My official ballot this year was for the NL Manager of the Year, which I filed a few days ago once it became clear that my choices weren't likely to change. Since I didn't have a ballot for any of the six player awards, I can talk freely about how I would have voted for each of them.
AL MVP
1. Josh Hamilton
2. Evan Longoria
3. Jose Bautista
4. Miguel Cabrera
5. Robinson Cano
6. Felix Hernandez
7. Shin-Soo Choo
8. Adrian Beltre
9. Cliff Lee
10. Joe Mauer
Hamilton's season ended early, and that's the only reason there's any debate about who should win this award, but he was so productive in his 132 games that no one else could quite catch up to him even with more bulk playing time. I could see reasonable arguments for the next three names, although I can't say I've heard any real sentiment for Longoria, who is only the best player on the team with the best record in the AL, usually a recipe for an MVP candidacy. I thought Buster Olney made a good point about the various defensive numbers, including UZR (ultimate zone rating), which go into WAR (wins above replacement) and any other stats that attempt to roll offense and defense together: Those defensive numbers are great because they help measure something that previously went unmeasured, but their accuracy is not that of the comparable offensive statistics. I used FanGraphs' WAR figures when putting together these ballots, but with an eye on the components, not just the raw totals, so I could mentally adjust them (slightly) where appropriate.
