So I guess my application to join the Baseball Writers Association of America got lost in the mail again.
Not really. There are a number of requirements to join the organization, and I can't meet some of them. So I'm stuck on the outside looking in when it comes to the major awards every year in Major League Baseball.
But no worries, that just means instead of you having to wait until after the World Series ends to find out who will take home the hardware, I can tell you who would have my vote.
Like the actual ballots, I have ten players on my list for MVP, five for Cy Young, and three each for Rookie and Manager of the Year.
AMERICAN LEAGUE MVP: DJ LeMahieu, New York Yankees
A lot of the national media has gone back and forth about whether Jose Abreu's consistency can overcome Jose Ramirez's blistering hot September, or if 22 homers in 60 games is enough to give it to Luke Voit. Well, they have all overlooked how good of a year LeMahieu has turned out in the Bronx. LeMahieu led the majors in batting average (.364), and the American League in on-base percentage (.421) and OPS (1.011, the only hitter in the junior circuit to break 1.000 this year). He finished second in hits with 71 (behind only Abreu's 76), and only Abreu (43), Ramirez (45), and Tim Anderson (45) scored more than LeMahieu's 41 runs. But perhaps this little bit of information is enough to turn the tide in LeMahieu's favor: he missed nine games this year due to injury, and in those games, the Yankees went 2-7. Seems pretty valuable to me.
My whole ballot:
- DJ LeMahieu, Yankees
- Jose Abreu, White Sox
- Jose Ramirez, Indians
- Shane Bieber, Indians
- Nelson Cruz, Twins
- Mike Trout, Angels
- Tim Anderson, White Sox
- Luke Voit, Yankees
- Hyun-Jin Ryu, Blue Jays
- Brandon Lowe, Rays
AMERICAN LEAGUE CY YOUNG AWARD: Shane Bieber, Cleveland Indians
There are more than five pitchers that deserve to be on this list. In fact, I think any of #2 through #5 could be off voters' lists with no qualms. I left Twins right-hander Kenta Maeda off my list, and all he did was lead the league in WHIP. But there is no doubt who needs to be at the top of the list. Bieber had one of those seasons where every pitch he threw was the right pitch at the right time. Eight wins, a microscopic 1.63 ERA, and a ridiculous 122 strikeouts and 14.198 K/9. If there was one player I wish I could have watched for a full 162 game season this year, it might have been Bieber. Imagine what his numbers would have looked like given 32 or 33 starts this season.
My whole ballot:
- Shane Bieber, Indians
- Gerrit Cole, Yankees
- Hyun-Jin Ryu, Blue Jays
- Marco Gonzales, Mariners
- Lance Lynn, Rangers
AMERICAN LEAGUE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Kyle Lewis, Seattle Mariners
This race has been quite the ride, as most of us were excited to see what Luis Robert could bring to the South Side. And while he had some mammoth home runs, and incredible catches during the year, in September he faded like memories of the summer. An August that saw him go .298/.356/.660 disappeared, and in September we saw a guy who went .136/.237/.173 with 32 strikeouts in 94 plate appearances. Lewis also faded in September, but not as badly as Robert did, and finished almost 30 points better in batting average (.262 to .233) and over 60 points better in OPS (.801 to .733), and for that, the Mariners outfielder gets my nod over his Chicago counterpart.
My whole ballot:
- Kyle Lewis, Mariners
- Luis Robert, White Sox
- Ryan Mountcastle, Orioles
AMERICAN LEAGUE MANAGER OF THE YEAR: Kevin Cash, Tampa Bay Rays
This ballot was the easiest to work out. Cash has finished third each of the last two years in the race for manager of the year, first to a manager that set a record for wins in a season for a team that was almost 120 years old (Boston's Alex Cora, who could be back in his old post for 2021), and then to his own protege who won over 100 games as a rookie manager (Rocco Baldelli). It's time that he gets his recognition. Not taking away anything from Renteria and Montoyo, who got their teams into the postseason for the first times since 2008 and 2016, respectfully. But with all the injuries the Rays suffered to their pitching staff and still to end up with the best record in the American League is an amazing accomplishment.
My whole ballot:
- Kevin Cash, Rays
- Rick Renteria, White Sox
- Charlie Montoyo, Blue Jays