There is a strange ritual I have followed for the three Octobers I have been a student at Iowa State.

On the first day of the Major League playoffs, I skip my afternoon classes and watch baseball. Each year, I have ordered some kind of fast food and spent the afternoon on my couch. Sadly, it’s one of the highlights of my semester.

With the postseason in progress, that means the MVP and Cy Young awards will be given out soon. Unfortunately, I do not have an official vote in these matters, but here is how the awards should shake out, provided the rest of the voters apply the same common sense and insight that I have.

All jokes aside, here are my winners.

American League MVP: Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees.

This race has come down to Yankees superstar third baseman A-Rod and Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz. Although the two-player hype is fun to watch, there is a clear-cut winner.

Rodriguez has more runs, hits, home runs and a better batting average than Ortiz. He also adds something to his team that Big Papi doesn’t – his glove. Rodriguez is on the field all game while Ortiz sits in the dugout and, well, sits. Ortiz is the greatest defensive liability in baseball and will never see a position in the field as long as he stays in the AL.

National League MVP: Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals.

Pujols doesn’t lead the National League in any of the major offensive categories, but he has done more for his team than any other player. In a loaded Cardinal lineup, Pujols was the only consistent performer. Scott Rolen missed almost the entire season with an injury and Larry Walker, Reggie Sanders and Mark Grudzielanek all spent significant time on the disabled list.

It was Pujols who led the Cardinals to the best record in baseball and put them in position for a return trip to the World Series. Andruw Jones’ 51 home runs are impressive, but his .263 batting average destroys his case.

American League Cy Young winner: Johan Santana, Minnesota Twins.

If his Twins team had any offense, Santana would have won at least 20 games. Three times Santana gave up one run over at least seven innings and still did not get enough run support to pick up a victory. Twice he gave up two runs and picked up the loss, getting no run support from a Twins team that ranked last offensively in the AL.

Santana has 27 more strikeouts than second place Randy Johnson and his 2.86 ERA is second in the American League, just .01 behind Cleveland’s Kevin Millwood. Eight times Santana had 10 or more strikeouts in a game, the most in the majors.

National League Cy Young winner: Chris Carpenter, St. Louis Cardinals.

Carpenter compiled a 21-5 record for the Cardinals, anchoring a rotation that had some issues down the stretch. He threw seven complete games and four shutouts, while leading the National League in strikeouts.

So there you have it. Anyone who doesn’t vote this way are fools and should have their voting privileges revoked. Allowing me to vote in their place, of course.

– Grant Wall is a junior in journalism and mass communication from Fort Dodge. He is the sports editor of the Daily.