MLB Awards

Matthew Iannuzzo, Reporter

The regular season and postseason has come to an end. Teams’ general managers are getting ready for the offseason for free agency and trades. However, one of the most important events of the offseason is the awards. The awards given out during the offseason are the gold gloves, silver sluggers, manager of the year, rookie of the year, CY young, and MVP.

The gold gloves winners in both leagues have already been announced. Here are the winners of the 2015 campaign:

American League:
Pitcher- Dallas Keuchel, Houston Astros
Catcher- Salvador Perez, Kansas City Royals
First Base- Eric Hosmer, Kansas City Royals
Second Base- Jose Altuve, Houston Astros
Third Base- Manny Machado, Baltimore Orioles
Shortstop- Alcides Escobar, Kansas City Royals
Left Field- Yoenis Cespedes, Detroit Tigers (traded to the New York Mets, currently a free agent)
Center Field- Kevin Kiermaier, Tampa Bay Rays
Right Field- Kole Calhoun, Los Angeles Angels
National League:
Pitcher- Zack Grienke, Los Angeles Dodgers (currently a free agent)
Catcher- Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals
First Base- Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks
Second Base- Dee Gordon, Miami Marlins
Third Base- Nolan Arenado, Colorado Rockies
Shortstop- Brandon Crawford, San Francisco Giants
Left Field- Starling Marte, Pittsburgh Pirates
Center Field- A.J. Pollock, Arizona Diamondbacks
Right Field- Jason Heyward, St. Louis Cardinals (currently a free agent)
The silver sluggers for both leagues have already been announced as well. Here are the winners:

American League:
Catcher- Brian McCann, New York Yankees
First Base- Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers
Second Base- Jose Altuve, Houston Astros
Third Base- Josh Donaldson, Toronto Blue Jays
Shortstop- Xander Bogaerts, Boston Red Sox
Outfield- Mike Trout (Los Angeles Angels), Nelson Cruz (Seattle Mariners), J.D. Martinez (Detroit Tigers)
National League:
Pitcher- Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco Giants
Catcher- Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants
First Base- Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks
Second Base- Dee Gordon, Miami Marlins
Third Base- Nolan Arenado, Colorado Rockies
Shortstop- Brandon Crawford, San Francisco Giants
Outfield- Bryce Harper (Washington Nationals), Andrew McCutchen (Pittsburgh Pirates), Carlos Gonzalez

The next award to be announced was the rookie of the year award. This award is named after the first black man to ever step on a Major League Baseball Field, Jackie Robinson. Major League Baseball named this award after him 40 years after he broke the color barrier. To be qualified for the rookie of the year, a player must have 75 at-bats or 45 innings pitched in their Major League career. This year’s candidates in the American League were Carlos Correa, shortstop of the Houston Astros, Francisco Lindor, shortstop of the Cleveland Indians, and Miguel Sano, third basemen of the Minnesota Twins. In the National League the candidates were, Kris Bryant, third basemen of the Chicago Cubs, Jung-Ho Kang, shortstop of the Pittsburgh Pirates, and Matt Duffy, third basemen of the San Francisco Giants. The winners were Carlos Correa of the Houston Astros and Kris Bryant of the Chicago Cubs. Correa was the big factor for the Astros lineup with a .279 batting average with 22 homeruns and 68 runs batted in. He also had a good postseason with a .292 batting average with 2 homeruns and 4 runs batted in. As for Kris Bryant, he hit .275 with 26 homeruns and 99 runs batted in.

After that, the manager of the year award was announced. The candidates for this award were Jeff Banister of the Texas Rangers, A.J. Hinch of the Houston Astros, Paul Molitor of the Minnesota Twins, Terry Collins, Joe Maddon of the Chicago Cubs, and Mike Matheny of the St. Louis Cardinals. The winners were Jeff Banister of the Texas Rangers and Joe Maddon of the Chicago Cubs. Jeff Banister was hired by the Rangers in 2015. They came in first place in the American League west. Star players in the lineup were Prince Fielder, Adrian Beltre, and Mitch Moreland. Joe Maddon has been known as a great manager since 2008 when he led the Tampa Bay Rays to the World Series. He won the manager of the year award in 2011. When he was signed by the Cubs in 2015 and expected them to make the playoffs. The Cubs did just that with the stars of Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, and Jake Arrieta.

The next award to be announced is the CY Young award. This award was named after Indians Hall of Fame pitcher, CY Young, who died in 1955. This award was first introduced in 1956. The candidates in the American League are Dallas Keuchel of the Houston Astros, Sonny Gray of the Oakland Athletics, and David Price, who is currently a free agent, but he will get the award with the Toronto Blue Jays. In the National League, players nominated are Jake Arrieta of the Chicago Cubs, Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Zack Grienke, who is currently a free agent, but he will get the award with the Los Angeles Dodgers. I think the winners will be Dallas Keuchel and Jake Arrieta. Keuchel was a twenty game winner with eight losses, a 2.48 ERA, and 216 strikeouts. His record included a 15-0 record at home. Arrieta was known as a great pitcher for two years now. He had 22-6 record with a 1.77 ERA and 236 strikeouts. Arrieta also has a no-hitter under his belt in the 2015 season. Both pitchers were part of the surprise teams in the 2015 season.

The final award that will be given out is the MVP award. MVP awards are based on a player’s offensive numbers or the numbers of a pitcher. The candidates this year in the American League are Lorenzo Cain, center fielder of the Kansas City Royals, Josh Donaldson, third basemen of the Toronto Blue Jays, and Mike Trout, center fielder of the Los Angeles Angels. In the National League the candidates are Joey Votto, first basemen of the Cincinnati Reds, Bryce Harper, right fielder of the Washington Nationals, and Paul Goldschmidt, first basemen of the Arizona Diamondbacks. I think the winners will be Josh Donaldson and Bryce Harper. Donaldson was part of a powerful Blue Jays lineup with Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion, and Troy Tulowitzki. He hit .297 with 41 homeruns and 123 runs batted in. Harper came out with a monster year as well for the Washington Nationals, even though they didn’t make the playoffs. He hit .330 with 42 homeruns and 99 runs batted in.

Who will be the CY Young and MVP winners? You’ll find out tonight and tomorrow.