We are halfway through the Major League Baseball season, and here are my award winners from the first half.
American League:
Most Valuable Player:
Albert Pujols, 1B, Angels
This one is a little bittersweet for me, as a lifelong Cardinals fan. I loved Albert when he was in St. Louis and hated to see him go, but worse was seeing him struggle in his first three years in LA. He has turned the clock back this year and is leading the league in Home Runs, along with his teammate and fellow MVP candidate Mike Trout. If Pujols can continue this trend, he’ll win his 4th MVP Award.
Other Candidates:
Mike Trout, OF, Angels; Josh Donaldson, 3B, Blue Jays; Jose Altuve, 2B, Astros
Cy Young:
Chris Sale, SP, White Sox
This could be the most hotly contested award of all. There are about four or five guys that could legitimately win this award, but I’m giving it to Chris Sale. He went on an absolutely epic tear over an 8-start streak, striking out 97 batters over that stretch. He will have to keep that pace up to beat the stiff competition for the America League Cy Young Award.
Other Candidates:
Dallas Keuchel, SP, Astros; Sonny Gray, SP, Athletics; David Price, SP, Tigers; Felix Hernandez, SP, Mariners; Chris Archer, SP, Rays
Rookie of the Year:
Billy Burns, OF, Athletics
This kid has taken the center field spot over after Coco Crisp went down with an injury and hasn’t looked back since. He can just about do it all with 82 hits, 17 stolen bases, and a solid glove out in center. He is helping the A’s stay in the hunt in the American League West.
Other Candidates:
Steven Souza Jr., OF, Rays; Carlos Correa, SS; Astros; Joey Gallo, 3B, Rangers
Manager of the Year:
AJ Hinch, Astros
The Houston Astros have been the absolute worst franchise in baseball for a long time, and AJ Hinch, in his first year with the team, has them sitting just a half game behind the Angels for both the division lead and the league’s best record. That is nothing short of brilliant.
Other Candidates:
Ned Yost, Royals; Paul Moliter, Twins
National League:
Most Valuable Player:
Bryce Harper, OF, Nationals
While there are many deserving candidates, this one is a no-brainer. Bryce Harper is having the year everyone has been waiting for him to have. He is on pace to hit .343 with 48 home runs, 89 extra base hits, and draw 122 walks. That’s just insane production from a guy that’s my age. Yeah, he’s only 22.
Other Candidates:
Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, Diamondbacks; Andrew McCutchen, CF, Pirates; Jhonny Peralta, SS, Cardinals; Todd Frazier, 3B, Reds
Cy Young:
Michael Wacha, SP, Cardinals
This may seem like a homer pick, but stick with me here. Wacha has become the ace of the Cardinals staff after Adam Wainwright went down with a torn Achilles in his 4th start of the year. All Wacha did after that was go out and put the Cards in a position to win every time he took the bump. Should he keep this trend through the second half, he will be squarely in the conversation for the real thing at year's end with a large number of worthy candidates.
Other Candidates:
Max Scherzer, SP, Nationals; Zach Greinke, SP, Dodgers; Gerrit Cole, SP, Pirates; Shelby Miller, SP, Braves; Carlos Martinez, SP, Cardinals; Jacob deGrom, SP, Mets; AJ Burnett, SP, Pirates
Rookie of the Year:
Joc Pederson, OF, Dodgers
This kid hits mammoth home runs. He is an absolute monster at the plate, having 20 home runs at the break and a respectable .365 OBP. He will need to bring his .223 batting average up, but he has all of the tools to win this award - and many more in the future.
Other Candidates:
Kris Bryant, 3B Cubs; Maikel Franco, 3B, Phillies; Matt Duffy, 3B, Giants
Manager of the Year:
Mike Matheny, Cardinals
Yet another seemingly homer pick, but Mike deserves this one. He has had to deal with more adversity than any other Manager in the game this year. Injuries to his number one starter, his 3-hole hitter, his starting center fielder, and his set-up man - not to mention an FBI Hacking Investigation that sent the media into an absolute frenzy and could have derailed the Redbird season. Even so, under the tutelage of Mike Matheny, the Cardinals are baseball’s best team at the halfway point.
Other Candidates:
Joe Maddon, Cubs; Bruce Bochy, Giants; Clint Hurdle, Pirates
