I think it would come into play as more of a tiebreaker between a couple nearly identical candidates. For instance if Wang and Scott Kazmir had nearly identical stats, it would probably go to Wang for being on a winning team. Whereas it's more of a qualification or prerequisite for an MVP candidate.

For instance if Wang and Scott Kazmir had nearly identical stats, it would probably go to Wang for being on a winning team.

In the sense that he'd probably just plain have more wins because of that, sure. But I'm unconvinced that it would matter if they were both 19-8 or something. I'd be more likely to believe that it would work in the opposite direction.

I meant identical stats including record, and I still stick to my opinion that in such a case they'd go with the guy from the playoff team.

The Sox did the minimum they needed. So did the Yanks, wrt to the Wild Card. I think both races look over. Ah, well. The last two weeks would have been more fun if either team had swept - the division race if the Yanks swept and the wild card race if the Sox had swept. As it is, we'll simply get to see these two in the playoffs. Kudos to them, though, for not playing for four hours again.

re: Cy Young - there is a bonus many voters insert for being on a playoff team. However, there can also be a reverse bonus for being on a truly lousy team; the "poor guy, he could have won 20 if he wasn't on the Pirates" vote; and after all, ithis does at elast have some common sense to it, as it's hard to rack up the "W"s on a cellar-dwellar. So, if you wind up on a non-playoff team with 83 wins, you're hosed. You don't the clutch vote OR the sob story vote.