With the MLB’s regular season complete, the focus not only shifts towards the postseason, but also to the year’s potential MLB Award winners. Let’s take a look at how some of the races are shaping up.
MVP
American League: Shohei Ohtani
As the new Babe Ruth of baseball, Shohei Ohtani is the clear favorite to win MVP of the American League. The Los Angeles Angels all-star ranked third in home runs (46), sixth in stolen bases (26), and pitched to a 3.18 ERA and struck out 156 batters.
National League: Bryce Harper
Bryce Harper’s second half of the season has made him the front-runner for MVP of the National League.. The Philadelphia Phillies slugger posted a batting average of .309 with 35 home runs and 84 RBI.
Cy Young
American League: Robbie Ray
The American League Cy Young seemed to be headed for Yankees’ Gerrit Cole’s until Robbie Ray overtook him late in the season. The Toronto Blue Jays left-hander led the American League with a 2.84 ERA with 248 strikeouts.
National League: Walker Buehler
Even before the Los Angeles Dodgers traded for Max Scherzer, Walker Buehler had taken over as the Dodger’s ace and is well-deserving of the National League Cy Young. Buehler pitched to a 2.47 ERA, which is ranked fourth in the league.
Rookie of The Year
American League: Randy Arozarena
The American League Rookie of The Year was between Rays teammates Randy Arozarena and Wander Franco, but since Arozarena was up all season and Franco was a mid-season callup, the edge goes to Arozarena. In 141 games, the Tampa Bay outfielder finished with a .274 batting average, 20 home runs, 69 RBI, and 20 steals.
National League: Jonathan India
Until Miami Marlins pitcher Trevor Rogers had to miss August due to personal reasons, he seemed the favorite to win the award, but now Jonathan India is the easy call. In 150 games, the Cincinnati Reds rookie second basemen had a .269 batting average with 21 home runs and 69 RBI.
Some WJPS staff members made their predictions.
“The AL MVP is Shohei Ohtani and the NL MVP is Juan Soto. The AL Cy Young is Robbie Ray and the NL Cy Young is Zach Wheeler. The AL Rookie of The Year is Randy Arozarena and the NL Rookie of The Year is Jonathan India. I ended up picking these players because all their numbers are insane,” said Mr. Maroney, a physical education teacher at WJPS.
“The AL MVP is Shohei Ohtani and the NL MVP is Juan Soto. The AL Cy Young is Gerrit Cole and the NL Cy Young is Walker Buehler. The AL Rookie of The Year is Randy Arozarena and the NL Rookie of The Year is Jazz Chisholm. I predict these players will win,” said Mr. Reff, a Spanish teacher at WJPS.
The awards winners will be announced following the conclusion of the World Series.
Photo: “Cool MLB logo engraving on the visitor’s dugout” by rburtzel is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
