Sorry Derek, you are not the MVP

Derek Jeter is a great, clutch baseball player.

The sure-fire future Hall of Famer will soon become the Yankees all-time franchise hits leader, an impressive stat to say the least.

However, despite the Yanks running away with baseball's best record, Jeter is not the American League MVP for 2009 as some would suggest.

Barring a total collapse, anyone who doesn't vote for the Twins' Joe Mauer should have their voting privileges taken away.

Mauer is hitting a robust .367 entering play on Thursday and has 82 RBIs on a team not nearly as good as the one Jeter gets to play for.

Also (sorry New York fans) Mauer fields his position much better than Jeter and to post such incredible offensive numbers as a catcher is downright scary.

Without Jeter, the Yankees still win the East. Without Mauer, Minnesota is well below .500 and is playing September call-ups by now.