Major League Baseball Awards
As the Major League Baseball (MLB) season draws to a close on Sunday, Oct. 1, the revealing of All-MLB award winners will follow closely behind. Whether it be the best pitchers, rookies, overall players in each league, or contributions off the field from team managers, there seem to be some clear-cut winners for each award in 2023. What follows are my predictions for the major awards, which will be announced in November.
American League Most Valuable Player: Shohei Ohtani
The last time two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani played in an MLB game was on Sunday, Sept. 3. Despite Ohtani missing significant time with ligament and oblique injuries, he is still far and away the frontrunner for the American League MVP Award. His statistics as a hitter are spectacular, as he finished the season with a .304 batting average coupled with 44 home runs and a 1.066 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS). Ohtani's stats as a pitcher are equally as impressive, as he has started 23 games and won 10 of them despite playing for a lackluster Los Angeles Angels team. The superstar also tallied a 3.14 earned run average (ERA) with 167 strikeouts this year.
National League Most Valuable Player: Ronald Acuña Jr.
There was a legitimate case for Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts to win his second MVP this season, up until just a few weeks ago. Since then, though, Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. has distanced himself in the MVP race. Acuña has been on an absolute tear in the month of September and just recently became the first player in MLB history to record 40 home runs and 60 stolen bases in one season. He has had a truly special season leading the Braves to a league-best record with an 8.0 Wins Above Replacement, .337 batting average, and 1.013 on-base plus slugging.
American League Cy Young: Gerrit Cole
In a season where many New York Yankees players have struggled or underperformed, starting pitcher Gerrit Cole has done the complete opposite. Cole has carried an otherwise underwhelming Yankees pitching staff, with a tremendous win-loss record of 14 wins and only four losses while starting a total of 32 games. His 2.75 ERA and 200 innings pitched are both ranked first in the American League, while Cole’s 6.7 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) is first in the entire league for pitchers.
National League Cy Young: Blake Snell
Similarly to Cole, San Diego Padres starter Blake Snell has been a bright spot in an otherwise disastrous season for the team which will most likely end with them missing the playoffs. Snell has been dominant through 32 starts, pitching to a league-best 2.25 ERA with 234 strikeouts. Snell has had issues with control, allowing 5.0 base on balls per nine innings pitched (BB9), but he has done a great job at limiting hits as he has allowed a league-low 5.8 hits per nine innings.
American League Rookie of the Year: Gunnar Henderson
The Baltimore Orioles have been one of the best stories in baseball this year, as the perennial last-place franchise is in sole possession of first place in the American League East and will appear in the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Rookie shortstop Gunnar Henderson has played a large role in that success, as has hit an impressive 27 home runs coupled with 81 runs batted in (RBI). Henderson’s 5.9 WAR also tops all rookies and he is tied for the major league lead with an absurd nine triples.
National League Rookie of the Year: Corbin Carroll
Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll has been a star since he first debuted with the team in 2022. Carroll’s combination of elite speed and power has made him the runaway favorite for the Rookie of the Year Award in 2023. His impressive stats this season include 25 home runs, 75 RBIs, and nine triples (a number only matched by Henderson). Carroll’s 5.4 WAR as a rookie is the highest out of any of his fellow National League first-year players.
American League Manager of the Year: Brandon Hyde
There are several deserving candidates for best manager in the American League, but Brandon Hyde deserves to win his first Manager of the Year Award after leading the Baltimore Orioles into the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons. Hyde has done a great job at shaping and leading a largely young and inexperienced group into one of the best teams in the American League in 2023.
National League Manager of the Year: Craig Counsell
This is another award that could go to a number of candidates this season, but Milwaukee Brewers skipper Craig Counsell is by far the most deserving. The Brewers have been one of the best teams in the second half of the season and just clinched the National League Central division title for the fifth time in Counsell’s six seasons with the team.
The 2023 MLB season has been full of great performances across the league, and we can look forward to seeing these players and managers receive recognition for their efforts once it comes to a close.
Thumbnail Photo Courtesy of Kyodo News via Getty Images