Yankees 2017 MVP and the rest of their regular season awards

Winner: Brett Gardner

WAR: 4.5

To be a leader in the clubhouse, you have to be a leader on the field. Gardy might not be the best player on the team but he has been one its most consistent producers. His line of .265/.350/.424 is good but not great, although his 20 home runs and 23 doubles are very good.

However, Gardy also has four triples, tying the team lead (C. Frazier) and, most importantly, 573 at-bats. This Yankees team lost a lot of players to injury; Brett was not one of them.

All of that gives him a certain cache in that room. But what makes his the most important contribution is that he not only has the other 2009 ring but also that he is the longest tenured homegrown Yankees player.

The other players all credit him with being the one who now delivers the emotional attaboy speeches. He is also likely the first one to let a player know if he is not doing things the Yankee way.

Gardy has been telling the players they will soon be riding on his back, now and through the playoffs. And it is that kind of attitude that wins the Yankees’ 2017 Most Important Clubhouse Presence.

Finally, we finish with one of my favorite categories.