2021 NL King Cobra Wildcard MVP: Miami v. Cleveland

Leon Sanchez, DH, Miami

You probably know Sanchez best from being a disappointment. But he had a fantastic Wild Card round, going .500/2/5 in the 3 game series. In Miami's Game 1 win, he went 4-6 with a run and 2 RBI; in the Game 2 loss he hit a 2 run HR; and in the Game 3 win he started the scoring with a solo homer in the first.

2021 AL King Cobra Wildcard MVP: Denver v. Washington

...Aurelio Garza, 2B, Denver.

One of the more famous players in today's EWB, Garza hit a decent .286/0/3 in the 2-1 series win over the Admirals. After going 0-4 in the Game 1 loss, he was a solid contributor in both Games 2 and 3, and Denver won both.

Really, though, he won this award with the final at bat of the series. In the bottom of the 9th, with the Admirals winning 2-1 and their closer Carmelo Moran on the mound, Garza came up to bat with 2 outs and the bases loaded: tying run on third, go-ahead run on 2nd. Facing an 0-1 count, he slashed a ground ball between third and short and the game was tied. Painfully slow Andy "Frogger" Smith was the runner on 2nd who was signaled to stop by the third base coach, but Smith ran through the sign to go against the weak arm of LF Jesus Llesemia. Llesemia's throw was a bit high and Smith slid into the plate, scoring Sid Bream-style to advance to the next round. Garza was the instant hero.

2020 World Series MVP: St. Louis v. Los Angeles

The 2020 Stroh's World Series MVP Award goes to....

1B LARRY COLLINS, STL. Round of Applause!

Many knowledgeable fans consider Collins to be the best pure hitter in the game, however, he's always lacked the star appeal of his peers in the game. William Walker, Kenny Dukes, Desmond Irvin, and others have alway exuded a panache that Collins can't seem to match. Until now. St. Louis dropped the first two games of the NLCS to El Paso, after that Collins took the team on his shoulders and won 8 of the next 9 to bring home the first World Series since 1973 to St. Louis! In the World Series he posted a .353/.542!/.706 line with 2 HR and 4 RBI. Larry, take these Stroh's home with you this offseason, you earned an ice cold winter.

2020 NLCS MVP: St. Louis v. El Paso

The 2020 Stroh's NLCS MVP Award goes to....

1B LARRY COLLINS, STL. Round of Applause!

In the 6 game series against El Paso Collins collected at least one hit in every game but the 6th. The MVP was won though in Game 4 when St. Louis pulled out a tough 11-10 victory and tied the series 2-2. Collins would go 2-2, 4 runs, 5 RBI, 3 BB, and 2 HRs to win the Player of the Game. Collins's 3 run HR in the bottom of the 7th propelled St. Louis from down 8-10 to up 11-10 which it would remain until the end. In total he posted a .368/.538/.737 line with 2 HR/5 RBI for the series.

2020 ALCS MVP: Los Angeles v. New York

The 2020 Stroh's ALCS MVP Award goes to....

SP DAVE "THE SCOT" BROWN, LA. Round of Applause!

LA's defeat of the other mega market team, NY, was led in part by SP Dave Brown who started Games 3 and 7. The series was not particularly great for any individual on either team and Brown, while very good, wins the MVP mostly by default. In Game 3 he pitched 6.1 IP and allowed 2 runs keeping LA in the game, tied 2-2. LA would later go on to lose the game 6-2 after NY's Ben Tomlinson hit a 9th inning Grand Slam. Brown really took home the MVP with his clutch Game 7 performance. Brown went 7.0 IP and gave up only 2 runs on 5 hits to help ensure that LA would win the game 3-2. He was awarded the Player of the Game and consequently the Stroh's MVP.

2020 NLDS MVP: El Paso v. Miami

The 2020 Stroh's NLDS MVP Award goes to....

SP RAUL CABRERA, ELP. Round of Applause.

Only one game in this 4-2 series victory for El Paso was decided by more than 2 runs, Game 6. The story of the series was close games with uncharacteristically low offensive output from Miami. El Paso's success was largely on the back of SP Raul Cabrera who started 2 games, won both games, and won 2 Player of the Games. In Game 2 Cabrera went 8 IP and only gave up 4 hits and 2 runs to secure a 3-2 victory over Miami. He took the mound again in a crucial Game 5 with the series tied 2-2, a true make or break game for each team. Cabrera again went 8 IP with only 2 ER before he handed the ball over to ace closer, Cisco Rodriguez. 2020 postseason was a real coup for the 26 year old Venezuelan who is only in his second year.

2020 NLDS MVP: St. Louis v. Atlanta

The 2020 Stroh's NLDS MVP Award goes to....

2B TONY FRENCH, STL. Round of Applause!

Perhaps some may be surprised that one of the three 1B sluggers that St. Louis plays did not win this award despite having success in the Atlanta series. Yet, St. Louis' real star was scoring machine Tony French who not only scored at least once in all 5 games but often had crucial tying runs. In addition to going 2-6 in Game 1, French hit a 2b in the top of the 9th to drive in a run and later be driven in to send the game to extra innings where St. Louis would win. Game 3 and French was on base for Larry Collins to tie the game up in the bottom of the 9th and send it into extra innings. Finally, in the clinching Game 5 French hit a 2 out triple in the bottom of the 9th. He would score and tie the game up on a Wild Pitch and St. Louis would go on to win it that inning. French showed a clutchness and mental toughness that only a Stroh's drinker could exhibit.

2020 ALDS MVP: New York v. Denver

The 2020 Stroh's ALDS MVP Award goes to....

2B JOAQUIN MANEGDEG, NY. Round of Applause!

Manegdeg is becoming a true NY icon and this playoff performance is helping cement that status. Manegdeg leads off for the Five Points and really set the tone starting Game 1. His 2-3 game with a double wasn't enough to top Denver though. Yet by Game 3 with the series tied 1-1, Manegdeg blew up by going 3-6 with a double, RBI, and a run, helping NY win 8-5. Denver would come back to tie the series and in a pivotal Game 5 Manegdeg went 5-6 in the leadoff spot! He would score 3 runs as well on his way to winning the Player of the Game. NY would topple Denver in the next game as well winning the series 4-2 and going off to face the other market titan, LA.

2020 ALDS MVP: Los Angeles v. Washington

The 2020 Stroh's ALDS MVP Award goes to....

CF CAL BAKER, LA. Round of Applause!

The Stroh's MVP, Cal Baker, had a total of 3 hits in this Mountain West matchup. He had a line of .176/.364/.529, 2 HR, 6 RBI. Many fans who might just peruse the summary statistics are probably shocked that Baker was able to claim the MVP. However, two of his three hits were likely the most important of the series. In Game 2, with Washington up 1-0 in the series, Baker drilled a Johnny Evans fastball 427 feet  for a 2-run HR in the top of the 1st. LA would never relinquish the lead and win 3-1. Finally, in Game 5 Baker hit a Grand Slam in the bottom of the 8th to propel LA to an 8-6 win and to seal the deal in the series 4-1. Baker's momentous HRs were the highlights of an otherwise pretty bleak and unexciting series. Stay thirsty for Stroh's, Cal!