Dustin Pedroia. Scrappy, hardnosed, a true player and above all, pretty dang short. But does it matter anymore? Today the 24 (25?) year old Red Sox Second Baseman was named the Most Valuable Player in the American League, placing ahead of big names such as Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer, Carlos Quentin, Francisco Rodriguez and Alex Rodriguez.Its been a long road for the little guy. Drafted back in 2004 by the Red Sox, Pedroia was selected in the second round out of Arizona State University. When I take a look back at the horrid draft class that the Red Sox had that year, its a wonder the organization came through with a gem like Pedroia. The only players still in the farm system from that year's draft are: Andrew Dobies, Tommy Hottovy, Michael Rozier, Matt Goodson, Mike Jones, Mike James and Zak Farkes. Out of these players, only Mike Jones seems to have potential as a legitimate prospect: Last year he split a solid .800ish OPS between single-A and high-A as a 23 year old. The only other player from that draft who has seen the major leagues is Cla Meredith, a reliever in the San Diego Padres organization.
Pedroia has come a long way. Questioned both as a pick and for his talent, Pedroia had to constantly battle negativity harbored towards his size by managers, coaches, scouts and perhaps even fellow players. Not only did Pedroia meet his expectations as a second round pick but he exploded. After plowing through the Red Sox minor league system, he won the Rookie of the Year in 2007. "Pedey" only needed one more year to capture the glory of all individual awards - The American League MVP, 2008.
