Mariners Mid-Season Awards: MVP, Cy Young, and Gold Glove

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SEATTLE, WA – JUNE 22: Seattle Mariners Scott Servais shakes hands with starting pitcher Andrew Moore /

Although I do not have the authority to officially give the Seattle Mariners any awards, I will do so anyway.

The Mariners are sitting at just about halfway through the regular season. To say the first half had its share of ups and downs would be an understatement. There have been some really high highs and some pretty low lows. However, the Mariners are still in the hunt for a Wild Card spot.

Let’s award some deserving Mariner players of some mid-season recognition.

Most Valuable Player-Ben Gamel

This might be a bit of a surprise. The usual suspects would be Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz or Kyle Seager. Although Cano and Cruz have put up decent numbers, as far as overall value goes, Gamel is the man.

Jun 20, 2017; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners left fielder Ben Gamel (16) hits a solo-home run against the Detroit Tigers during the seventh inning at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports /

Gamel is hitting .338 with 21 extra base hits (15 doubles, 2 triples, 4 home runs) and an .878 OPS. Among players who have played at least half of the team’s games, he leads the team in on-base percentage, OPS and batting average. He also has posted a 1.9 WAR, second only to Mitch Haniger on the team.

Being “valuable” in baseball goes far beyond hitting home runs and getting on base. Playing defense and being smart on the base paths is critically important as well. Gamel has played a very good, sometimes stellar outfield. Some of the most memorable catches of the first half of the season belong to Gamel (and his legendary grunge metal hair).

Honorable Mention: Nelson Cruz (.286, 14 HRs, 59 RBI, .872 OPS, 1.5 WAR)

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