The Baseball Writers of America have announced the finalists for their awards for the just completed baseball season, which will be announced next week. It is a good bet that few of my original predictions for the winners will be accurate. Hopefully, these new predictions will be slightly better, especially since I’ll have a 33% chance of being right.
American League
Most Valuable Player: Mookie Betts, Jose Ramirez, Mike Trout
Giancarlo Stanton was was my pre-season selection to win the award this year and, while he was productive, he didn’t pull away from the pack as he did last year for the Marlins. Mookie Betts should run away and hide with this award.
Cy Young Award: Corey Kluber, Blake Snell, Justin Verlander
A late season injury kept my pre-season pick of Chris Sale from competing for his first Cy Young award. My guess is that Blake Snell takes home the prize.
Manager of the Year: Alex Cora, Kevin Cash, Bob Melvin
Once again, I didn’t make any predictions for this award prior to the season. Alex Cora should be a shoo-in for the award, given the Red Sox performance in his rookie campaign as skipper.
Rookie of the Year: Miguel Andujar, Shohei Ohtani, Gleyber Torres
Another award I didn’t predict prior to the season. Despite losing time due to injury, Ohtani seems to be the odds-on favorite.
National League
Most Valuable Player: Nolan Arenado, Javier Baez, Christian Yelich
Despite being in his walk year, my preseason prediction of Bryce Harper did not pan out. Thanks to a strong September that helped push the Brewers to the NL Central title, Christian Yelich should get this one.
Cy Young Award: Jacob deGrom, Aaron Nola, Max Scherzer
My prediction of Clayton Kershaw missed some time again due to injury, so my selection is Jacob deGrom, despite his unimpressive record.
Manager of the Year: Bud Black, Craig Counsell, Brian Snitker
The Braves surprised many by spending most of the year with one of the better records in the National League, so I’m guessing Brian Snitker will be the choice.
Rookie of the Year: Ronald Acuna Jr., Juan Soto, Walker Buehler
The Dodgers have always produced strong contenders for Rookie of the Year, but this year is different. I think Ronald Acuna Jr. will take home the award.