MLB award finalists: Judge, Altuve vie for AL MVP; Kershaw seeks 4th Cy Young
The Baseball Writers' Association of America announced the finalists for the four major awards in each league Monday. Here's a look at who's in the running for the prestigious end-of-season honors.
AL MVP
| Player | Pos. | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Jose Altuve | 2B | Astros |
| Aaron Judge | OF | Yankees |
| Jose Ramirez | 3B-2B | Indians |
As expected, Judge - vying to become the third rookie MVP ever - and Altuve get two of the final AL spots. Ramirez becomes a finalist after an incredible season in Cleveland, earning his berth over none other than Mike Trout.
NL MVP
| Player | Pos. | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Paul Goldschmidt | 1B | Diamondbacks |
| Giancarlo Stanton | OF | Marlins |
| Joey Votto | 1B | Reds |
Votto and his insane on-base percentage are the surprise of this lot. He'll contend for his second MVP award despite playing on a 94-loss team. Goldschmidt also had a stellar year in Arizona, though Stanton is likely the favorite after crushing 59 homers in Miami.
AL Cy Young Award
| Pitcher | Pos. | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Corey Kluber | RHP | Indians |
| Chris Sale | LHP | Red Sox |
| Luis Severino | RHP | Yankees |
Severino's reward for striking out 230 batters in his first full season is a well-deserved top-three Cy Young finish. But he's got tough competition in 300-K man Sale and the 2014 winner Kluber, who's a finalist for the third time in four seasons.
NL Cy Young Award
| Pitcher | Pos. | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Clayton Kershaw | LHP | Dodgers |
| Max Scherzer | RHP | Nationals |
| Stephen Strasburg | RHP | Nationals |
Kershaw is in search of his fourth Cy Young, which would tie him with Steve Carlton, Randy Johnson, and Greg Maddux for the most in NL history. Scherzer's trying for his third, while his rotation-mate Strasburg is a first-time finalist.
AL Rookie of the Year
| Player | Pos. | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Andrew Benintendi | OF | Red Sox |
| Aaron Judge | OF | Yankees |
| Trey Mancini | OF-1B-DH | Orioles |
Hearty congratulations are due to Benintendi and Mancini on their finalist nods alongside likely winner Judge, who became the first rookie in baseball history to hit 50 home runs.
NL Rookie of the Year
| Player | Pos. | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Josh Bell | 1B | Pirates |
| Cody Bellinger | OF-1B | Dodgers |
| Paul DeJong | SS | Cardinals |
As in the AL, the winner of the Senior Circuit's rookie honors is all but assured. Bellinger set a NL rookie record for home runs in an incredible debut campaign.
AL Manager of the Year
| Player | Team |
|---|---|
| Terry Francona | Indians |
| A.J. Hinch | Astros |
| Paul Molitor | Twins |
Francona, a two-time winner of this award, takes on a pair of first-time candidates. Molitor guided the Twins to the playoffs after a 100-loss season in 2016; Hinch's work with the champion Astros, meanwhile, speaks for itself.
NL Manager of the Year
| Player | Team |
|---|---|
| Bud Black | Rockies |
| Torey Lovullo | Diamondbacks |
| Dave Roberts | Dodgers |
All three NL Manager of the Year candidates come out of the stacked NL West. Roberts - who won it last year - and Black are both former winners of this award, while Lovullo earned the nomination in his first season as a skipper.
Award winners will be revealed next week, beginning with the Rookie of the Year announcements Nov. 13.
| Award | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Rookie of the Year | Nov. 13 | 6 p.m. ET |
| Manager of the Year | Nov. 14 | 6 p.m. ET |
| Cy Young | Nov. 15 | 6 p.m. ET |
| MVP | Nov. 16 | 6 p.m. ET |
(Photos courtesy: Action Images)