Francoeur?
Me: Because hes an idiot, who posseses huge physical tools but will not, nay, cannot, harness those tools into any sembelance of usable baseball skill and refuses to make any effort to do so. Hes like a tragic greek figure. doomed by his own stupidity and 80 raw power.

by harendaman365 on Nov 10, 2025 3:38 PM EST reply actions 1 recs

or Andrus with 3! Or Young getting more votes than Napoli!

by Sniderlover on Nov 10, 2025 3:50 PM EST up reply actions

lmao 2 years ago it was Juan pierre with a vote!

by matthewmafa on Nov 10, 2025 4:45 PM EST up reply actions

Keith Law on Bautista...

A few weeks ago, Law said his vote for Bautista (if he were to vote for him) would be unaffected even if he knew that J.B. was on PEDs.

Thoughts?

Law’s rationale, by the way, was that since the effect of said drugs couldn’t be quantified with any precision, it was irrelevent.

by Mekonsrock on Nov 10, 2025 7:32 PM EST reply actions

Is there any evidence that Bats is on PEDs?

Or is Law just being a jackass trying to stir up controversy?

Stainer of mountaintops.

by Chairman Meow on Nov 10, 2025 10:07 PM EST up reply actions

Don't know the exact quote

but from what is provided here I’d guess KLaw is blowing a hole in that potential argument should someone use it to make a case for not voting for Bautista.

http://bullpenbanter.com

RIP Randy "Macho Man" Savage

by gatling on Nov 11, 2025 1:57 AM EST up reply actions