Individual Awards:
MVP:
Let's start with the NL MVP, which is wide open. Right now I give the edge to Andrew McCutcheon of Pittsburgh, with a couple of caveats:
If Joey Votto comes back strong and finishes strong, he could easily win this award, especially if the Pirates fade from the post-season race while the Reds continue rolling.
Matt Kemp has the best slash numbers in the majors, and if he gets the ABs to qualify for a batting title, he has to be taken into consideration.
Buster Posey, playing the only position more demanding than McCutcheon's CF, has put up numbers way above the average for a catcher.
Then there are several members of the Cards, and David Wright from the Mets that deserve consideration. Melky Cabrera probably would have been in the top half dozen candidates, but no longer is a factor in this race.
In the AL, the injuries don't play such a factor. It really seems a three horse race, and one of the horses is attempting to pull double duty for just the third time ever. I like Miguel Cabrera myself, but the season the Mike Trout is having in California is pretty amazing. We'll get to this later, but they may as well rename the AL Rookie of the Year trophy, as Mike Trout may be having the best rookie season in the history of the majors. And my reasons for liking Cabrera contradict myself. Despite Trout's play, and having last year's RoY, and Pujols, and possibly the AL Cy Young favorite this year as well, the Angels have underperformed. I think Cabrera has done more, including the forced move to third and playing passably at a new and demanding position, to help the Tigers win than Trout. But... earlier I chided the Tigers for being, right now, outside the playoffs looking in to the no-name White Sox. So, for Al MVP, I have no choice but to pick...
Robinson Cano of the Yankees. Teixeira has his moments, but he is a declining player. As is Jeter, who has struggled mightily at times this year. A-Rod has had trouble staying in the lineup. Granderson has hit below .250 all season. Cano has been the Rock that has kept the Yankee offensive juggernaut moving this season. Right now, he's deserving of the award.
Cy Young:
In the National League, this is a very interesting and wide open race, for a number of reasons. First, the front runner would be the first primarily knuckleball-thrower to ever win a Cy Young award. R.A. Dickey, who would also be a great story of redemption (as if he wasn't already that), has had the best season in the area that usually most sways voters, Won-Loss record, but there are a number of other challengers. Cueto of the Reds has been fantastic, All-Star snub noted, and is right behind Dickey. Washington has a three headed monster in Strasburg, Zimmermann, and Gio Gonzalez that all have numbers that would put them in the discussion. Stras is 14-5 with a 2.90 ERA, leads the NL in Ks and all major league starters in K/9. Zimmermann is 9-6 but leads the NL in ERA and the majors in QS. Gio has the highest ERA at 3.19 but is 15-6 and leads the NL in OBA and the majors in HR rate. And then there are the closers. Chapman and Kimbal. Both have been lights out, with ERAs under 1.30. Kimbal has actually had the better WHiP, at a disgustingly nasty 0.65, but Chapman has given up one (1)... that's right... one ER against the NL this season. One earned run scored by the entire League against him. I like Dickey for the award, but in the closer position, Chapman may be the closest thing to unhittable anyone has ever seen.
In the AL, some very good candidates as well. Jered Weaver has had a phenomenal year, leading the majors in ERA and 15-3 (I think). His home/road splits are a negative though, as he is lights-out at home, but much more hittable on the road. Price of Tampa has faced the toughest competition of any major league starter (avg. OPS .750) and is third in the AL in ERA and top 10 in IP and Ks. Verlander leads the majors in Ks, IP, and has been his usual dominant self. He may actually be a better pitcher this year than last, despite the lesser record. Chris Sale and King Felix Hernandez round out the contenders, perhaps a bit behind the top 3 though Felix will get a great bump from his perfect game. Sale has had his innings watched somewhat and I don't think will be close. I see Weaver taking home this award this year, with Verlander a close second.
ROY:
No, I am not here to advocate for Bryce Harper in the NL. It really is a shame for him that he got called up when he did. I think it would have really helped him to have faced Triple A pitching for a full season, or close (late call-up like Trout last year). I actually think that facing major league pitching this early will help him long run, but as far as the RoY, he'd have had a better chance next year. This year, right now, I have Wade Miley winning the award just ahead of Frazier of Cincinatti, with the caveat that Frazier would have a better chance if he had played full time all year. But he has really shown as Votto's replacement while the MVP candidate was out with injury. Mike Fiers has played well, but with too few starts and innings to win the award.
This is not a race in the AL so much as a coronation. The question isn't whether Mike Trout is the AL Rookie of the Year, the question is where his rookie season ranks all-time. A shame for Cespedes, Middlebrooks (pre-injury), Diamond, Montero and others who never had a horse in this race. In other seasons, Cespedes may have run away with this thing. But this year, Trout is king.
MOY:
Interesting races here too. My pick, and I may be biased, in the NL is Davey Johnson. The Nats have dealt with key pieces of the offense missing with injury, with a predominance of youth, and with all the publicity of Harper's call-up and Strasburg's innings count and have basically led their division, considered one of baseball's best before the season, all year. Clint Hurdle would be my runner up. though he could pass Davey in my mind if the Pirates could surge and really challenge the Reds in the Central. Dusty Baker and Mattingly round out my top 4, though they aren't really in this race to me. The Nats were supposed to contend for the wild card, not win 100 games. To me, that makes the award Davey Johnson's. And for the record, I vote for Mike Rizzo, Nats GM, as Executive of the Year.
In the AL, well... three teams and their managers stand out, with a little shout out to one other. First, I can't choose between these three, and am glad I have some time before I do have to. Buck Showalter has kept the Orioles in contention all year through no means identifiable by man. There is no way you can have the kind of run differential they have, the starting pitching that they have, and win unless the manager is a magician. Another guy making magic is Melvin of Oakland, who has the As challenging for a wild card, tied with their much more glamorous and expensive division neighbor to the south, the Angels. But my vote right now has to go to Ventura in Chicago. This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for them and they lead the much more glamorous and expensive Tigers by two games. That's enough to get my vote. I don't think enough credit goes to managers of winning teams some times. The Yankees this season have dealt with slumps from some key contributors like Jeter, Martin, Teixiera, injuries to Sabathia, Rivera, A-Rod, Pettite, and just keep humming right along. I don't think Joe Girardi gets enough credit as the steady hand on that ship. Not enough to win the award, but still kudos.
Ok, enough of my babble.... Baseball fans, discuss!