MLB Final Awards: AL Cy Young, NL MVP race down to the wire

The 2019 regular season is officially over, but before the postseason begins, theScore's MLB editors handed in their ballots for major end-of-season awards. Ballots include the top five players/managers for each award, with 14 points given for a first-place vote, nine points for a second-place vote, eight-points for a third-place vote, and so on. Here are the winners:

AL MVP: Mike Trout

Mike Trout takes home his third American League MVP and first since 2016 despite appearing in just 134 games after missing the final three weeks of the season. The Angels outfielder put together arguably the finest campaign of his nine-year career, posting 45 home runs and an AL-best 1.083 OPS. Despite a late charge from Alex Bregman, and the Angels missing the postseason once again, Trout's production makes him the unanimous selection.

NL MVP: Cody Bellinger

Unlike Trout, a season-ending injury ends up costing Christian Yelich his shot at becoming the first back-to-back National League MVP since Albert Pujols in 2008-09. Instead, Dodgers star Cody Bellinger takes the crown after slashing .305/.406/.629 with 47 home runs, 121 runs, 115 RBIs, and 15 stolen bases. The NL MVP race was the closest of any of the major awards.

AL Cy Young: Justin Verlander

Despite a late charge from Houston Astros teammate Gerrit Cole, Justin Verlander takes home the second Cy Young of his career and first since 2011. Verlander threw his third career no-hitter and led the majors in innings pitched, wins, WHIP, and opponents' batting average at the ripe old age of 36. Either one would be a viable option, but Verlander takes it by a hair.

NL Cy Young: Jacob deGrom

Jacob deGrom becomes the first New York Mets pitcher to claim back-to-back NL Cy Young awards after another dominant season. While deGrom didn't quite replicate his historic performance from 2018, he still put together an incredible year, leading the Senior Circuit in strikeouts and WHIP.

AL ROY: Yordan Alvarez

Houston Astros outfielder Yordan Alvarez slugged his way to a unanimous selection for AL Rookie of the Year. The 22-year-old clubbed 27 home runs and 26 doubles in just 87 games, finishing with a 1.067 OPS. Alvarez joins Carlos Correa (2015) and Jeff Bagwell (1991) as the only players in Astros history to win the award.

NL ROY: Pete Alonso

In early spring, Pete Alonso wasn't even a lock to make the Mets' Opening Day roster, but fast forward seven months and he joins Jacob deGrom, Dwight Gooden, Darryl Strawberry, Tom Seaver, and Jon Matlack as the only players in franchise history to win NL Rookie of the Year. Alonso's historic debut season saw him hit 53 home runs (topping Aaron Judge's rookie record), drive in 120 RBIs, and post a .941 OPS. His year was so dominant that he takes home ROY honors in unanimous fashion despite an immensely talented rookie class in the NL.

AL Manager: Aaron Boone

Aaron Boone not only managed to keep the New York Yankees afloat during an unprecedented amount of injuries but also led them to a 103-win season and their first division title since 2012. Sure, the Yankees have an enviable amount of resources and depth, but Boone deserves a lot of credit for guiding a team that missed Luis Severino, Dellin Betances, Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Miguel Andujar, Aaron Hicks, Didi Gregorius, and Gary Sanchez for significant periods of time.

NL Manager: Craig Counsell

The Milwaukee Brewers were left for dead when Christian Yelich suffered a season-ending injury Sept. 10, but Craig Counsell kept his team motivated and led them to a 13-5 record after losing the reigning NL MVP. That late-season magic helps the skipper win his first Manager of the Year award in his fifth season.