Pedroia said after winning the award last year that he would have preferred winning the World Series. Though he and the Red Sox fell short of that goal, this year, he has another chance.
The scrappy second baseman heated up with the weather this summer, capping off a stretch in July and August in which he batted .319 with 23 RBIs. Heading into July, he had just two home runs, but he picked up the pace with three long balls in July and five more in August.
And if history is any indication, he's only going to get better.
Last September, Pedroia batted .326 with two homers and 15 RBIs, and struck out just five times in 108 plate appearances. The previous year, Pedroia capped off his rookie season with a .302 month of September before posting a .348 on-base percentage and driving in 10 runs in the Red Sox' World Series run.
He went 0-for-4 in the series opener against the Rays on Tuesday night, but Pedroia should be a major contributor for the Red Sox down the stretch and remind everyone why he won that MVP trophy.