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The 2011 MVP Race: A Re-Examination
Photo Credit- Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

The 2011 MVP Race: A Re-Examination

Originally posted on Last Word On Sports
By Caleb Begley  |  Last updated 7/14/23

The 2011 MVP race in both leagues represented a decided departure from tradition, and created a dichotomy that, really, exists to this very day. To be more specific, one league saw a pitcher take home the crown. In this writer’s opinion, pitchers can sometimes get overlooked in terms of MVP voting. There’s the Cy Young Award, which is basically an MVP for one position. However, when the gleam of the former’s trophy wanes, the latter continues to shine in the eyes of all players, pitchers or not. This is why we’re giving hurlers their fair shot at the title in these re-examinations. This week, however, we may not have to push our historical redactions around…for the voters in the 2011 MVP race may have done this for us.

To be sure, it will come down to statistical excellence and a knack for superior performances. Perhaps this pitcher will be knocked off of his perch, replaced by the league’s best hitter; or, maybe history will be vindicated. In any case, we are here to decide who the true MVPs were in 2011. As with our 2010 edition, we will compare the top three in each league in terms of WAR according to Baseball Reference. When each section concludes, we’ll see who rises and who falls. So, without further ado, let’s dive into this re-examination of the 2011 MVP race.

The 2011 MVP Race: A Re-Examination

American League

For everyone in the Junior Circuit, 2011 was the year of Justin Verlander. His explosive campaign with the Detroit Tigers was absolutely mind boggling. The definition of unhittable, Verlander spent the entire year making the opposition look foolish. Yes, he was a definite MVP candidate, but being the front runner is an entirely different proposition. The Toronto Blue Jays experienced yet another power packed season from one Jose Bautista. Meanwhile, the Boston Red Sox had a surprise breakout year from Jacoby Ellsbury. It was a season that the center fielder would never experience again. But, let’s begin this 2011 MVP race re-examination with the Blue Jays team MVP.

Jose Bautista

Jose Bautista’s path to big league stardom culminated with mind boggling back-to-back campaigns in 2010 and ’11. The latter saw the sudden fan favorite crush a league leading 43 homers. Not only that, but his patience at the plate was second to none, as he also led the league in walks (132). His overall slash line of .302/.447/.608 was certainly unconventional for a hitter with his potential for power. The icing on the cake was an AL best 1.056 OPS and 182 total bases. Even though his 54 homers from 2010 were incredible, it was 2011 where he cemented himself as an MVP candidate.

Jacoby Ellsbury

Jacoby Ellsbury had always had a consistent home in Boston’s outfield. He’d never been an All-Star, but had put up excellent contact numbers. Then, in 2010, he only played in 18 games while dealing with multiple injuries to his ribs. So, he certainly did not strike anyone as a player in the 2011 MVP Race. Yet, here we are talking about him. He exploded, posting a 30/30 season while batting .321. His 105 RBI were good for sixth in the AL and he led the entire league with a staggering 364 total bases. He ranked right behind his Red Sox teammates David Ortiz and Adrian Gonzalez with a 150 wRC+. Defensively, he also shone, putting up a Fangraphs dWAR that was second only to Dustin Pedroia as far as Boston was concerned. As previously stated, Ellsbury had never experienced this and, unfortunately, he never would again. But, for one year, the Red Sox outfielder was one of the toasts of baseball.

Justin Verlander

Justin Verlander’s name is synonymous with many things. He’s a future Hall of Famer, he’s one of the greatest pitchers of this generation, and he’s a multi-time Cy Young winner. However, in 2011, he etched himself into history as one of the only pitchers to win the Cy Young and MVP awards in the same season. He did so by leading the AL in wins (24), ERA (2.40), innings pitched (251), strikeouts (250), and WHIP (0.920). His 172 ERA+ was also best in the league. He made his third consecutive All-Star appearance and added two shutouts to the mix. Truly, it was one of the greatest individual pitching seasons ever.

The MVP should have been…

As great as Bautista and Ellsbury were, there’s no doubt that Verlander deserved the MVP here. Much as with Roy Halladay in 2010, there are very few pitchers that can claim MVP status. Verlander’s 2011 season was one of those special years that only comes around once in a generation. True, he only played in his rotational turn, but that makes it even more impressive. Where Ellsbury and Bautista got to tout their wares every single night, Verlander had to keep himself within those MVP parameters while taking extensive breaks. It’s extremely rare to have a pitcher win the MVP award, and it would be a travesty to remove Verlander’s incredible 2011 run.

National League

Once again, the National League’s real life MVP did not finish among the top three in WAR. In fact, it’s very likely that this re-examination of the 2011 MVP race will wind up with two hurlers as winners. However, one purely offensive player remains, and he was solid. In reality, Ryan Braun took home the award. But, in terms of WAR, he was defeated by Matt Kemp, the aforementioned Halladay, and Cliff Lee. So, we have two Philadelphia Phillies and a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers. By the end of this, only one will be left standing.

Matt Kemp

For Matt Kemp, 2011 was a combination of regular business and a sudden breakout. He had already established himself as one of the game’s premier power hitters. Between 2009 and 2010, he had over 50 homers and 50 doubles. However, in 2011, he took this to a new level. He led the league in homers (39), RBI (126), runs scored (115), total bases (353), and OPS+ (172). Not only that, but he hit .324 with a .986 OPS.  His terrific play pushed him into his first of three All-Star Games. He also won his second Silver Slugger and his second Gold Glove. He may have had good seasons, but 2011 was Kemp’s first legitimate MVP campaign.

Roy Halladay

For the second list in a row, “Doc” makes an appearance. The Hall of Famer made his eighth and final career All-Star appearance in 2011. He was just as dominant as in 2010, posting 19 wins, a 2.35 ERA, 220 strikeouts, and eight complete games. His ERA+ of 163 and K/BB ratio of 6.29 were also best in the league. Though he was entering the twilight of his career, Halladay more than proved that he could hang with anyone. If it wasn’t for someone named Clayton Kershaw having such a monstrous campaign, Halladay would have been a three-time Cy Young champion.

Cliff Lee

In this writer’s opinion, Cliff Lee is one of the more underrated pitchers of the past 20 years. True, he had his ups and downs, but when he was good, he was severely good. It was his second stint with the Phillies that saw him become an MVP candidate in 2011. He led the entire National League with a 9.0 WAR while winning 17 games, six of which were shutouts. While doing this, he struck out 238 batters with a 2.40 ERA. True, it wasn’t his 2008 Cy Young winning season with the then-Cleveland Indians, but it was still impressive. In a roller coaster career, Lee had multiple high spots, and 2011 was one of the highest.

The MVP should have been…

While some might argue that Kershaw should be here, we’re sticking with our pre-established rule of WAR numbers, thus ruling him out. Concerning these three, Halladay had the best season and should have been the 2011 NL MVP. As with Verlander, one doesn’t find pitchers that have years this consistently legendary in every single batch. Sometimes, lightning strikes and, in the case of 2011, it struck once. But, in our redone world, it strikes twice and Halladay takes home two consecutive MVP Awards. The 2011 MVP Race may have been tight, but there’s no doubt, at least to this writer, that “Doc” should have been a multi-time MVP.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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