When the baseball season is over, they give out these awards. It's something for us to argue over. And what's more fun than that?
You may be wondering - is that old fool Magpie actually telling us who he'd vote for, if the authorities were deluded enough to allow him to vote? Or is he merely predicting who's going to win.
Both, silly. It's completely impossible for me to even conceive of someone disagreeing with these views that I've so carefully thought through, over these last five minutes. You know that about me by now, surely.
AL MVP
1. Mike Trout, Los Angeles - Duh. OK, his team is 61-79 when he's in the lineup and that really will cost him votes. But still... duh. Voting for Trout ought to be a qualification for... voting.
2. Jose Altuve, Houston. I keep flipping a coin to decide who's the runner-up.
3. Mookie Betts, Boston. And I've settled on alphabetical order.
Voters get to put ten names on the ballot, and you can list Robinson Cano, Josh Donaldson, Brian Dozier, Manny Machado, Dustin Pedroia, Kyle Seager, and Adrian Beltre in any order you like. And you'll notice that the three men atop the AL RBI lead don't even make the ballot. Ortiz and Encarnacion will certainly get some votes but times really have changed and driving in runs doesn't get you the MVP support it did twenty years ago.
NL MVP
1. Kris Bryant, Chicago. Also, duh. And after him it's just a jumble.
2. Daniel Murphy, Washington. Who saw this coming? Did a light go on last October, and it's shining still?
3. Corey Seager, Los Angeles. A rookie, people.
Anthony Rizzo and Yoenis Cespedes will also be named on most ballots. The NL in 2016 is awash in guys having great seasons for terrible teams - Nolan Arenado, Joey Votto, Paul Goldschmidt, Freddie Freeman, and Jean Segura - and they're the guys who'll be filling out the other spots on the ballot.
AL Cy Young
1. Rick Porcello, Boston - The very flashy WL record doesn't hurt, and in a year when no one is obviously standing above the crowd serves as the tiebreaker.
2. Corey Kluber, Cleveland. Basically repeating his Cy Young season of two years ago, but the rough start (4-6, 4.15 through May) hurts him.
3. Chris Sale, Chicago. He had this locked up two months ago, but he's gone 1-6 in his last 11 starts. That's almost entirely because his team sucks, but there you go.
There could be a few random votes for J.A. Happ, Jose Quintana, Cole Hamels. And I'm sure some people will vote for Zach Britton
NL Cy Young
1. Max Scherzer, Washington. A little more clear-cut than the AL to my mind. Scherzer looks to be slightly ahead of the pack. Not by a lot, mind you. But ahead.
2. Jon Lester, Chicago. Oh, American Leaguers! Lester is 3-0, 0.43 in three WS starts.
3. Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco. Of course, this guy is 4-0, 0.25 with a save in 5 WS games.
You can certainly justify placing names like Jonny Cueto, Tanner Roark, and Jose Fernandez on your ballot. And Clayton Kershaw.
AL Rookie of the Year
1. Michael Fullmer, Detroit. The best of what turns out to be a crop of solid players with no obvious stars on the horizon. With one possible exception.
2. Tim Anderson, Chicago. I really like him. He'll dazzle you afield, and he can hit a bit, too.
3. Nomar Mazara, Texas. He's struggled a bit in the second half, which has loosened his grip on the award that was his for the taking. But he's still just 21 years old. If there's a future star in this year's field, this is the one.
Honourable mention: Tyler Naquin, Cheslor Cuthbert.
NL Rookie of the Year
1. Corey Seager, Los Angeles. Whereas this guy is a star already.
2. Aledmys Diaz, St. Louis. He's 26 years old, which is one reason he seems so fully developed.
3. Kenta Maeda, Los Angeles. Lots of people have won the award with seasons just like this one.
Honourable mention: Jon Gray, Junior Guerra, Zach Davies. And Steven Matz will get some New York votes.
AL Manager of the Year
1. Buck Showalter, Baltimore. The Red Sox were the consensus pre-season pick to edge the defending champs from Toronto. Despite not having a starting rotation worthy of the name, the Orioles are still right there.
2. Terry Francona, Cleveland. If I could hire any current manager to run my team, this is the guy I'd want to get.
3. Scott Servais, Seattle. Don't tell me the Mariners finally have people running the show who know what they're doing. I'm not sure I even know how to live in such a world.
NL Manager of the Year
1. Dusty Baker, Washington. Listen people - for someone who gets mocked as much as he does, Dusty Baker is really good at the job.
2. Joe Maddon, Chicago. Sure, he's got the best team. But there's an awful lot of ways you can have the best team and still screw it up. Consider the 2015 Washington Nationals, for example.
3. Don Mattingly, Miami. I like the job his replacement's done with the Dodgers, but after losing 91 games a year ago the Marlins have hung around the edges of the pennant race. Despite having a one-man rotation and losing their best player for two months.
You may be wondering - is that old fool Magpie actually telling us who he'd vote for, if the authorities were deluded enough to allow him to vote? Or is he merely predicting who's going to win.
Both, silly. It's completely impossible for me to even conceive of someone disagreeing with these views that I've so carefully thought through, over these last five minutes. You know that about me by now, surely.
AL MVP
1. Mike Trout, Los Angeles - Duh. OK, his team is 61-79 when he's in the lineup and that really will cost him votes. But still... duh. Voting for Trout ought to be a qualification for... voting.
2. Jose Altuve, Houston. I keep flipping a coin to decide who's the runner-up.
3. Mookie Betts, Boston. And I've settled on alphabetical order.
Voters get to put ten names on the ballot, and you can list Robinson Cano, Josh Donaldson, Brian Dozier, Manny Machado, Dustin Pedroia, Kyle Seager, and Adrian Beltre in any order you like. And you'll notice that the three men atop the AL RBI lead don't even make the ballot. Ortiz and Encarnacion will certainly get some votes but times really have changed and driving in runs doesn't get you the MVP support it did twenty years ago.
NL MVP
1. Kris Bryant, Chicago. Also, duh. And after him it's just a jumble.
2. Daniel Murphy, Washington. Who saw this coming? Did a light go on last October, and it's shining still?
3. Corey Seager, Los Angeles. A rookie, people.
Anthony Rizzo and Yoenis Cespedes will also be named on most ballots. The NL in 2016 is awash in guys having great seasons for terrible teams - Nolan Arenado, Joey Votto, Paul Goldschmidt, Freddie Freeman, and Jean Segura - and they're the guys who'll be filling out the other spots on the ballot.
AL Cy Young
1. Rick Porcello, Boston - The very flashy WL record doesn't hurt, and in a year when no one is obviously standing above the crowd serves as the tiebreaker.
2. Corey Kluber, Cleveland. Basically repeating his Cy Young season of two years ago, but the rough start (4-6, 4.15 through May) hurts him.
3. Chris Sale, Chicago. He had this locked up two months ago, but he's gone 1-6 in his last 11 starts. That's almost entirely because his team sucks, but there you go.
There could be a few random votes for J.A. Happ, Jose Quintana, Cole Hamels. And I'm sure some people will vote for Zach Britton
NL Cy Young
1. Max Scherzer, Washington. A little more clear-cut than the AL to my mind. Scherzer looks to be slightly ahead of the pack. Not by a lot, mind you. But ahead.
2. Jon Lester, Chicago. Oh, American Leaguers! Lester is 3-0, 0.43 in three WS starts.
3. Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco. Of course, this guy is 4-0, 0.25 with a save in 5 WS games.
You can certainly justify placing names like Jonny Cueto, Tanner Roark, and Jose Fernandez on your ballot. And Clayton Kershaw.
AL Rookie of the Year
1. Michael Fullmer, Detroit. The best of what turns out to be a crop of solid players with no obvious stars on the horizon. With one possible exception.
2. Tim Anderson, Chicago. I really like him. He'll dazzle you afield, and he can hit a bit, too.
3. Nomar Mazara, Texas. He's struggled a bit in the second half, which has loosened his grip on the award that was his for the taking. But he's still just 21 years old. If there's a future star in this year's field, this is the one.
Honourable mention: Tyler Naquin, Cheslor Cuthbert.
NL Rookie of the Year
1. Corey Seager, Los Angeles. Whereas this guy is a star already.
2. Aledmys Diaz, St. Louis. He's 26 years old, which is one reason he seems so fully developed.
3. Kenta Maeda, Los Angeles. Lots of people have won the award with seasons just like this one.
Honourable mention: Jon Gray, Junior Guerra, Zach Davies. And Steven Matz will get some New York votes.
AL Manager of the Year
1. Buck Showalter, Baltimore. The Red Sox were the consensus pre-season pick to edge the defending champs from Toronto. Despite not having a starting rotation worthy of the name, the Orioles are still right there.
2. Terry Francona, Cleveland. If I could hire any current manager to run my team, this is the guy I'd want to get.
3. Scott Servais, Seattle. Don't tell me the Mariners finally have people running the show who know what they're doing. I'm not sure I even know how to live in such a world.
NL Manager of the Year
1. Dusty Baker, Washington. Listen people - for someone who gets mocked as much as he does, Dusty Baker is really good at the job.
2. Joe Maddon, Chicago. Sure, he's got the best team. But there's an awful lot of ways you can have the best team and still screw it up. Consider the 2015 Washington Nationals, for example.
3. Don Mattingly, Miami. I like the job his replacement's done with the Dodgers, but after losing 91 games a year ago the Marlins have hung around the edges of the pennant race. Despite having a one-man rotation and losing their best player for two months.
