St. Louis Cardinals’ Yadier Molina among Top 5 of NL MVP – MLB News
The National League Most Valuable Player Award will be announced on Thursday, November 15, as Top 5 nominees are awaiting the results of balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. St. Louis Cardinals' catcher Yadier Molina is one of the candidates vying for the honour.
Milwaukee Brewers’ Ryan Braun who is the reigning NL MVP, Pittsburgh Pirates' Andrew McCutchen, San Francisco Giants' Buster Posey and San Diego Padres' Chase Headley are other four nominees. While the three have remained outstanding contenders, empowering and strengthening their respective teams, Molina will garner immense attention.
His evolution to a prolific hitter is a noticeable transformation. Not that he had not been contributing in the past, he actually was. However, the past season proved his efficacy and productiveness offensively.
On the other hand, he has not failed when it comes to superb defence. In fact, he figures as one of the unparalleled catchers in the National League along with Posey. That he has made it to the NL MVP Top 5 proves he is essentially different among his peers – with excellent defensive skills as a catcher.
"He has everything that you would ask for from a catcher defensively," said manager Mike Matheny, a four-time Gold Glove winner as a catcher during his playing days. "And then there are some things offensively people didn't think he would be able to do, and that was just enough motivation for him to figure out how to do it.”
“And that's the makeup of a Yadier Molina. I know Buster has to have a lot of consideration as the Most Valuable Player, but from where I sit I don't know how Yadier Molina couldn't be in that conversation, as well,” said the manager.
A durable catcher par excellence, he remains among the favourites for the NL MVP. In a year when the Cardinals had injury issues, with players off and on, Molina held his ground and contributed prolifically to keep the team afloat.
It paid off and the Cardinals once again booked a berth in the Wild Card and then made it to the National League Championship Series after overcoming the Washington Nationals in the NLDS.
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