It’s that time of the year again. The voters from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America will be selecting the winners for the 2009 MLB Awards. If I had a vote, here’s who I would vote for and why:

American League MVP:
Joe Mauer

There should be no debate on which player should take home this award, although it will probably be close since Mark Teixeira and the much overrated Derek Jeter are also considered MVP candidates. In my opinion, Mauer should easily win the AL MVP award. If he doesn’t, it would be a complete travesty. Mauer missed the first month of the season due to injury. However, he came back strong: over 138 games, Mauer batted .365 with 28 home runs and 96 RBI alongside a .444 OPB and a .587 SLG. Those numbers are incredible considering Mauer is a catcher, and that he missed the first month of the season. Let’s put it this way: without Mauer, the Twins wouldn’t have forced game 163 versus the Tigers. Mauer meant a lot more to the Twins than Teixeira and Jeter meant to the Yankees, who were surrounded by all-stars all season.

National League MVP:
Albert Pujols

Pujols should run away with the NL MVP award this year. The Cardinals first baseman is the best hitter in all of baseball, and the numbers speak for themselves. Pujols batted .327 with 47 HR, 135 RBI, and 16 SB alongside a 1.101 OPS! Furthermore, Pujols walked 115 times, while only striking out 64 times. Imagine where the Cardinals would have been without Albert?

AL Cy Young Award:
Zack Greinke

The race for the AL Cy Young Award will be very close. I’d like to see Felix Hernandez win, although Zack Greinke deserves the award. Greinke, from the Kansas City Royals, had an incredible year posting a 16-8 record, with a 2.16 ERA—lowest in the American League—with 242 strikeouts and a 1.07 WHIP. The 23-year-old phenom Hernandez from the Seattle Mariners went 19-5 with a 2.49 ERA alongside 217 strikeouts and a 1.14 WHIP over 238.2 innings. I still think Greinke will come away with this award, as he was the best pitcher in the American League this season. Greinke, who played on a very mediocre Royals team, still managed to win 16 games. Despite not having as many wins as Sabathia or Hernandez, Greinke’s other remarkable numbers can’t be ignored. It will be a close battle between Greinke and King Felix when all is said and done. Remember Brandon Webb won the NL Cy Young with only 16 victories in 2006, so that shouldn’t stop Greinke from capturing his first Cy Young Award.

NL Cy Young Award:
Chris Carpenter

What a comeback story! Carpenter missed most of 2007 and 2008, only making four starts during that timespan due to Tommy John surgery and nagging elbow problems. Carpenter was sensational in 2009, posting a 17-4 record with a 2.24 ERA over 192.2 innings, with 144 strikeouts and a 1.01 WHIP. Other candidates include Giants right-hander Tim Lincecum, and Carpenter’s own teammate, right-hander Adam Wainwright. But Carpenter had an incredible season that stands out over Lincecum and Wainwright.

AL Rookie of the Year:
Rick Porcello

The 21-year-old right-hander from Detroit went 14-9 with a 3.96 ERA over 170.2 innings in 2009. Porcello has a very bright future, and considering that he didn’t have the greatest defence playing behind him, he should get the nod over Tampa’s Jeff Niemann. Also, watch out for A’s closer Andrew Bailey, as he could sneak away with the award as he posted a 1.81 ERA with 26 saves in 2009. At the end of the day, starters are more valuable to a team than relievers, so Porcello would get my vote.

NL Rookie of the Year:
Andrew McCutchen

There will be a debate over this selection as it will be very close. You could make arguments for every candidate, which include Tommy Hanson, Chris Coghlan, Randy Wells, Garrett Jones, and J.A. Happ. McCutchen gets my vote because I think he had the best overall season out of all NL rookies, and because he has a vast amount of talent. McCutchen is an impact bat, as he batted .286 with 12 HR and 54 RBI alongside with 22 stolen bases and a .836 OPS, while providing great defence in centre field. Overall, McCutchen is a future all-star in the next year or two, as he is a dynamic all-around player that will be one of the bright spots for the Pirates this decade.