Silver Sluggers:
American League
Catcher: Salvador Perez, Royals
1st Base: Jose Abreu, White Sox
2nd Base: Jose Altuve, Astros
3rd Base: Jose Ramirez, Indians
Shortstop: Francisco Lindor, Indians
Outfielder: Mookie Betts, Red Sox
Outfielder: Mike Trout, Angels
Outfielder: J.D. Martinez, Red Sox
Designated Hitter: J.D. Martinez, Red Sox
National League:
Catcher: J.T. Realmuto, Marlins
1st Base: Paul Goldschmidt, Dimaondbacks
2nd Base: Javier Baez, Cubs
3rd Base: Nolan Arenado, Rockies
Shortstop: Trevor Story, Rockies
Outfielder: Christian Yelich, Brewers
Outfielder: David Peralta, Diamondbacks
Outfielder: Nick Markakis, Braves
Pitcher: German Marquez, Rockies
Manager Of The Year
AL: Bob Melvin Oakland Athletics
NL: Brian Snitker, Atlanta Braves
Looking at the American League, the fact that Melvin guided the A's to one of the better turn around stories in baseball says a lot. Oakland had the lowest payroll in all of the Majors, winning 97 games and claiming the 2nd Wild Card Spot. What's even more amazing about what Oakland did is the fact that the A's were two games under .500 and 11 games out of a Wild Card spot by the middle of June. They then managed to catch fire, going 63-29 from that point on in order to earn a place in the Wild Card Game. Oakland would fall to the Yankees, but the loss could hardly take away from an otherwise outstanding season. Bob Melvin joins Tony La Russa (1988, 1992) as the only A's managers bestowed with Manager of the Year honors. For Melvin, this marks the 3rd time he's won the award, the other two coming in 2007 with Arizona and 2012 with the A's. Melvin joins Dusty Baker, Bobby Cox, Tony La Russa, Jim Leyland, Joe Maddon, Lou Piniella and Buck Showalter bas the only managers to win the award three times.
What Brian Snitker did with the Braves was amazing beyond description. He lead the Braves to a 90 win season and a surprising division title. This has to feel like vindication almost for Snitker, who's been around the game, as either a player coach or manager, since 1977. He took over the job a short time into the 2016 season and as helped lead Atlanta to the top of the National League East mountain. He had plenty of hard working young talent in his lineup like Ronald Acuna and Ender Incartie and vets like Freddy Freeman and Nick Markakis leading the charge. He joins Bobby Cox, who won it three times, as the only Braves skipper to win it in the NL.
Rookie Of The Year:
AL: Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels Of Anaheim
NL: Ronald Acuna, Atlanta Braves
Ohtani winning the Rookie of the Year in the American League, while very well deserving, does come at a bit of a controversy. The fact that he beat out Miguel Andujar of the Yankees, and by as wide a margin as he did comes as a bit of a surprise. Ohtani became the first player since Babe Ruth to have ten pitching appearances and hit 20 homers in the same season. He got 25 of the 30 first place votes, with the other five going to Miguel Andujar of the Yankees. Ohtani became the third Angel to win the award, joining Mike Trout (2012) and Tim Salmon (1993), and the fourth Japanese-born winner, after Hideo Nomo (1995), Kazuhiro Sasaki (2000) and Ichiro Suzuki (2001). Andujar had the higher batting average, more homers and drove in more runs. He actually lead all AL Rookies in all three catagories. Ohtani also played in only 104 games. I'm not taking away anything that Ohtani did on the year, I'm just saying that the two Yankees rookies had better years than Ohtani did.
With the National League, Acuna beat out Juan Soto of the Nats. Soto had a better year in the RBI department, but the overall game for Acuna was better of the two for those choices. He got 27 of the 30 votes for the winner of the Rookie Of The Year in the NL. Acuna is the first Braves player to win a major postseason award since Craig Kimbrel was named the NL's Rookie of the Year in 2011. The other players in franchise history to be named Rookie of the Year were Rafael Furcal (2000), David Justice (1990), Bob Horner (1978), Earl Williams (1971), Sam Jethroe (1950) and Alvin Dark (1948). To be fair, Soto had as great a year as anybody among the rookies in the National League, but because Acuna got hot in the second half of the year, he walked away with the award. Acuna had to deal with batteling injuries but altered his swing and became the leadoff hitter and then took off.
Cy Young Award
AL: Blake Snell, Tampa Bay Rays
NL: Jacob deGrom, New York Mets
Jacob deGrom was playing baseball at a whole different level this year. Jacob got 29 of the 30 first place votes in the NL, the only other vote going to Max Scherzer of the Nationals. deGrom became the 4th Mets pitcher to win the Cy Young, joining Tom Seaver (1969, 19734, 1975), Doc Gooden (1985) and R.A Dickey (2012). Sure that Scherzer had more wins, innings and striekouts, but deGrom had a 1.70 ERA, the sixth-best in baseball since MLB lowered the pitcher's mound to its current height in 1969. Although deGrom's 10-9 record was pedestrian, he led the NL in ERA, all major versions of WAR and several other key run-prevention categories. Jake had a year that was at another level, pitching lights out almost every night. It was a shame that he didn't have higher win totals, that was because the Mets couldn't score a lot of runs for him. He was pitching at a level that was beyond description and is very deserving of winning this award.
In the American League, on a team that mostly used openers instead of starters in Tampa, Blake Snell had a year that really stood head and shoulders above the rest. Snell joins David Price (2012) as the only Rays pitchers to win the AL Cy Young award. When the year started, Snell seemed like the 2nd man up in that Tampa Rotation, behind Chris Archer. But when Tampa switched over to using openers, Snell became the only real starter in that lineup and was the unquestioned ace of this team. He paced the American League in wins with 21, a 1.89 ERA and hits allowed per nine innings at 5.6. All this while striking out 221 across 180 2/3 innings. Snell's 1.89 ERA marked the fifth lowest single-season mark for a left-hander since the mound was lowered in 1969, and it is third lowest by an AL starter since the designated hitter was implemented in 1973. It was the lowest mark by a qualified AL starter since Pedro Martinez pitched to a 1.74 ERA in 2000. He was good, really good this year.
Most Valuable Player
AL: Mookie Bets, Boston Red Sox
NL: Christian Yelich, Milwaukee Brewers
Betts put up a great year for the Red Sox. Wasn't quite the same power numbers as teammate J.D. Marteniz, but he was playing at a different level from most of the league never the less. Mookie got 28 fo the 30 first place votes, the other votes going to Mike Trout of the Angles, and JD Martinez of the Red Sox<. Betts is the first Red Sox player to win the MVP since Dustin Pedroia in 2008. The other players to win the MVP for Boston? Tris Speaker (1912), Jimmie Foxx (1938), Ted Williams (1946, 1949), Jackie Jensen (1958), Carl Yastrzemski (1967), Fred Lynn (1975), Jim Rice (1978), Roger Clemens (1986) and Mo Vaughn (1995). Betts was a force in every way possible, winning the batting title with a .346 average while adding 42 doubles, five triples, 32 homers, 129 runs, 80 RBIs and 30 stolen bases. The 26-year-old led MLB with a 1.078 OPS and earned his third consecutive Rawlings Gold Glove Award for his defensive excellence. He hit over .300 in ever month during the season except for the month of June. Sure Martinez had the better power numbers and drove in more runs, but Mookie was the best overall player in the AL during the regular season. There was nobody else playing like him this year.
With the second half of the year the Yelich had for the Brewers, it was almost no surprise that he walked away with the MVP award in the NL. Yelich got 29 of the 30 votes for first place in the MVP race, the only other one to get a 1st place vote was Jacob deGrom (the only MVP vote he got). Yelich becomes the 5th Brewer to win MVP, joining Ryan Braun (2008), Rod Carew (1977), Robin Yount (1982 and 1989) and Rollie Fingers (1982). Yelich became the first Brewers player to win a batting title and finished two home runs and one RBI shy of what would have been the NL's first Triple Crown since St. Louis' Joe Medwick in 1937. Yelich batted .326 with 36 home runs and 110 RBIs, leading the NL in average, slugging percentage, OPS, weighted runs created plus, weighted on-base average and adjusted OPS while leading NL hitters in every version of wins above replacement. He had a second half of the year that wasn't on par with anybody else. He was dominating the games at times for the Crew and carried them during the second half of the year,
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