You know what’s even crazier than a writer not even giving Yu Darvish a single vote for NL Cy Young? How about a writer giving Cubs reliever Ryan Tepera an MVP vote?!?!
No, this isn’t some joke or a headline from The Onion, Rick Hummel who’s a beat writer for the Cardinals in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch gave Ryan Tepera a 10th-place MVP vote.
Even for 2020 standards this is pretty damn outrageous.
Ryan Tepera got an MVP vote pic.twitter.com/VKuikKVAnh
— Jeremy Frank (@MLBRandomStats) November 12, 2020
Hmm, MVP standards have really lowered huh?
Tepera made 21 relief appearances in his first season with the Cubs, posting a 3.92 ERA in 20.2 innings. I mean, yeah, he had filthy stuff as he struck out 32 batters, but how on Earth did Tepera even get on Hummel’s radar for an MVP vote?
You can’t even joke and say that Hummel must have been impressed watching Tepera pitch against the Cardinals because in two games against St. Louis Tepera allowed two runs in 2.1 innings.
Meanwhile, Yu Darvish and Ian Happ also received a few MVP votes.
Yu Darvish received two 7th, 9th and 10th place votes in NL MVP. Ian Happ, the Cubs best offensive player in 2020 (along with Jason Heyward) but slumped in September, got a 10th place vote. And, uh, Ryan Tepera got a 10th place vote too!
— Sahadev Sharma (@sahadevsharma) November 13, 2020
Nice recognition for both, especially Darvish who also finished second in the NL Cy Young.
So, another landmark day in 2020. Ryan Tepera, MVP vote receiver!
Ryan Tepera's stuff is filthy 😷 pic.twitter.com/8xNCBlPRrl
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) August 18, 2020
