Voting among Detroit BBWAA members was close, with one vote separating Verlander -- who received nine out of 22 possible first-place selections -- from second baseman Ian Kinsler. Miguel Cabrera received four first-place votes, while rookie pitcher Michael Fulmer received one.
In the end, what Verlander meant to the Tigers' fortunes in his 34 starts was that important, going well beyond his 16-9 record. From July 1 on, Verlander allowed three runs or fewer in 17 of his final 18 starts, going 9-3 with a 1.98 ERA and 81 hits allowed over 123 innings.