NL MVP: St. Louis Cardinals' Yadier Molina stands fourth – MLB News
St. Louis Cardinals' catcher Yadier Molina on Thursday, November 15, finished fourth in the National League Most Valuable Award, as voted by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. He won 2 first-place votes and 13 fourth-place votes to glean 241 points.
San Francisco Giants' Buster Posey was declared winner of the prestigious NL MVP with his 27 first-place votes, followed by the last year’s NL MVP Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers and Pittsburgh Pirates' Andrew McCutchen, who scored 245 points.
"It's good," Molina said when he was informed of the result. "I was happy for the season that I had and am happy to be between those names. That made my day. I want to congratulate Buster Posey because he deserves it. Catching is a tough position. To put up those numbers like he did, it's great. It makes me feel like I need to get even better to keep up with him."
In 2012, Molina not only set himself apart defensively as one of the leading catchers in the National League, but also offensively wherein he hit career-high .315 batting average.22 homers in the season. It was also the most he had in any season, along with 76 RBIs and 28 doubles coupled with 12 stolen bases.
In a year wherein his club made it to the National League Championship Series, only to be routed by the San Francisco Giants, Molina’s credentials will remain for all there to see, throwing out 48 percent of attempted basestealers.
But it was his hitting that was the most noticeable improvement, something that he also made a mention of while talking to media about it.
"I got more mature," Molina said on Thursday, said about offensive feat this past season. "I have more experience. I know myself even better. That helped. When you have good coaching on your side, that helps, too."
Since 2011 when his batting average stood at .305, Molina has been making significant improvement to not only to prop up the offence but also solidify its defence, seeking to make the team one of the most formidable force in the league.
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