Scott Carson

Stats man Scott Carson is now in his 18th season as "third man in the booth" during Blue Jays telecasts.

Let's hand out some mid-season hardware as we approach the all-star break.

With just a weekend series left before the all-star break – the official mid-point of the season – the time has arrived to hand out my first-half awards.

Remember, this is just my opinion so feel free to rebut below, but I’ll tell right now, you’re wrong.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers

The slugging first baseman has an excellent shot at the triple crown, leading the league in average and RBI and sitting third in home runs. All this after an off-season when he confronted a drinking problem head on, cleaned up his life and became a monster – once again – at the plate.

CY YOUNG AWARD

David Price, Tampa Bay Rays

So this is what all the fuss was about. The lanky lefty leads the AL in wins, sits second in ERA and is in the Top 10 in several other categories. Most impressive is his 6-0, 1.39 ERA in six starts against the East Division, helping keep the Rays within striking distance of the front-running Yankees.

ROOKIE

Brennan Boesch, Detroit Tigers

Drafted in the 3rd round in 2006, Boesch rocketed through the system and was called up in late April after hitting .379 in 15 games at Triple-A. He hasn’t missed a beat since arriving in Detroit and would be among the top five hitters if he had enough qualifying at-bats. Having him bat fifth gives the Tigers a ferocious middle of the order.

TOP MANAGER

Ron Washington, Texas Rangers

His season began with a drug abuse admission, but he has not looked back, leading the Rangers to the top of the A.L. West. It will be interesting to see if his team stays in front playing in that oppressive summer heat in Texas. The Rangers 5.5 game lead is the largest among all current front-runners.

COMEBACK PLAYER

Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers

After leading the A.L. with 130 RBI in 2008, rib cage and abdominal injuries held him to just 89 games last season. But he’s come back healthy and driven and, if not for Detroit’s Cabrera, has the numbers to challenge for the triple crown. Hamilton leads the league in total bases and might be the most feared left-handed hitter in the game today.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds

The Toronto-born first baseman has put it all together in his third full season with the Reds. He currently sits in the top of five of the triple crown categories and is one of the main reasons why the Reds surprisingly sit in first in the N.L. Central ahead of the talent-rich Cardinals. Votto will also appear in his first all-star game next Tuesday in Anaheim.

CY YOUNG AWARD

Ubaldo Jimenez, Colorado Rockies

The only no-brainer among the categories. The lanky right-hander became the first pitcher in 10 years to win 15 games before the All-Star break and threw a no-hitter in his third start of the season. Almost as impressive as his wins total is his 1.23 road ERA and .198 opponents average.

TOP ROOKIE

Jaime Garcia, St. Louis Cardinals

Pitching on a staff that includes Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter has allowed the 24-year-old left-hander to quietly go about his business in relative anonymity. He’s won eight games to date and his 2.17 ERA is second in the NL only to Florida’s Josh Johnson. He doesn’t overpower anyone, he just gets the job done.

TOP MANAGER

Dusty Baker, Cincinnati Reds

The highest any of the off-season pundits had the Reds finishing this season was third place, yet here we are at the mid-way point and they are three games clear of the Cardinals. In this age of micro-managing where the majority of skippers have their heads buried in a binder full of stats, his refreshing old-school approach still works.

COMEBACK PLAYER

David Wright, New York Mets

No player had more trouble adjusting to his new home stadium like Wright did at Citi Field last season. But those hitting woes are a thing of the past and he heads towards the break leading the NL in RBI with 64, eight fewer than he had in all of last season. The Mets’ return to prominence is in lock-step with Wright’s return to superstardom.

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COMING AT THE BREAK

Log on to Sportsnet.ca on Tuesday at 1:00 PM ET / 10:00 AM PT to chat with yours truly about the Blue Jays and all things baseball. I’ll answer as many questions as I can over the hour and look forward to hearing from all you baseball junkies.