Justin Verlander Wins AL MVP Award
BOSTON (CBS) - Detroit Tigers starter Justin Verlander has been named the 2011 American League MVP.
Verlander, who already won the AL Cy Young award, was dominant this year for Detroit. He won the pitching triple crown, finishing 24-5 with a 2.40 ERA and 250 strikeouts. He received 13 first place votes and was named on all but one ballot.
Also in consideration was Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury, who finished second in voting with four first place votes and 13 second place votes.
Read: The Voting Results
He congratulated Verlander on Twitter, shortly after the announcement Monday afternoon.
After an injury-plagued 2010, Ellsbury returned to have his best season as a major leaguer.
He led the team with 32 home runs, 46 doubles and 119 runs scored. Ellsbury drove in 105 runs and had 212 hits, second on the team behind only first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. He set career highs in nearly every statistical category this season.
Gonzalez finished seventh in the voting.
The last starting pitcher to win an MVP award was Roger Clemens in 1986 with the Red Sox.
