NL Central MVP
Derrek Lee, Cubs
Call this one a hunch. The big man’s last two years have paled next to his first two in Chicago, in part because of his 2006 broken wrist and his concern for his daughter’s medical condition, but the one thing that has remained constant is his character. He’ll play at age 32 this season and should be in a great position to pile up numbers with Kosuke Fukudome added to the mix. He had a poor spring at the plate but will be ready to go March 31.
NL Central Cy Young Award
Aaron Harang, Reds
When you can have a 3.73 ERA playing half your games in a bandbox like Great American Ball Park, you are something special. Harang had a 4-1 ratio of strikeouts to walks a year ago and held batters to a respectable .242 average. He’ll benefit from Cincinnati’s improved bullpen and, at least in the short run, Dusty Baker’s willingness to ride his ace deep into games when he’s pitching well.
NL Central Rookie of the Year
Kosuke Fukudome, Cubs
He’s a ballplayer — a strong hitter (huge base with the lower body) who knows the strike zone, a situational hitter, a fly-hawk outfielder who hits cutoff men and a plus runner. He’s going to be embraced by the right-field fans at Wrigley Field and is surrounded by quality run-producers who will take the pressure off of him. He even has a manager in Lou Piniella who has a track record for helping Japanese players (Ichiro Suzuki, Kazuhiro Sasaki) transition to the majors.
NL Central Manager of the Year
Dusty Baker, Reds
Undone more by injuries than anything under his control in Chicago, Baker is a man on a mission after spending 2007 working as an analyst for ESPN. He is the king of the quick fix, turning also-rans into overnight contenders in San Francisco and with the Cubs. He isn’t arriving alongside a Barry Bonds, as he did when the Giants made a 31-game improvement in 1993, but Cincinnati has a number of intriguing prospects ready to plug in (Jay Bruce, Joey Votto, Edinson Volquez and Johnny Cueto) and a huge midseason bargaining chip in Adam Dunn.
