Buster Posey continues adding hardware to his mantle with just two full years of playing Major League baseball under his belt. Not only did he capture the NL Batting Title, but he was awarded with the NL Comeback Player of the Year award. Oh, and he won his second World Series in three seasons. To put a cap on his successful 2012 season, he became the first National League catcher to be named MVP since Johnny Bench in 1972. His stats tell the entire story; he hit .336/.408/.549 with 24 homers and 103 RBI. Not only did he do that while playing the most demanding position on the baseball diamond, but he also plays half his games in one of the worst offensive ballparks in the game. Posey was the most consistent source of offense for the Giants in 2012, as Bruce Bochy had to endure Pablo Sandoval being injured and the Melky Cabrera suspension.

He is well-deserving of the award, as he captured 27 of 32 first-place votes, ending up with 422 points, edging out 2011 MVP Ryan Braun, who finished with 285 points. Andrew McCutchen, Yadier Molina, and Chase Headley rounded out the top-five for the Senior Circuit.

Although I’m not surprised that Miguel Cabrera beat out Mike Trout for the AL MVP, I’m a little surprised at how lopsided the voting was. In every discussion leading up to this announcement, it seemed as if these two would be neck and neck, but Miggy came away with 22 of 28 first-place votes, totaling 362 points. Trout received the other 6 first-place votes, finishing with 281 points. Adrian Beltre, Robinson Cano, and Josh Hamilton rounded out the top-five.

Again, the statistics speak louder than any words could for Cabrera; he hit .330/.393/.606 with 44 homers and 139 RBI, winning the Triple Crown for the first time since 1967. What made me give my vote to him was that without him being in the lineup every day for the Tigers, they wouldn’t have made the postseason. His presence on a daily basis is what helped Detroit overtake the White Sox in the final weeks of the season. With or without Trout, the Angels still would have been golfing in October, albeit they would have been a lot worse. So, there really is no debate in my eyes, and congrats to both Cabrera and Posey for earning such a tremendous honor.

So, there you have it, I went 6-for-8 this week in choosing the awards, getting only the AL Manager of the Year and AL Cy Young wrong. I’ll take it! Now, we’re only a couple weeks away from the Winter Meetings starting on December 3rd, so let that Hot Stove continue to heat up!