hiester.com

Who I think deserves to be the National League MVP and who I want to be the NL MVP? : Jimmy Rollins. Rollins carried the whole team (even Charlie Manuel with that big beer gut) on his shoulders into the playoffs.

Who is going to be selected as the NL MVP? Matt Holliday. With his team down 8-7 in the bottom of the 13th inning in the one-game play-in vs. the San Diego Padres, Holliday stepped up to the plate. I thought to myself that one at-bat would determine whether the MVP goes to Rollins or Holliday. Had Holliday popped-up or struck out and had his team failed to get the winning run home, Rollins would be a shoo-in. All Holliday did was smash a triple to right field to score the runner and tie the game. The next batter hit a sac fly and Holliday himself scored the winning run. He wins the National League batting title and the RBI title. Now his team is in the playoffs. He’ll get to go head-to-head with Rollins when the Rockies play the Phillies in the first round.

It’s not that voters can’t find reasons to give the title to Rollins (that list is as long as your arm), but that the voters can’t find reasons NOT to give it to Holliday. Holliday has the gaudy numbers. He won two legs of the triple crown.  And he had the clutch hit that put his team into the playoffs.