Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia celebrates with teammate Kevin Youkilis, right, after Pedroia hit a home run in the first inning of Game Seven of the ALCS against the Rays.

The Providence Journal / Glenn Osmundson

At 2 p.m. today the American League Most Valuable Player Award will be announced.

To save everyone the trouble of waiting, let’s just say who it’s going to be right now.

Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia will be named MVP. It’s not like we have some inside information to prematurely make the announcement, it’s just so obvious he is the league’s most valuable.

Whether the voters from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America select Pedroia as the A.L. MVP, he had an MVP-like season. If he did not produce in such a manner, the Red Sox do not have the success they enjoyed and the club does not reach the playoffs.

That’s how you should judge the MVP.

And if it was judged right, then Pedroia will earn yet another accolade to his already impressive resumé in only his second major-league season.

He won the 2007 Rookie of the Year Award and was a key contributor for the Red Sox during their run to the World Series championship. Following the 2008 season, in which he did not suffer from the proverbial “sophomore slump” he earned the Gold Glove for second baseman and earned a Silver Slugger Award.

There’s one more to go. He’s earned it.

Pedroia certainly isn’t alone among the league’s elite players. Others in the MVP running include: teammate Kevin Youkilis, Minnesota’s Justin Morneau, the Angels’ Francisco Rodriguez, the Rangers’ Josh Hamilton and the White Sox’ Carlos Quentin.

Yesterday afternoon, the National League MVP was awarded to the Cardinals’ Albert Pujols, who beat out the Phillies’ Ryan Howard with a total of 369 points to 308.

Pujols, 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, played in 148 games and posted an astonishing .357 average, which was second in the league behind the Braves’ Chipper Jones (.364). Pujols finished fourth in RBI (116), third in hits (187) and first in slugging percentage (.653).

Pedroia, 5-foot-8, 180 pounds, played 157 games and recorded a .326 average, which was only two points lower than league leader, the Twins’ Joe Mauer (.328). Pedroia finished first in runs (118), tied for first in hits with the Mariners’ Ichiro Suzuki with 213. Pedroia led the league with 54 doubles.

In fact, he is only the seventh player in history to lead the A.L. in runs, hits and doubles in the same season, joining the likes of Nap Lajoie, Ty Cobb, Charlie Gehringer, Red Rolfe, Tony Oliva and Cal Ripken.

Pedroia also had 17 homers, 83 RBI and 20 stolen bases.

He’s a unique player, one who plays the game right every single day. He wants to win and because of that the Red Sox do win. He’s a good hitter who becomes a great hitter in big situations. He’s a good base runner who becomes very good in key spots.

Defensively, there aren’t many balls that get by him. Actually, he’s probably helped the Red Sox win more games with his glove than his bat.

Pedroia is the all-around player. He just simply knows how to get the job done. Sure he has a chip on his shoulder, but he wouldn’t be successful if he didn’t given his stature.

“It’s hard for some people to get past his physique,” said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. “He’s one of the best players in the game. Some people can’t get by the fact that he’s not 6-foot-3. Thankfully our scouts did. He’s an impact player. If you judge a guy by his size or physique, then you’re missing out on a great player.”

The fact that Pedroia has put together incredible back-to-back seasons in only his first two years in the big leagues makes for one heck of an off-season discussion simply because there aren’t too many players in history to accomplish the feat.

The best part about Pedroia’s career is that it’s only just beginning. He’s only going to get better — barring injury — and he will have another season like he had in 2008.

At 2 this afternoon Dustin Pedroia will be named MVP.

jmcdonal@projo.com