"No matter how increasingly impressive Justin Verlander became this season, some baseball observers insisted that a starting pitcher shouldn't be eligible for the MVP Award.

They pointed out that the Cy Young Award is for pitchers and that the MVP is for hitters.

These folks have gotten their way lately. No starting pitcher has won the MVP in 25 years, since Boston's Roger Clemens for his 24-4 season in 1986. The only pitcher to come close to the MVP since then is Boston's Pedro Martinez in '99.

Since Martinez in '99, starting pitchers in both leagues have received a grand total of one first-place vote for MVP. It went to Minnesota's Johan Santana in 2006."