Winners and full voting results for each league will be announced next week (Rookie of the Year on November 18, Manager of the Year on November 19, Cy Young (Pitcher of the Year) on November 20 and MVP (Most Valuable Player) on November 21).
As in every season, there is a lot of uncertainty in knowing who will be the winner of each individual trophy, however, this year some names are almost chosen due to their favoritism and what they left in the year.
For example, Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani They almost had their MVP awards tied up two months before the end of the campaign. Only a miracle would prevent both players from taking the Most Valuable award.
Judge hit 58 home runs with 144 RBIs and an astonishing 1.159 OPS for the New York Yankees, who are vying for their second MVP award in three years after leading the majors with 11.2 of the FWAR (Wins Above Replacement, that is, Victories Above the Replacement).
Meanwhile, Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals recorded his second consecutive 30-homer, 30-steal season and posted a 10.4 scare to help his team reach the playoffs after 106 losses in 2023. Juan Soto, whose Free agency will be the story of the offseason, he went deep 41 times, scoring 128 runs to go with a .419 on-base percentage, to be the third nominee of the prize.
For his part, Ohtani in the National achieved the milestone that allowed him to write another page with golden letters in the MLB.
The Japanese completed an unprecedented campaign of 54 home runs and 59 steals, and then won the World Series. He did it while taking a year off from pitching to recover from elbow surgery. Ohtani could become the second player in Major League history to win an MVP in each league.
Their main threat is Puerto Rican Francisco Lindor, who led the surprising New York Mets to a postseason berth thanks to his 33 home runs, 91 RBIs, 29 stolen bases and outstanding defense at short. Ketel Marte completes the group. The star second baseman recorded 36 round-trippers with a 151 wRC+ for the Arizona Rattlesnakes.
Pitchers of the year
Tarik Skubal is the favorite to win his first Cy Young after capturing the American League Triple Crown. The 27-year-old left-hander led the league in wins (18), ERA (2.39) and strikeouts (228). Seth Lugo is up for the award just two years after transitioning to starting from a reliever. He finished with the third-highest WAR among American League pitchers due to a 3.00 ERA and 1.09 WHIP. Finally, Dominican Emmanuel Clase is the first reliever to be a Cy Young finalist since Venezuelan Francisco Rodríguez in 2008. The Cleveland Guardians closer was the author of a microscopic ERA of 0.61 with 47 saves.
Chris Sale is positioned to take home the honor for the first time in his stellar 14-year career after capturing the NL Triple Crown by leading the league in wins (18), ERA (2.38) and strikeouts (225). His 6.4 fWAR was also the best in baseball for pitchers. Zack Wheeler of the Philadelphia Phillies compiled a 2.57 ERA with a 0.96 WHIP, the highest mark for qualified National League pitchers. Paul Skenes, who is also nominated for Rookie of the Year, is the fifth rookie to finish in the top three for Cy Young after bursting onto the scene with a 1.96 ERA and 11.5 K/9 (strikeouts per nine innings) in his age 22 season.
rookie of the year
Colton Cowser can make the Baltimore Orioles the first MLB team since 2016-17 to have back-to-back Rookie of the Year winners. The 24-year-old led first-year players in his league with 24 home runs and 4.0 fWAR. The emergence of Luis Gil stabilized New York’s rotation thanks to 15 wins, a 3.50 ERA and 10.2 K/9. Lastly, Austin Wells went deep 13 times with 55 RBI and 3.4 fWAR as the Yankees’ No. 1 catcher .
Skenes exceeded expectations in Year 1 after he was taken No. 1 in the 2023 draft. He started the All-Star Game and flirted with multiple no-hitters. However, the pitching phenom finished behind Jackson Merrill in WAR, as the 21-year-old San Diego Padres outfielder gained a reputation as a clucth player with the game on the line. He Venezuelan Jackson Chourio recorded a 20-home run, 20-steal season at age 20 for the NL Central-winning Milwaukee Brewers.
Manager of the Year
Stephen Vogt led the Guardians to the ALCS in his first year after taking over from manager Terry Francona. Cleveland won 92 games, which was the second-highest total in the American League, en route to securing a division crown. AJ Hinch led the Tigers to the postseason for the first time since 2014. Detroit’s memorable second-half run saw the club come within one win of the ALCS. Matt Quatraro helped the Royals surprise many by reaching the ALDS after a combined 203 losses from 2022-23. It certainly changed their faces.
In the National, everything looks Latin for the winner. He Venezuelan Carlos Mendoza He guided the Mets to 89 wins in his first appearance as a manager to help the Mets grow abysmally. Meanwhile, Pat Murphy overcame the loss of ace Corbin Burnes and All-Star closer Josh Harder to secure Milwaukee’s third division title in four years. Ultimately, Mike Shildt was responsible for the Padres earning 93 wins, which was the second-most in franchise history. San Diego also nearly knocked out the Dodgers in the NLDS.