Ortiz, A-Rod Are Favorites for AL MVP

NEW YORK - The American League's Most Valuable Player Award will be named today and once again it looks like the Red Sox versus the Yankees.






The two leading contenders for the honor are Papi and A-Rod, designated hitter David Ortiz of the Red Sox and third baseman Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees.

Ortiz hit .300 with 47 home runs and a major league-leading 147 RBI, many of those coming in clutch, late-inning situations.

Rodriguez, who won an MVP two years ago with the Texas Rangers, turned in perhaps his best overall season, hitting .321 with 48 homers and 130 RBI.

One possible obstacle for Ortiz is the fact that no designated hitter has ever won the American League MVP.