MLB awards schedule and predictions: Cy Young, MVP, Rookie of the Year
By Kevin Henry
When are the American League and National League MVP awards announced?
The winners of the American League and National League Most Valuable Player Awards will be announced on November 18. Finalists will be announced on November 8.
Who will win the American League MVP award?
Shohei Ohtani kicked off the award season by being given a rare Commissioner’s Historic Achievement Award just before the World Series began. The award was founded in 1998 and was last presented in 2014 (to Derek Jeter and Vin Scully). According to a release from MLB, the award is to “recognize accomplishments and contributions of historical significance to the game.”
Now, with that in mind, is there any way that Ohtani doesn’t win the AL MVP award? It’s possible, but improbable.
Ohtani slashed .257/.372/.592 in 639 plate appearances (46 homers, 100 RBI, and 26 stolen bases were offensive highlights) while logging a 3.18 ERA with 156 strikeouts in 130.1 innings on the mound. Two-way numbers even close to that haven’t been seen in MLB since the days of Babe Ruth.
Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. would be the MVP in other seasons, but his MLB-leading 48 homers and AL-leading OPS+ of 169 will likely give him a second-place finish, ahead of teammate Marcus Semien and his incredible 86 extra-base hits this season (39 doubles, two triples, and 45 homers) and 102 RBI.
UPDATE: Ohtani won the award with a unanimous decision. Click here to see the balloting.
Who will win the National League MVP award?
This will likely be the closest of any major postseason award, but expect Philadelphia’s Bryce Harper to edge Washington’s Juan Soto for the honor.
Harper led all of Major League Baseball with an OPS of 1.044 and an OPS+ of 179. For those who believe team success plays a role in the MVP discussion, Harper’s Phillies were in the playoff chase until the last week of the season. That’s more than can be said for Soto’s Nationals, an argument that could hurt the just-turned-23-year-old phenom who walked an MLB-high 145 times this year, helping him lead the league in on-base percentage (.465).
Next. Juan Soto tried out for the Washington Capitals ... and failed. dark
Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres will likely finish third in the NL MVP race.
UPDATE: Harper won the MVP, with Soto and Tatis finishing behind him. You can view the final tally here.