The MLB regular season is reaching its conclusion. The MLB Awards honor the players who have dominated all year in their respective leagues. Here are our picks for some of the most prestigious awards in the sport.
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(Runner-up: Shohei Ohtani)
PCA has electrified the Cubs and Wrigley Field all year, but especially over the last few months. The young superstar has a chance to become the seventh player to ever go for 40 homers and 40 steals in a season. He is already at the home run mark, and it seems like the only thing stopping him from getting to 40 steals is the fact that he is hitting so many home runs. He is also approaching rare air in terms of single-season BWAR totals.
(Runner-up: Junior Caminero)
We had wondered what a full, healthy season from Alvarez would look like. It looks like the first primary DH, not named Shohei Ohtani, to win MVP. Alvarez is chasing the triple crown in the American League, and would be the first to do that since Miguel Cabrera in 2012. He currently leads the AL in walks, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging, OPS, and total bases. A special hitter in every facet.
(Runner-up: Chris Sale)
This race became closer down the stretch than it was at one point, partially due to Misiorowski being on an innings limit, partially due to a late-season surge of Chris Sale. It is hard to deny, though, the impact that Misiorowski has had on the Milwaukee Brewers and the league as a whole. His numbers speak for themselves, leading the league in the most important pitching stats: ERA, WHIP, strikeouts, and FIP. This is all not to mention that he sports perhaps the most dominant pitch in the game, a fastball that can get up to 105mph. That electric pitch has allowed him to have a truly special season on the mound.
(Runner-up: Dylan Cease)
The AL Cy Young race did the opposite of the NL. It was incredibly close between Schlittler and Cease up until the last couple of weeks, when Schlittler has dominated while Cease has faltered. Schlittler is the AL ERA and WHIP leader and has anchored a very good Yankees starting rotation all year. One of his best starts came just a couple of weeks ago, when he went eight innings while only allowing a single earned run. That was in the midst of five straight winning starts.
(Runner-up: TJ Rumfield)
Sal Stewart has been the most consistent force in the Reds lineup all year as a rookie. He has hit for power with 31 home runs, but perhaps more importantly, he drives in runs. Stewart has 108 RBI, which is right near the top of the league leaderboard. That type of run production, especially for a rookie, is impressive. It means that Stewart comes up big in the important moments, and he always knows the situation.
(Runner-up: Tristan Peters)
McGonigle, in his rookie season, leads the American League in BWAR. This is a leaderboard that includes household names like Yordan Alvarez, Bobby Witt Jr., and Junior Caminero. Yet, McGonigle sits above them all. His very good bat paired with elite defense in the infield makes him a player who is a budding star in this league. Don’t be surprised if he is mentioned in the same breath as Witt Jr. in the future; maybe he should be already.
(Runner-up: Jhoan Duran)
Miller’s nickname is fitting, as The Reaper has terrorized opposing batters all season. Between his triple-digit fastball and his wipeout slider, it is common to see some of baseball’s best hitters look like they’re guessing when facing Miller. He sits at the back end of what can be argued as the league’s best bullpen. Padres fans have supreme confidence if they get a lead, knowing that Miller awaits an opposing lineup whenever they are down a couple of runs.
(Runner-up: Bryan Baker)
A lot of the time, Reliever of the Year awards go to the pitcher with the most saves. I wouldn’t be surprised if the current AL saves leader, Bryan Baker, won it. I believe, however, that Louis Varland has a more impressive collection of stats and overall a more dominant year than Baker. He doesn’t have the same save total, as he currently trails Baker by six, but that can almost entirely be attributed to the Blue Jays being in fewer winning scenarios. Varland leads qualified AL relievers in ERA and FIP. The most impressive stat to me is that he has allowed two home runs in his 76 innings this season. A reliever who doesn’t give up the long ball gives you a lot of confidence in tight moments.
(Runner-up: Walt Weiss)
If Pat Murphy does not win Manager of the Year in the NL again, I would attribute it largely to voter fatigue. Once again, he took a team that was expected to be good, not great, to a fourth-straight division championship, and likely a top-two seed in the playoffs. If you still have any doubts, watch the end of their game against the Cubs on September 8. His encouragement of rookie Luis Lara before Lara hit a walkoff single is what every team looks for in a leader.
(Runner-up: Chad Tracy)
The Rays and Brewers have very similar formulas, and they have had very similar seasons. They both were expected to be decent teams in tough divisions. Yet, ad they both rallied to incredible seasons where they are favorites to make deep postseason runs. It would make sense then that Cash would be a great pick for Manager of the Year. He has gotten a lot out of his squad, which is a great mixture of young, somewhat unproven players and veterans of the game.
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