2021 MLB Midseason Awards

Normally I do allstar predictions but I kind of forgot about that this year so instead I’m going to switch it up and do midseason awards. 

NL Rookie of the Year 

Winner: Trevor Rogers

As of right now Rogers is the run away candidate for rookie of the year. 2.31 ERA and 122 strikeouts in 18 starts so far. He was the only NL rookie to make the allstar team. Barring a meltdown or another player going on an insane 2nd half run, he should win the award for the year. 

Runner up: Ian Anderson 

Anderson was a ROTY candidate last year and because of the shortened season, he is still a rookie this year. He is not doing as well as he didn’t in his couple of starts last year but is still putting up a solid 3.56 ERA and 98 strikeouts in 18 starts. He could give Rogers a run if he gets hot. 

Players to watch: Jazz Chisholm, Dylan Carlson, Pavin Smith

AL Rookie of the Year

Winner: Adolis Garcia

Garcia is having an outstanding year. 22 homeruns, 62 RBIs, .840 OPS. He was the only AL rookie allstar. Why did the Cardinals give him away? It hurts. 

Runner up: Randy Arozarena

Arozarena set the record for most home runs in a post season and now he is a rookie of the year candidate. Baseball is weird. Arozarena is having a solid year. 10 homeruns, 41 RBIs, 11 stolen bases, .733 OPS. He would need to get hot to catch Garcia but we have seen he is capable of doing that. Why did the Cardinals trade him away? It hurts. 

Players to watch: Akil Badoo, Ryan Mountcastle, Casey Mize

NL Cy Young

Winner: Jacob deGrom

It’s Jacob deGrom. The record for a starting pitcher’s ERA in a season is 1.12 by Bob Gibson in 1968. deGrom’s ERA this year is 1.08. Throw in an NL-leading 146 strikeouts. It’s Jacob deGrom. 

Runner up: Kevin Gausman

No one is going to surpass deGrom but Gausman is having a career year. 1.73 ERA, 133 strikeouts, his first allstar game appearance. Leading the Giants to somehow having the best record in baseball. Heck of a year so far. 

Players to watch: Zach Wheeler, Brandon Woodruff, Max Scherzer

AL Cy Young

Winner: Gerrit Cole

This one is interesting. Cole’s stats for the 1st half are great. 2.68 ERA, MLB-leading 147 strikeouts   But his stats over the last month and a half are a mixed bag. ERA of 4.15. Good start then bad start. These coincide with baseball’s crackdown on pitchers using foreign substances. Coincidence?  (If you having seen the video of Cole being asked if he’s ever used “spider tack”, click here and enjoy). It will be interesting to see how Cole does in the 2nd half.  

Runner Up: Carlos Rodon 

Rodon is having an outstanding year and he’s close with Cole for the award in my opinion. 2.31 ERA, tied for 2nd with 130 strikeouts. Rodon looks like he’s figured it out. 

Players to watch: Lance Lynn, Robby Ray, Shane Bieber

NL MVP

Winner: Jacob deGrom

It takes a lot for a pitcher to win MVP but deGrom’s season is worth it. It’s historic. He’s the best pitcher of this generation. 

Runner up: Fernando Tatis Jr. 

If not a pitcher winning MVP then it’s Tatis Jr.  He leads the NL with 28 homeruns, 20 stolen bases and a OPS of 1.020. He is an exciting player to watch and is every bit derserving. Why didn’t the Cardinals sign him as an amateur? It hurts. 

Honorable Mention: Ronald Acuna Jr. 

I wanted to throw this one in there because Acuna Jr. tore his ACL and won’t factor into the end of season awards but he was having a very great year. 24 homeruns, 17 stolen bases, .990 OPS. It would have been a good show between him and Tatis Jr the rest of the way. 

Players to watch: Nick Castellanos, Brandon Crawford, Trea Turner

AL MVP

Winner Shohei Ohtani

Ohtani is leading MLB with 33 homeruns. He has 70 RBIs, 12 stolen bases and a 1.062 OPS. Oh and did I mention he is a pitcher as well? SP/DH Ohtani has made 13 starts with a 3.49 ERA and 87 strikeouts. This is Babe Ruth level stuff here. 

Runner Up: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 

Guerrero Jr. is having an amazing season as well.  28 homeruns, 73 RBIs, 1.089 OPS. He was the Allstar Game MVP. I love watching Vlad Jr. play.

Players to watch: Marcus Semien, Carlos, Correa, Cedric Mullins

So that’s my list and my choices. This was different and I enjoyed it. Let me know what you think!

2021 MLB Awards Predictions

Next up on the baseball predictions, we’ve got the awards. So let’s go. 

NL MVP

Front runner: Fernando Tatis Jr. 

Tatis Jr. is the preeminent rising star in the game and this is his year to shine. He’s got power, he’s got speed, he’s got playmaking ability and killer instinct. He’s going to be really good for a really long time. 

Dark Horse: JT Realmuto

Realmuto is perhaps the best hitting catcher in the game at the moment. While Bryce Harper is the preeminent slugger one the Phillies, Realmuto plays a valued position at catcher. If the Phillies can dethrone the Braves in the East, he will be a key part of that. 

AL MVP

Front runner: Mike Trout

I’m still not betting against Trout. He’s the greatest player of this generation and a case can be made of all time. He has finished top 5 in the MVP voting every year of his career. He’s won 3 and arguably should have won more. Not betting against him. 

Dark horse: Bo Bichette

Bichette is a great young player with the Blue Jays. He’s yet to play a full 162 game season but all he has done so far in his career is hit. He could be primed for a breakout season this year with a strong, young Jays team. 

NL Cy Young

Front runner: Jacob deGrom

deGrom is the best pitcher in the game. He won 2 in a row before last season. Back in a full 162 game season, I think deGrom wins another one. 

Dark horse: Brandon Woodruff

Woodruff is a solid starter who has been steadily getting better the past few years. He was an allstar in 2019 and probably would have been one last year as well.  

AL Cy Young

Front Runner: Hyun-Jin Ryu

Ryu has been a great pitcher for a while now. He spent the early part of his career playing second fiddle to Kershaw in LA and is now the ace in Toronto. He’s finished top 3 the past two years and I think this is the year he finally wins it. 

Dark Horse: Jose Berrios

Berrios was my dark horse pick last year and I’m sticking with it. He has a ton of talent, has made a couple all-star teams before and I still believe he can take that next step to be elite. 

NL Rookie of the Year

Dylan Carlson 

After a period of adjustment last year, Carlson hit his stride and ended the year strong. He’s still a classified as a rookie this year. He’s going to be a starter and get a ton of playing time all year. I think he’s got a great shot at winning. 

AL Rookie of the Year 

Randy Arozarena

Baseball is weird. Last year’s ALCS MVP and record holder for most home runs in a postseason could follow that up by winning rookie of the year the following season.

2021 MLB Standings Predictions

 

It’s that time of year! The baseball season starts next week, so let’s do some predictions. To start it off, we’ll go through the standings. 

NL Central

1. St. Louis Cardinals 
2. Milwaukee Brewers-WC
3. Cincinnati Reds
4. Chicago Cubs
5. Pittsburgh Pirates

With the acquisition of Nolan Arenado, the Cardinals are the favorite to win this division.  With him and a full season of Dylan Carlson, this lineup is a lot deeper. They have some injuries in the rotation but they have a lot of pitching depth to hopefully make up for it. 

The Brewers and Reds both have solid lineups, I just don’t know if they will have the pitching depth this season. The Cubs still have a good lineup but their pitching overall isn’t wonderful and I wouldn’t be surprised if they are sellers at the trade deadline. And the Pirates are just bad. 

NL East

1. Atlanta Braves 
2. Washington Nationals
3. Philadelphia Phillies
4. New York Mets
5. Miami Marlins

I think this is still the Braves division to lose. They have some great hitters and good pitchers (depth may get a little tested but I think they pull through). 2-4 in this division feels like a toss up to me. I could see it turn out in any order depending on how different things go. The Nationals still have an amazing 1-3 in their rotation which I think will carry them. The Phillies have some great hitter but their rotation is weaker. The Mets improved this offseason but I feel like they might still be a tick behind. The Marlins made the playoffs last year with a lot of replacement players because of course 2020 was bizarre. I don’t think they can sustain that for a full 162 and will be back in the basement. 

NL West

1. Los Angeles Dodgers
2. San Diego Padres-WC
3. Arizona Diamondbacks
4. San Francisco Giants
5. Colorado Rockies 

The Dodgers have the best roster in baseball. They could have a former Cy Young winner coming out of the bullpen. They will win the division. The Padres made they’re young talented team even better this offseason and they’re going to try to dethrone LA.  I just don’t think they can. The Diamondbacks have some good young pitching behind Bumgarner, some good young hitters and should have a solid year. The bottom of this division could be pretty ugly. The Rockies have 2 good hitters left and some pitchers who could be toss ups. The Giants still have a past-their-prime offensive core minus Mike Yastrzemski and 1 good starting pitcher. 

AL Central

1. Chicago White Sox 
2. Minnesota Twins-WC
3. Cleveland Indians
4. Kansas City Royals 
5. Detroit Tigers 

I think this is the year the White Sox take the next step and win the division. They have a very good, young team and it will be interesting to see how Tony LaRussa does back managing again. Minnesota still have a very good team and is going to give them a tough run for their money. The Indians still have a solid rotation including the reigning Cy Young winner but only a couple good hitters. The Royals have a surprisingly good lineup but a lackluster rotation. I think the Indians pitching wins out but wouldn’t be completely shocked if the Royals pass them up. The Tigers have a few good, young players but the rebuild is still going on. 

AL East 

1. New York Yankees
2. Toronto Blue Jays-WC
3. Tampa Bay Rays
4. Baltimore Orioles
5. Boston Red Sox

This division is going to be a dog fight. I could see the Yankees, Blue Jays and Rays all winning. Yankees lineup is great, rotation has some questions, other than Gerrit Cole whose only question is “Will he win the Cy Young?”.  Can Corey Kluber return to form? Cy Young winner but only 8 starts the last 2 years. Can Jameson Taillon pitch the same under the big lights? Blue Jays lineup has lots of young talent and some great new veterans. Their rotation has questions too. Can Hyun-Jin Ryu be an ace? Can Robbie Ray get back on track? The Rays won the pennant last year and I have them in 3rd. I don’t like that. They have always been a “while is greater than sum of their parts” team. Their lineup has solid hitters all throughout. But their rotation has questions as well. Can Tyler Glasnow be an ace? Does Rich Hill still have it at 41? At least Kevin Cash can’t pull Blake Snell too early this year. The Orioles and Red Sox aren’t even close to these teams. Both rotations are lack luster. The Orioles have a few more decent hitters. Rebuilds. 

AL West

1. Oakland Athletics
2. Houston Astros
3. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 
4. Seattle Mariners
5. Texas Rangers

Oakland is similar to the Rays where their whole is greater then the sum of their parts. They have a couple great hitters, a few good ones and a rotation of good young pitchers and guys who have been good at times and need to be good again. The Astros roster is mostly the same minus Justin Verlander out for the year and George Springer now in Toronto. They are good team that could make a run for it but I see them falling short. The Angels are the same as they always are. A good lineup and a lack luster rotation. They will waste another year of Mike Trout’s career. The Mariners have a few good, young pitchers but lineup is very young and unproven. And the Rangers have Joey Gallo. 

World Series: Dodgers over White Sox

2020 MLB Playoffs Prediction

Earlier in the year I did not think we were actually going to make it here but somehow we did. It’s time for the baseball playoffs. So let’s do some predictions. 

NL Wildcard Round

Dodgers over Brewers

Reds over Braves

Cubs over Marlins

Padres over Cardinals

AL Wildcard Round

Rays over Blue Jays

White Sox over Athletics 

Twins over Astros

Indians over Yankees

NLDS

Dodgers over Padres

Reds over Cubs

ALDS

Rays over Indians

White Sox over Twins

NLCS

Dodgers over Reds

MVP: Betts

ALCS

White Sox over Rays

MVP: Giolito

World Series

White Sox over Dodgers

MVP: Dallas Keuchel

Baseball Player/Pokémon Mashup

I have a wide range of interests and this is one of the weird things that happens in my mind sometimes. Enjoy. 

1. Logan Forscyther 

                       Logan Forsythe + Scyther

2.  Yasmani Granbull

   

                   Yasmani Grandal + Granbull

3. Seung-Hwan Ho-Oh

               Seung-Hwan Oh + Ho-Oh

4.  Paul Golduck

       Paul Goldschmidt + Golduck

5.  Luke Weavile

                  Luke Weaver + Weavile

6. Jacob deSnom

                      Jacob deGrom + Snom

7.  Starly Marte

                         Starling Marte + Starly

8.  Delino DeShieldon Jr.  

          Delino DeShields Jr. + Shieldon

9.  Indeedee Gregorius

      Didi Gregorius + Indeedee

10.  Joey Gallade

                         Joey Gallo + Gallade

11.  Aron Judge

                    Aaron Judge + Aron

12.  Tommy Donpham

                    Tommy Pham + Donphan

13. Johan Macargo

              Johan Camargo + Macargo 

14.  Shin-Soo Pikachu

                 Shin-Soo Choo + Pikachu

15. Victor Caratini

                  Victor Caratini + Victini

2020 Cardinals Predictions

You know I had to do some Cardinals predictions, so let’s get to it.

1.  Kolten Wong and Yadier Molina win Gold Gloves
Wong had a breakout year last year and is the frontrunner again this season.  Barring any unforeseen circumstances, I don’t see why he shouldn’t repeat. Molina has been one of the best defensive catchers of all time. Yadi isn’t in his prime anymore, but in a 60 game sprint to the finish season, he won’t have to worry about getting worn down. This could be just the ticket for one last Yadi Gold Glove.

2.  The Cardinals will win the Central. 
I touched on this in my standings predictions, but I can go into more depth now. The Cardinals are set  up great for this season. Inevitably there will be times when players go out with Covid. When that happens the Cardinals have such a deep roster, they will be able to replace them with MLB ready players. There are pitchers in the bullpen that would be in most other rotations and hitter that didn’t make the team who would be on many other benches . I think a lack of depth will catch up with other teams. Also with a schedule consisting of the NL and AL Central, a third of their games will be against Pittsburgh, Kansas City and Detroit, who should be very bad this year and allow the Cardinals to rack up some wins. I predict a finish of 35-25.

3. Jack Flaherty wins the Cy Young. 
Flaherty had an unreal second half last season.  Legitimately one of the best in history.  He has turned the corner and there is no reason for this not to continue. Flaherty finished 4th last season.  Reigning winner Jacob deGrom has been dealing with a back issue.  He’s ready to start the season but I’m interested to see if this pops up again. Hyun-Jin Ryu finished 2nd but he is in the American League now. Max Scherzer finished 3rd but was just a few points ahead of Flaherty. (And I personally think Flaherty had the better season). Flaherty is only going to get better and I think this is his year.

4. Kwang-hyun Kim wins Rookie of the Year
This is perhaps my favorite prediction.  Rookie of the Year is always have so hard to predict.  Many rookies don’t play well their first season. Many rookies don’t have the opportunity or playing time needed. Kim is a dark horse candidate. The front runner going into the season is the Dodgers’ Gavin Lux. However, he isn’t starting the year in the majors. Granted I expect him to be called up in about a week after his service time manipulation is done. He could still come up and be great but I’m playing a hunch on Kim. Foreign professionals are still considered rookies and with Kim announced to start the year as the Cardinals closer, he will have the opportunity to make a big impact from the outset of the season.

5. Paul DeJong finished top 10 in the MVP
Paul DeJong is an underrated player.  He got off to a blazing hot start last year but got hardly any games off over the course of the season and that wore him down.  He has some of the most power from the shortstop position and is a very underrated defender. (He was a gold glove finalist last year).  I think this is the year he puts it all together. I almost had him as my dark horse MVP winner but my awards predictions were starting to get a little too Cardinals-centric. But expect DeJong to have an exceptional season.

2020 MLB Awards Predictions

Predicting awards is one of my favorite things about the baseball season but that is especially difficult this season. It doesn’t take a superstar to have an unreal 2 month stretch. So I would not be surprised if some of the winners come out of absolutely nowhere. But nevertheless, here we go. 

AL Rookie of the Year

Winner: Luis Robert

Robert is one of the most talented rookies this year, should have playing time from opening day and could run away with it this year. 

NL Rookie of the Year

Winner: Kwang-hyun Kim

This is an outside-the-box take here, which is often what ROTY ends up being.  Playing time is always a key to this award. Top rookies often don’t start the season on the team due to service time manipulation, which could be even more prevalent in a 60 game season. Kim is set start the year as the Cardinals closer and could easily get the opportunity he needs for this. 

AL Cy Young

Winner: Shane Bieber

Bieber was 4th in Cy Young last year, among the league leader in strikeouts and is following the trend of elite Indians starters.  

Dark Horse: Jose Berrios

I’ve been high on Berrios for a while now. He’s been an All-Star the past 2 years and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him take that next leap. 

NL Cy Young

Winner: Jack Flaherty

Flaherty was the most dominant pitcher in the 2nd half of last year and I fully expect that to continue this year as well. 

Dark Horse: Carlos Martinez

After a season and a half of injury and recovery as a reliever, Martinez is back in the Cardinals rotation. He was an All-Star in his last full season and when healthy has some of the best stuff in the league. 

AL MVP

Winner: Mike Trout

It’s Mike Trout. 

Dark Horse: Yoan Moncada

Moncada is an electric player and if the White Sox take the next step like I expect them to this year, he will be at the forefront of their surge.

NL MVP

Winner: Mookie Betts

Betts is a perennial MVP candidate. He will be part of a loaded Dodgers lineup and they should run away with the league. Everything is pointed in a good direction for him this year.

Dark Horse: Eugenio Suarez

This is the same logic as Moncada. Suarez had a breakout season last year and if the Reds make a run, he will be leading the charge. 

And there we go. That’s my best guess as to how the awards will go this year. But who really knows? Anyway, let me know what you think!