Tim Hudson says "PUT ME ON THE CADILLAC BOARD!"

Tim Hudson won today for the Braves... making him 7-2 in games after a Braves loss. Sounds like a losing streak stopper to me.

He won his 15th game today... sounds like a #1 starter to me.

He struck 13 while only walking 1 and letting up 1 run over 7 innings today... sounds like a stud to me.

His 2.24 ERA puts him at #3 in the league...and he ranks high in wins, WHIP and batting average against, all while doing it for a first place club.

Sounds like a Cy Young contender to me!

If Ubaldo Jimenez, Roy Halladay, Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter don't look out, this could be Hudson's Cy Young this year.

He does not need to PUT THE COFFEE DOWN!

Is THAT anyway to try and win a Cy Young Award?

Seriously, Josh Johnson... it wasn't that long ago that you were a trendy Cy Young front runner choice. And going into today's game against a recently swept Reds team, you had a 1.97 ERA, best among big league starters.

But with Adam Wainwright on your tail in the ERA lead, it was critical to post a good win against Cincy.

3 2/3 innings, 10 hits and 6 earned runs later, your ERA is all the way up to 2.27, giving Wainwright the league lead in wins, ERA and WHIP.

Now Johnson is only a trendy pick for the Cy Young in the Johnson household.

In fact, Braves star Tim Hudson may have leap frogged Johnson among Cy Young contenders.

Dust yourself off Josh and get back in it... the most intriguing Cy Young race I have ever seen continues.

Taking stock of the first 1/2 of the season

Back on May 31st, I took a look at the approximate 1/3 point of the season... took a look at who the playoff teams were and the front runners for the post season awards and a few other observations.

It seems like the 1/3 point of the season is absurdly early to evaluate how teams will pan out... but looking over what I wrote, a lot of the same names are the same.

It is interesting that Edwin Jackson was in the running for Biggest Bust in the NL... and when the year is over he very well might be a bust. But he added a no hitter to his resume.

So let's look at where we stand as we are about to embark in the second half of the 2010 season and compare them to the results at the 1/3 mark.

If the playoffs started today...

AL East Champion New York Yankees
Would have home field advantage over
AL Central Champion White Sox

AL West Champion Texas Rangers
Would have home field advantage over
AL Wild Card Tampa Bay Rays

(The Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers would be within 3 games of a playoff spot.)

NL East Champion Atlanta Braves
Would have home field advantage over the Winner of a
Wild Card Tie Breaker Between
Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Dodgers

NL West Champion San Diego Padres
Would have home field advantage over
NL Central Champion Cincinnati Reds

(At the 1/3 Mark, The Rays had home field over Oakland, the Twins had home field over the Yankees. The Cardinals had home field over the Braves while the Padres still had home field over the Reds)

AL MVP:
JOSH HAMILTON, Rangers
The batting and hits leader is also in the top 4 of OPS, slugging, RBI and home runs. He is a potential triple crown threat.

In the running:
MIGUEL CABRERA, Tigers. JUSTIN MORNEAU, Twins. ROBINSON CANO, Yankees. KEVIN YOUKILIS, Red Sox.

(At the 1/3 mark I had Miguel Cabrera as the MVP.)

NL MVP:
JOEY VOTTO, Reds
The top OPS and home run man in the league, he is also among the league leaders in RBI and is batting .314. Also has led the Reds to a surprising first place position. People know him now after his initial All Star snub.

In the running:
ALBERT PUJOLS, Cardinals. DAVID WRIGHT, Mets. ANDRE ETHIER, Dodgers. ADRIAN GONZALEZ, Padres. RAFAEL FURCAL, Dodgers.

(At the 1/3 mark I had Albert Pujols as the MVP.)

AL CY YOUNG:
DAVID PRICE, Rays
Leads the league in ERA and wins and has the Rays back on track for a trip to October.

In the running:
JON LESTER, Red Sox. CC SABATHIA, Yankees. CLIFF LEE, Mariners/Rangers. FELIX HERNANDEZ, Mariners.

(At the 1/3 mark I had Jon Lester as the Cy Young.)

NL CY YOUNG:

UBALDO JIMENEZ, Rockies

Sure his numbers are not as superhuman as they were a few months ago. But his 15-1 record, 2.20 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and .198 BAA (second in the league) are all eye popping, especially when you consider where his home park is.

In the running:

JOSH JOHNSON, Marlins. ADAM WAINWRIGHT, Cardinals. ROY HALLADAY, Phillies. TIM LINCECUM, Giants.

(At the 1/3 mark I had Ubaldo Jimenez as the Cy Young.)

AL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR:
BRENNAN BOESCH, Tigers
Has helped the Tigers to be in or around first place with a .342 average, 12 homers and an OPS of .990.

In the running:

NEFTALI FELIZ, Rangers. AUSTIN JACKSON, Tigers. MITCH TALBOT, Indians. JOHN JASO, Blue Jays.

(At the 1/3 mark I had Mitch Talbot as the AL Rookie of the Year.)

NL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR:
JAMIE GARCIA, Cardinals
He has put up solid stats including an 8-4 record, a 2.10 ERA and will give the Cardinals about 200 innings when all is said and done.

In the running:
STEPHEN STRASBURG, Nationals. BUSTER POSEY, Giants. GABY SANCHEZ, Marlins. IKE DAVIS, Mets. JASON HEYWARD, Braves.

(At the 1/3 mark I had Jason Heyward as the Rookie of the Year.)

AL MANAGER OF THE YEAR:
OZZIE GUILLEN, White Sox
The White Sox were 8 games under .500 and heading towards a lost season. Guillen stayed focused and next thing you know, the White Sox are in first at the All Star Break and has a pitching staff that can absorb the loss of Jake Peavy.

In the running:
RON WASHINGTON, Rangers. TERRY FRANCONA, Red Sox. JOE MADDON, Rays. JIM LEYLAND, Tigers. MIKE SCIOSCIA, Angels.

(At the 1/3 mark I had Joe Maddon as the Manager of the Year.)

NL MANAGER OF THE YEAR:
DUSTY BAKER, Reds
The Reds were supposed to be also rans who were going to fade in June. Instead they are in first place at the All Star Break and just need to outpace St. Louis in a two team race.

In the running:
BOBBY COX, Braves. JIM TRACY, Rockies. BUD BLACK, Padres.

(At the 1/3 mark I had Dusty Baker as the Manager of the Year.)

AL COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR

VLADIMIR GUERRERO, Rangers
Think the Angels could use his bat right around now? He's batting .319 with 20 homers and 75 RBI for you old school baseball followers. He's posting a .919 OPS for you new school kids. And is forming a dynamic 1-2 punch with Josh Hamilton in Arlington.

In the running:
VERNON WELLS, Blue Jays. ALEX RIOS, White Sox. TY WIGGINTON, Orioles.

(At the 1/3 mark I had Vernon Wells as the Comeback Player of the Year.)

NL COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR
TIM HUDSON, Braves
He spent most of 2009 recovering from Tommy John surgery and having people wonder if the one time ace of the A's was done. Instead he became an All Star with a 9-4 record at the break, a 2.30 ERA and a 61/43 strikeout to walk ratio.

In the running:
SCOTT ROLEN, Reds. LIVAN HERNANDEZ, Nationals. CARLOS SILVA, Cubs. BARRY ZITO, Giants.

BIGGEST BUST IN THE AL:
MILTON BRADLEY, Mariners
When the Mariners brought in Cliff Lee to be a 1-2 punch for the pennant with King Felix, someone thought that Bradley would somehow be the center piece to the offense. He's been nothing short of a PR disaster, had to leave the team and his OPS is 1/3 lower than it was in 2008, his lone full season of note.

In the running:
JOSH BECKETT, Red Sox. JOBA CHAMBERLAIN, Yankees. CHONE FIGGINS, Mariners.

(At the 1/3 mark I had Josh Beckett as the biggest bust in the AL)

BIGGEST BUST IN THE NL
CARLOS ZAMBRANO, Cubs
The nominal ace of the Cubs had to get his head straight as a middle reliever. Then his dugout tirade made him suspended from the club. The Cubs would deal him for a flat can of Diet 7 Up.

In the running:
AKI IWAMURA, Pirates. ARAMIS RAMIREZ, Cubs. MARK DeROSA, Giants.


So let's start the second half up...
And I'll check in around Labor Day. Hopefully there will be more Red Sox in these categories (except Biggest Bust.)

Get Your Red Hot Roy Oswalts Here!

Roy Oswalt's complete game 2 hitter last night should have been the greatest audition for a pennant contender you can ever have.

Prediction #8 of my 40 Fearless Predictions was that Oswalt would be pitching in the World Series for another ballclub.

To me, there is no reason for that prediction to NOT come true.

"But Sully" you exclaim, "The Astros are only 4 games out."

Come on. Is there anyone on this Earth who thinks this Astros team is going to leap frog the Cubs, Reds, Cardinals and Brewers and make the post season.

And before you say "But the Rockies did it in 2007!" remember that was a huge fluke and that team was filled with young over achievers.

This Astros team is not a young team. Besides Bourn and Pence, the entire lineup consists of veterans 33 years or older. Read today's CNNSI about the perils of being 33 years old.

Oswalt is 31 years old and has given the Astros 8 1/2 wonderful seasons. But he's had an up and down season. The fact that he had last night's masterpiece yet still has a .500 record and an ERA north of 4.00 shows that.

Aces are wonderful but they can also breakdown and become damaged goods before you can say "Brandon Webb."

Oswalt could be the most valuable commodity on the trade market. Almost every team in the pennant race (with the exception of the Red Sox and Giants) are looking for another starting pitcher.

Cliff Lee is out there... and then who? It looks like the Red Sox are holding onto Brad Penny. And if the Mariners continue to contend, Jarrod Washburn won't be available. Jake Peavy is hurt (should have made the deal in the off season, Padres!)

Who else? 

Think the Phillies or Mets wouldn't offer up some valuable prospects for a pitcher of Oswalt's talents?

Add Oswalt to Detroit's rotation and they might be one of the teams to beat in October. 

The Angels could use another arm to put them over the top.

And there are always the Yankees.

The Astros need to put some newer and younger bodies in the line up and on the roster and they are sitting on potentially the most valuable trade chip in baseball.

Or you can sit on him and wait for Oswalt to turn 33 on your watch.

It's your call.