As we head into the dog days of summer, here are my predictions for the main MLB awards.
American League MVP: Mookie Betts, OF, Boston Red Sox
Currently, the American League MVP is a four-man race, and you can’t choose wrong. Mike Trout, Jose Ramirez, and J.D. Martinez are all having awesome seasons, but I think this award is Mookie Betts’ to lose. Yes, I know Betts missed over two weeks in June due to injury and has taken a massive hit in many offensive categories especially RBI, but he is still on par for 37 home runs and 30 stolen bases to go along with a league-leading .344 batting average. Though he bats leadoff in a relatively top-heavy lineup, I expect Betts to be top 10 in RBI and lead the league in runs scored before the season ends. Still, even though I give the slight nod to Betts, Trout, Ramirez, and Martinez are all neck-in-neck with the Boston outfielder.
National League MVP: Nolan Arenado, 3B, Colorado Rockies
Courtesy: sfexaminer.com
Even more so than in the American League, the National League MVP race is wide open. Guys like Freddie Freeman, Paul Goldschmidt, or Javier Baez may currently have the best odds, but I can count nearly ten players who have a shot. But, though it’s impossible to not credit some of his success to playing at the hitter-friendly Coors Field, I like Arenado’s chances the most. Yes, he’s played half his games a mile above sea level, but it’s hard to ignore how Arenado is top five in most major hitting categories. A league-leading 27 home runs translate to MVP caliber power at any stadium. The National League MVP race will undoubtedly come down to September, and in a sport where anybody can get hot in a hurry, it is truly any man’s to win.
American League Cy Young: Chris Sale, SP, Boston Red Sox
As of now, it comes down to Sale and the Astros’ Justin Verlander. Unlike the NL race, this will not come down to how many wins each respective pitcher has, as both talents play for two of the three best teams in the American League. While it’s truly impressive to see Verlander perform this well at an age when pitchers are well into their regression (35), I think Sale comes out on top. This is because he currently leads the league in WHIP, strikeouts, and ERA.
National League League Cy Young: Jacob deGrom, SP, New York Mets
This award shouldn’t come down to the intangibles. It’s not deGrom’s fault he plays for the Mets, and its flat-out funny that he easily leads the league with a staggering 1.82 ERA and sports a 5-6 record. Max Scherzer is second in the entire MLB in strikeouts, and Aaron Nola is having a breakout season, but the award is deGrom’s to lose, who might just be the first Cy Young winner with a losing record.
American League Rookie of the Year: Gleyber Torres, 2B, New York Yankees
Gleyber Torres: (photo, bronxbomberball.com)
In my opinion, this is an award that has less to do with innings pitched or at-bats, but instead simply performance. Maybe if Ohtani could pitch he’d be in contention for the ROY because of his two-way dominance, but I think Gleyber Torres comes out on top because he leads rookies with 15 home runs in the American League in a limited amount of playing time.
National League Rookie of the Year: Juan Soto, OF, Washington Nationals
I think Soto, aka the “Childish Bambino” , wins easily. Soto is a generational player for the Nats and will be the centerpiece of a potential rebuild. The teenage phenom continues to rise amongst the teenage home run leaders, recently passing Mickey Mantle with 13 home runs. Soto leads all rookies in virtually every offensive category and is well on his way to winning Rookie of the Year.
