Jul 31, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) throws in the 1st inning against the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
The trade deadline is in the rearview mirror and, as we focus our attention to the playoffs, BoSox Injection will be taking a gander at a few of the biggest postseason events throughout MLB. We’ll be predicting the winners of the MVP, Cy Young, and Rookie of the Year awards and making our playoff predictions as well. Let’s get started!
AL MVP: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels (.303/.394/.585, 25 home runs, 80 RBIs, 12 stolen bases)
- In the third full season of Trout’s career, he will finally come home with his first MVP trophy after being snubbed by Miguel Cabrera in each of the last two seasons. He has cemented himself as among the best players in baseball throughout the last two years but this will be the year that he establishes himself as the best.
NL MVP: Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado Rockies (.340/.432/.603, 21 home runs, 52 RBIs)
- Players who do not play for contending teams often have a difficult time winning the MVP trophy. However, that should not be a problem for Tulowitzki in 2014 as he has clearly been the best player in the National League. His 1.035 OPS is 76 points better than the next player in the League and he is playing excellent defense at shortstop to boot.
AL Cy Young: Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners (11-3, 2.01 ERA, 9.7 K/9, 1.7 BB/9)
- Whether or not the player’s team is contending can be an issue for Cy Young winners as well, but with the Mariners finally contending and with Hernandez having the best season of his already incredibly impressive career, he appears to be a shoe-in for the AL Cy Young. His ERA, K/9, and BB/9 are all the best of his career and his excellent 2.08 FIP suggests he could continue this success throughout the year.
NL Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers (13-2, 1.71 ERA, 11.1 K/9, 1.1 BB/9)
- Kershaw missed the first month of the season and wasn’t great in May but his last two months have completely erased all sins. Overall this year, he has been earth-shatteringly good, as like Hernandez, he is having the best season of his already phenomenal career and it appears likely that Kershaw will pick up his third Cy Young in four years.
AL Rookie of the Year: Jose Abreu, Chicago White Sox (.304/.361/.627, 31 home runs, 84 RBIs)
- Abreu may not qualify as a rookie in some peoples’ books, but he does in the eye of MLB and that’s all that matters. He is 27 years old but he has been so good that he’ll be in serious contention for MVP as well as Rookie of the Year; he currently leads the league in home runs, RBIs, and slugging percentage, and he is first in the American League in OPS too.
NL Rookie of the Year: Jacob deGrom, New York Mets (6-5, 2.77 ERA, 8.6 K/9, 3.1 BB/9)
- DeGrom is a surprise contender for the Rookie of the Year but in a weak National League class of rookies, he is as deserving as anyone. An afterthought entering the year, he has been excellent for the Mets and may well work his way into their future plans even with their stacked farm system.
American League playoffs:
- AL Wild Card Game: Los Angeles Angels over Seattle Mariners
- ALDS: Oakland Athletics over Los Angeles Angels
- ALDS: Detroit Tigers over Baltimore Orioles
- ALCS: Oakland Athletics over Detroit Tigers
National League playoffs:
- NL Wild Card Game: San Francisco Giants over Milwaukee Brewers
- NLDS: Los Angeles Dodgers over San Francisco Giants
- NLDS: Washington Nationals over St. Louis Cardinals
- NLCS: Los Angeles Dodgers over Washington Nationals
World Series:
Oakland Athletics over Los Angeles Dodgers (7 games)