By : Mike Rifkin
Yesterday the BBWAA announced all of the finalists for award winners for the 2022 season. With the announcement of the winners being announced next week. Here is how I would vote.
American League
MVP Candidates : Aaron Judge (Yankees), Yordan Alvarez (Astros), Shohei Ohtani (Angels).
For me this would have been more of a race if Yordan Alvarez never got hurt during the season. Judge set an American League record and Yankee record with 62 home runs. Ohtani is fantastic and there is NOBODY in Baseball who can do what he does, but the Angels were 73-89 this season and Judge carried the Yankees offense all year.
Pick: Aaron Judge.
CY Young Candidates : Dylan Cease (White Sox), Alek Manoah ( Blue Jays), Justin Verlander (Astros)
Two years off because of Tommy John Surgery and at the age of 39 you can say Verlander had the best season of his Hall Of Fame career. 18-4 with an ERA of 1.75 (he won the ERA title) 9.5 strikeouts per nine innings, Verlander is looking to be the 11th guy to win 3 CY Young Awards. Dylan Cease never ceased to amaze fans on the South Side of Chicago by going 14-8 with a 2.20 ERA and 227 strikeouts. Manoah went 16-7 with a 2.24 ERA and pitched in the beast that is the AL East.
Pick: Verlander.
Rookie Of The Year Candidates : Steven Kwan (Guardians), Julio Rodriguez (Mariners), Adley Rutschman (Orioles)
Kwan was one of six qualified hitters to have more walks than strikeouts. He had a slash line of .298/.373/.400 with 6 home runs and 52 RBI. Kwan also was 19 of 24 in Stolen Bases.
Rodriguez is one of three rookies with at least 25 Home Runs and 25 Stolen Bases and the first since Mike Trout in 2012. Rodriguez had a slash line of .284/.345/.509 with 28 home runs and 75 RBI. Rodriguez also signed a massive deal with the Mariners.
Rutschman, the number one overall pick in 2019 made his debut in May. He had a slash line of .254/.362/.445 with 13 home runs and 42 RBI. He showed a strong arm behind the plate as the Orioles had a tremendous season.
Pick: Rodriguez
Manager Of The Year Candidates Terry Francona (Guardians), Brandon Hyde (Orioles) Scott Servais ( Mariners)
All three candidates are very deserving of the award. Servais led his team to end the longest playoff drought in the four major sports, as the Mariners made the playoffs for the first time since 2001. The Orioles and Guardians are two of the best stories in all of baseball, had the Orioles made the playoffs Hyde would win in a landslide. Francona is a future hall of famer and led the Guardians to his fourth division title in ten seasons.
Pick: Francona (I am interested in seeing the voting on this award)
National League
MVP Candidates : Paul Goldschmidt ( Cardinals), Nolan Arenado (Cardinals), Manny Machado (Padres)
Goldschmidt was chasing a Triple Crown for the bulk of the season and finished with a slash line of .317/.404/.578 with 35 Home Runs and 115 RBI. Goldschmidt is looking for his first MVP award. As his teammate Nolan Arenado who hit 30 home runs and had 103 RBI with a slash line of .293/.358/.533. Arenado also won his tenth Gold Glove. Manny Machado hit 32 home runs and had 102 RBI with a slash line of .298/.366/.531. Machado had to lead a Padres team after Fernando Tatis Jr. got into a Motorcycle accident during the Lockout and during his rehab tested positive for PEDS
Pick: Machado
Cy Young Candidates : Sandy Alcantra (Marlins), Julio Urias (Dodgers), Max Fried (Braves)
These were the top three in ERA in the National League this season (Urias 2.16, Alcantra 2.28, Fried 2.48). Alcantra threw 228.2 innings pitched which was a Major League best while Urias threw 175.0 and Fried threw 185.1. Alcantra went seven or more innings in thirteen consecutive starts during the season.
Pick: Alcantra
Rookie Of The Year Candidates : Michael Harris (Braves), Spencer Strider (Braves), Brendan Donovan (Cardinals)
Harris and Strider were huge reason why the Braves were able to overcome a 10.5 deficit to win the NL East. Harris led NL rookies with a 5.3 WAR. Harris had a slash line of .297/.339/.514 with 19 home runs and 64 RBI, he was also 20 of 22 in Stolen Bases. Strider appeared out of the bullpen and started for the Braves he went 11-5 with a 2.67 ERA and struck out 202 hitters in 131.2 innings pitched. Donovan played everywhere for the Cardinals in 2022, and won the first Utility player Gold Glove in history. Donovan hit 5 Home Runs and drove in 45 runs with a slash line of .281/.394/.379.
Pick Harris.
Manager Of The Year : Buck Showalter (Mets), Brian Snitker (Braves), Dave Roberts (Dodgers)
Showalter led the Mets to their first postseason appearance since 2016. Even though the Mets coughed up a 10.5 game lead in the division, Showalter led the Mets to their second most wins in franchise history
Snitker’s Braves overtook the Mets for the division late in the season. The 2021 Champs also won 101 games for the first time since 2003. In the biggest series of the season the Braves swept the Mets.
Roberts led the Dodgers to a franchise record with 111 wins. For the fourth time in his seven years Roberts won 100 games.
Note : I feel Rob Thompson who took over for Joe Girardi was robbed of a nomination here.
Pick: Showalter. Now I think the voters are going to pick Snitker because of what took place in the NL East, but that shouldn’t erase what Buck did for the Mets.
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