Yes, it does seem silly to be handing out "awards" based on 30 games' worth of stats (or fewer), but it's gonna feel just as strange to have the actual awards determined with a 60-game sample size. And, yes, some teams are definitely short-changed in the stats department. Nevertheless, we've gotta play the hand we're dealt. And 2020 hasn't dealt anybody a winning hand!
Speaking of being dealt, the Monday trade deadline could be very interesting. With 16 teams making the playoffs, there will be a lot of buyers and very few sellers. But even the buyers will have to ask themselves if it's worth it to give up whatever package of prospects and money will be necessary to get that impact veteran, who may only be with the team for a month. For a starting pitcher, that would mean only a handful of starts! Yet that handful of starts could make a difference.
Anyway, back to the midseason awards. They're basically what would normally be the April Player of the Month. And, as we all know, the April Player of the Month usually doesn't sustain it for the entire season. (How many often follow it up with a terrible May?) But can these guys sustain it for another month? Absolutely! In fact, I'd be surprised if the current front runners aren't still very much in the discussion when the season ends next month.
However, it also seems incredibly likely that we'll have players who had rough Augusts end the season on fire. And let's not forget the injured guys. Normally a player who misses a chunk of time with an injury would have no place in the MVP conversation. But, as we all know, this season is not normal. So everything that normally goes into the thought process for MVP/Cy Young/Rookie of the Year will be completely different. Because anything can happen in this crazy season.
Fortunately, there are some clear front runners right now. And if those front runners keep it up, we could be looking some historic seasons (yes, they'll obviously come with an asterisk). So who are those front runners? Here's who I'd pick...
AL MVP: Jose Abreu, White Sox-I told you the White Sox would be sleeper contenders this year, didn't I? And Jose Abreu has been a big reason why. He's among the top five in the AL in virtually every offensive category and leads in both homers and RBIs. The White Sox, meanwhile, are hanging right in there with the Twins and Indians atop the division. So, sorry to the legion of Mike Trout supporters who think that AL MVP is somehow his birthright. This race isn't even close. Abreu is the clear winner right now.
AL Cy Young: Shane Bieber, Indians-None of us had any clue who this guy was when he won All-Star Game MVP honors in his home park last season. As it turns out, he's one of the best pitchers in the American League! Simply put, Bieber's 2020 numbers are insane. He's 6-0 with 1.35 ERA in seven starts. Bieber has more walks this season (9) than runs allowed (7). And he has 75 strikeouts in just 46.2 innings. Can he keep it up? Is it possible that he'll finish the season undefeated?
AL Rookie: Kyle Lewis, Mariners-Rookies of the Year often come out of nowhere, and that's certainly the case for the Mariners' Kyle Lewis. His body of work so far is enough to make him the runaway winner even if he doesn't play over the final month! Lewis leads the entire American League in hitting (.360) and is tied for second in hits (40). He's also the rookie leader in homers (7) and RBIs (19).
AL Manager: Bob Melvin, Athletics-Oakland has won 97 games in each of the past two seasons, but lost the Wild Card Game each time. So far this year, though, they've put everything together and then some. The A's have the best record in the AL and trail the Dodgers by just a half-game for the best record in baseball. It's enough to make Melvin the favorite to win his third Manager of the Year award. Of course, they'll trade all that for finally having some success in October.
NL MVP: Fernando Tatis Jr., Padres-Not even close! Tatis and the Padres have been THE story of the season's first half. Tatis is breaking every unwritten rule in the book and having a great time doing it! And fans are loving it! He's played all 31 of San Diego's games and has done more than hit grand slams. Tatis leads the NL in homers (12) and RBIs (29), but he's also right up there in runs, hits, and stolen bases. Plus, he plays Gold Glove-quality defense at shortstop. This guy is the game's next superstar!
NL Cy Young: Max Fried, Braves-An argument could definitely be made for two-time defending winner Jacob deGrom, who'll probably garner plenty of support because of that fact alone. But I'm giving the nod to Atlanta's Max Fried. His numbers are remarkably similar to Bieber's (5-0, 1.35 ERA in seven starts). Fried has given up just six runs all season and zero! homers. The one area where deGrom has the clear edge is in strikeouts, but Fried's team is leading the division, which matters enough to me for him to get the nod.
NL Rookie: Jake Cronenworth, Padres-Perhaps the toughest one because there's no clear front runner (the preseason favorite, Gavin Lux, has spent the entire season at the Dodgers' alternate site). I can't go with Lux, so I'll take another NL West second baseman instead. Cronenworth was part of the trade that brought Tommy Pham to San Diego, and he might turn out to be the biggest prize in the deal. His Major League debut was on July 26, when he had an RBI double in his first at-bat. Cronenworth has played in just 25 Major League games. He's hitting .342 in them and nearly half of his hits have gone for extra bases!
NL Manager: Jayce Tingler, Padres-San Diego is one of the most exciting teams in baseball. And, after a few years of collecting high-priced free agents as a part of their rebuild, the Padres sure look playoff-bound (and potentially would be even if there were just two wild cards). They're even hanging with the Dodgers in the NL West. San Diego hasn't made the playoffs since 2006 (the Matt Holliday game in 2007 was a one-game playoff) and hasn't had a winning record since 2010. Look for both of those things to change this season under their rookie manager.
No comments:
Post a Comment