The MLB postseason is underway and a lot of fans have watched their teams struggle either all season long or down the stretch, only to be knocked off by either the Red Sox, Astros, Brewers, or Dodgers. Luckily, even fans of the worst team in the country can still look forward to the end of the year award ceremony.
The two most prestigious awards in major league baseball (MLB) are the Cy Young, awarded to the best pitcher and the Most Valuable Player (MVP). Both the National League and the American League will crown a Cy Young and MVP winner in a few short weeks, and there are certainly a handful of players that are in the running.
Shaved bats don’t do well in cold temperatures. It’s recommended to not use a shaved bat if it’s colder than 65 degrees outside. Though doctored baseball and softball bats are used by players across the country, these are some of the world’s best — they can excel with any kind of bat or ball.
Here are some of the top candidates for major league baseball’s top awards:
National League MVP
- Christian Yelich, OF, Brewers — Yelich came over to the Brewers from the struggling Marlins. All he did was lead the team to the NLCS, hit 36 home runs, knock in 110 runs batted in (RBI), and steal 22 bases. Not bad for the 26-year-old.
- Javier Baez, INF, Cubs — Baez is the most fun player to watch in all of baseball. That, and he smacked 34 home runs and had 111 RBIs give him a real shot at the NL MVP.
American League MVP
- Mookie Betts, OF, Red Sox — Perhaps the second-most fun player to watch in all of sports, Mookie Betts is an even better hitter than he is a fielder. And he’s an incredible fielder.
- J.D. Martinez, DH, Red Sox — During a swing, a baseball bat can travel up to 80 miles per hour at its peak. Martinez, playing in Boston for this first time in his career, has one of the strongest, most powerful swings in the bigs. Crushing 43 homers this year, he’s one of the only players in the AL challenging his teammate Mookie Betts for AL’s top player.
National League Cy Young
- Jacob deGrom, P, Mets — This one is going to cause some controversy with some of baseball’s old school writers. Though deGrom only won 10 games, he had a remarkable 1.70 earned run average (ERA). He was the best pitcher in baseball this season.
- Max Scherzer, P, Nationals — Scherzer is probably sick of winning Cy Youngs by now, but he’s right in the mix once again this year. With a 2.53 ERA and a solid 300 strikeouts, he’s the only pitcher giving deGrom a run for his money.
American League Cy Young
- Blake Snell, P, Rays — Perhaps the most underrated player on this list, Snell had an amazing year. The 25-year-old lefty dominated this season; winning 21 games, striking out 221 batters, all with a 1.89 ERA.
- Justin Verlander, P, Astros — The former Cy Young and MVP winner shut down opposing teams this year. Verlander had a 3.08 ERA, won 12 games, and helped the World Champion Houston Astros get right back into the postseason mix.
The Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) awards finalists will be announced on November, 5. The Cy Young award ceremony and the MVP award ceremony will be on November 14 and 15, respectively.
