The Captain's Blog

After Robinson Cano’s home run off Rays’ closer Rafael Soriano catapulted the Yankees to a 5-4 victory and helped preserve their first place lead, Alex Rodriguez seized on a perfect opportunity to trumpet Robinson Cano’s 2010 MVP credentials.

“That’s certainly the look and taste and feel of an MVP. That was a huge, huge hit against their closer, on the road, trying to protect first place. It doesn’t get any bigger than that.” – Alex Rodriguez, quoted in the LoHud Yankees Blog

Arod wasn’t alone in singing Cano’s praises after the game. Mark Teixeira referred to him as the most talented player he has ever seen, which is as dramatic a statement as he could make. The effusive praise for Cano is not unlike the hyperbole that often emanates from a clubhouse after a big win, but for this season at least, the stats seem to support Arod’s and Teixeira’s bold claims.

Miguel Cabrera’s triple crown numbers might seem to suggest that he is the MVP favorite (and considering who votes for the award he probably is), but Robinson Cano’s combination of offensive prowess and defensive acumen at a prime position make him the deserving choice for that distinction. Listed below are several sabermetric categories that help make the case for Cano. The look, taste and feel of an MVP is right. Hopefully, the BBWAA voters come to their “senses”.

Robinson Cano, By the Numbers

*B-R.com and fangraphs.com, respectively
Source: Baseball-Reference.com and fangraphs.com

American League WAR Rankings

Source: Baseball-Reference.com and fangraphs.com