After the MVP award was announced yesterday the biggest awards in baseball had all been given out. Many star players got what they deserved, while some players were simply snubbed. Here is a look at the 2011 MLB award winners in case you missed it:

MVP:

A.L.: Justin Verlander

Verlander joined great company as the first starting pitcher since 1989 to win the MVP award and that pitcher was Roidger….excuse me Roger Clemens.  Verlander put up impressive numbers winning the AL pitching triple crown, he went 24-5 with a 2.40 ERA and 250 strikeouts. Verlander was very valuable for the Tigers without him they would have finished no where near first place in the American League central, sadly  for the Tigers they were unable to reach the World Series falling just short against the Texas Rangers in the ALCS.  Finishing second in the MVP voting was Boston Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Elsbury who had a great year coming back from a season in which he played in just 18 games.

N.L.: Ryan Braun

Many believed that Matt Kemp deserved the award because of his excellence all around the field and his importance to the Dodgers but instead the award went to the Milwaukee Brewers left fielder, Ryan Braun.  Braun had a great season joining the 30-30 club with 33 home runs and 33 stolen bases as well as hitting .332(2nd in NL) and had 111 RBI’s. Braun was crucial to the Brewers offense as he and Prince Fielder put up great numbers as the teams 3 and 4 hitters, not many teams had a 1-2 punch like the Brewers did last season.  Finishing second in the award was Matt Kemp and two Cardinals reached the top ten Albert Pujols (5th) and Lance Berkman (7th).

Cy Young: 

A.L.: Justin Verlander 

Verlander not only took home the games biggest honor as a player but also as a pitcher. This was the biggest lock of all the awards given, Verlander dominated the American League which is tough to do considering they have an extra batter. Verlander not only helped his team reach the post season but he also won the American League pitching triple crown which is a huge feat. Congratulations to one of my favorite players, a man who really deserved it.

N.L.: Clayton Kershaw

Another one of my favorite players in the game, Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers had a huge season. The young 23 year old left hander won the N.L. pitching triple crown going 21-5, leading all of MLB with a 2.28 ERA, and striking out 248 batters. Kershaw is very impressive and it is safe to say that he is one of the best players in all of the game, and he may be the greatest pitcher under 25. He has a lot of good years ahead of him and he should be fun to watch for years to come, the bad thing is that he is in the N.L. which means the Cardinals will have to see him more often than they would Verlander.

Rookie of the Year:

A.L.: Jeremy Hellickson

A guy that the Cardinals have long coveted and tried to trade Rasmus for, helped the Rays reach the playoffs as a very impressive rookie starting pitcher. Hellickson went 13-10 with a 2.95 ERA while striking out 117 batters. Hellickson made a brief stint in 2010 where he went 4-0 with the Rays so they knew he was going to be something special. Hellickson is just 24 years old so expect many more great years out of him. Finishing second was Mark Trumbo and finishing third was Royals stud first baseman Eric Hosmer, who was my pick to win the award.

N.L.: Craig Kimbrel

Thanks Kimbrel for blowing the save which ultimately led to a loss sending the Cardinals to the post season instead of the Braves! That is how many fans will remember the Braves young closer who set a rookie record with 46 saves. Kimbrel was dominant during most of the season posting up unreal numbers, until he and his team alike both started struggling and a lost a 10.5 game lead in the NL Wildcard which ended up letting the Cardinals in, on their remarkable run.  Kimbrel ended the year with a 4-3 record a 2.10 ERA, 46 saves which lead all of baseball, and 127 strikeouts to go along with it. Finishing second was his Atlanta Braves teammate Freddie Freeman.

Manager of the Year:

A.L.: Joe Maddon

The Tampa Bay Rays skipper is one of the best managers in all of baseball, he has lead teams that you would think had no chance to impossible feats like winning the A.L. East or overcoming the Boston Red Sox for the wild card. He is really good at taking risks with speedy, athletic, and talented young players and he really deserved to win this award.

N.L.: Kirk Gibson

Going into the 2011 season the Diamondbacks were expected to finish in last or fourth place at best in the N.L. West but Kirk Gibson had other plans in mind, the Diamondbacks won the N.L. West and lost during extra innings in Game 5 of the NLDS against the Brewers.  The Diamondbacks had a mixture of young and veteran players that worked really well and behind young superstars Justin Upton and Ian Kennedy, Kirk Gibson lead the D’Backs to a 94-68 record. Somehow I can’t help but wonder why La Russa didn’t win, though I am not his biggest fan La Russa’s skills and obstacles he had to overcome should have been considered.

Gold Gloves: 

A.L.:

C- Matt Wieters (BAL)

1B- Adrian Gonzalez (BOS)

2B- Dustin Pedroia  (BOS)

SS-  Erik Aybar (LAA)

3B- Adrian Beltre (TEX)

OF- Alex Gordon (KC)

OF- Jacoby Ellsbury (BOS)

OF- Nick Markakis (BAL)

P- Mark Buehrle (CWS)

N.L.:

C- Yadier Molina (STL)

1B-  Joey Votto (CIN)

2B- Brandon Phillips (CIN)

SS- Troy Tulowitzki (COL)

3B- Placido Polanco (PHI)

OF- Gerardo Parra (ARZ)

OF- Matt Kemp (LAD)

OF- Andre Ethier (LAD)

P- Clayton Kershaw (LAD)

Silver Sluggers:

A.L.:

C- Alex Avila (DET)

1B- Adrian Gonzalez (BOS)

2B- Robinson Cano (NYY)

SS- Asdrubal Cabrera (CLE)

3B- Adrian Beltre (TEX)

OF- Curtis Granderson (NYY)

OF- Jacoby Ellsbury (BOS)

OF- Jose Bautista (TOR)

DH- David Ortiz (BOS)

N.L.:

C- Brian McCann (ATL)

1B- Prince Fielder (MIL)

2B- Brandon Phillips (CIN)

SS- Troy Tulowitzki (COL)

3B- Aramis Ramirez (CHC)

OF- Ryan Braun (MIL)

OF- Matt Kemp (LAD)

OF- Justin Upton (ARZ)

P- Daniel Hudson (ARZ)