AL MVP: Mookie Betts. Mookie Betts is a legitimate challenger to Mike Trout as the best all around player in baseball, and I believe without David Ortiz this season, Betts will be able to show his true value to the team, as I believe as incredible as Betts was last season, he was still overshadowed by Big Papi. What made Mookie all the more special last season is that he did the majority of his damage out of the leadoff spot. Batting 3rd or 4th this season, Betts will have a much better opportunity to drive in runs. Factor that in with his incredible defense, and I believe that this is Mookie’s year.
AL Cy Young: Chris Sale. Sale had been the true ace of the pitching staff during his time in Chicago, and he still probably has the best stuff on the Red Sox, but because of the two Cy Young award winners on the roster (when healthy) I believe it is going to make Chris Sale’s stuff that much better. Not only that, Sale is also going to be helped out by a much better defense than he was ever given by the White Sox. A change of scenery might also be nice for Sale, because it seemed like he wanted to cut ties with the White Sox, pun intended.
AL Rookie of the Year: Andrew Benintendi. More Red Sox? Yes absolutely. Benintendi is the #1 overall prospect in baseball for a reason. He’s got a pure swing, he can hit for contact and for power and already has been tested at the Major League level and shown that he can succeed. I believe that we will see more of the same of that this season, and it’s only a matter of time before he is also competing for a batting title with that swing of his.
AL Manager of the Year: Scott Servais. The Mariners have all the pieces they need to succeed, all that they need to do is put it together. They have a great team on paper, they just need a manager to put everything together, and I believe that this is the year for Servais and the Mariners to do just that.
AL Reliever of the Year: Edwin Diaz. Diaz had a very strong showing during the beginning of his rookie campaign last year, but he was overused when he became the only effective piece in the Seattle bullpen. I believe if he is used properly this year, he is going to prove himself as one of the elite closers in the game of baseball.
AL Comeback Player of the Year: Garrett Richards. After his last two seasons were cut short by brutal injuries, Richards seems primed to make a huge comeback this year. On a team that doesn’t have a lot going for them, Richards could truly shine this year which would help his Comeback Player of the Year case even more.
NL MVP: Nolan Arenado: I realize his team is not going to succeed in the NL West, and the MVP is usually given to guys on playoff contending teams. But notice I said usually, Mike Trout won the award last year, and the Angels were a terrible team last season. But Arenado has really broken out over the last few years and proven himself as one of the best players in the league, he plays 81 games at the most hitter friendly park in the league, and he has an opportunity to really pad his stats with the likes of Carlos Gonzalez, DJ LeMahieu, Charlie Blackmon and more in the lineup with him. I wouldn’t be surprised if he has his 3rd straight season of 40+ homeruns and 130+ RBIs.
NL Cy Young: Noah Syndergaard. Part of me just didn’t want to pick Clayton Kershaw here, but Syndergaard seems ready to take over this year with the rest of the Mets super rotation. When healthy, I believe the Mets rotation can challenge the Cubs and Red Sox as the best staff in baseball, and Thor is their fearless leader.
NL Rookie of the Year: Dansby Swanson. Swanson, the 1st overall pick in last year’s draft has risen through the Braves system incredibly quickly, just like Andrew Benintendi, he was ready for the MLB within a year and has some experience against MLB pitching already. He’s a solid defender, who also hit .302 over a very limited 129 at bats at the MLB level last season, and I believe we’ll see him continue that success this season.
NL Manager of the Year: Torey Lovello. The Diamondbacks have all the pieces that they need to succeed, and under first year manager Lovello, this is the year that they return to relevance in the NL West. They probably won’t win the division with the powerhouse Dodgers still in the picture, but I believe they have the pieces in place to make a run at a Wild Card spot.
NL Reliever of the Year: Wade Davis. Davis has been a shutdown reliever throughout his entire career, and now he gets to show off as the closer for the best team in the league. Davis will anchor a bullpen that didn’t need much outside of a closer, but as long as the Cubs offense doesn’t decide to play “Screw the Closer” (yes it’s an actual thing that they did last season, look it up) than Davis should end up with at least 40 saves.
NL Comeback Player of the Year: Matt Harvey. Harvey has proven to have Cy Young type stuff when he’s healthy, and I hope/believe we’ll see him return to that top of the line form this year. If he is healthy, we’ll see him have a major effect on the Mets pitching staff this year.
