The 2023 MLB season is coming to an end, and it’s a perfect time to take a look at the regular season awards race. This section will focus on the American League (AL) awards.
The easiest call is found in the AL MVP race. L.A. Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani has sealed this award since the All-Star break in July, as he has hit 44 homeruns and accumulated 8.9 wins above replacement (fWAR) in only 135 games. Ohtani is also an excellent pitcher, which is shown with his 3.14 earned run average (ERA) in 132 innings (IP.)
The Cy Young award is given to the league’s best pitcher. The top candidates are New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, Seattle Mariners pitcher Luis Castillo, and the Toronto Blue Jays’ Kevin Gausman. Amid a disappointing season for the Yankees, Cole has been a bright spot as his ERA is a mere 2.81. While Gausman leads Cole in fWAR (4.8 vs 4.4), Cole’s ability to pitch deeper into games gives him the advantage.
The third major hardware in the AL is the Rookie of the Year (ROY) award. This season has seen three players that stand out among everyone else. Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson has been the favorite for the last couple of months, as he has heated up after a slow start to the season. His 4.5 fWAR leads all rookies, and he’s also hit 27 home runs to go along with a .832 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS). Henderson is just one of the many talented youngsters the Orioles possess, as they hope to make a World Series run after years of rebuilding.
The other two candidates in the AL ROY race are Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas and Cleveland Guardians pitcher Tanner Bibee. Casas’ value is diminished due to the lack of first base defense, and ROY awards don’t tend to be given to pitchers, which hurts Bibee’s case. Nevertheless, Bibee deserves a shout as his 2.98 ERA in 142 IP helped a Guardians pitching staff that suffered various injuries to key starters.
Award winners won’t be known until November, but it’s interesting to see the main candidates for the hardware. Part Two will highlight the National League.