Though it seems like the season just started (because in a way, it did) the MLB postseason is a week away. In what is the most unusual regular season in modern history we have some surprises - the Marlins are likely going to the playoffs! - you'd think the race for the major awards are crowded, and in some cases that's true. But for the most part, like always it's going to be a handful of folks likely to take home MVP, Cy Young and Rookie of the Year honors.
In the American and National Leagues, here are our choices to win the hardware:
AL MVP - DJ LeMahieu, NYY: Few batted an eye when the Yankees signed LeMahieu to a two-year, $24-million deal before last season. It might have been the best free agent bargain in baseball in the last two years. After setting new career highs in hits, home runs, doubles, runs scored and RBIs in 2019, he's arguably been even better in this shortened 2020. Entering Tuesday the infielder is batting a MLB-leading .365 (he'd be the first player to win a batting title in both the AL and NL should he hold on) with an AL-leading .420 on-base percentage and 1.032 OPS. His 2.8 bWAR is second-best in the AL among position players - narrowly trailing Jose Abreu - but somehow his value can't quite be quantified on a Yankees team that once again was decimated by injuries. He'll head into free agency this winter as the reigning MVP.
NL MVP - Mookie Betts, LAD: Well Year 1 of his mega-deal in Los Angeles worked out okay. The 26-year-old switched coasts but looks like the same player that won 2018 MVP honors in Boston. Betts leads all of baseball in bWAR entering Tuesday (3.2) with 16 home runs as the leadoff hitter on what is far and away the best team in baseball. The Dodgers are 38-16 and the overwhelming favorite to win the pennant and make another World Series appearance, which matters when you're crunching numbers, especially in a 60-game season. With Fernando Tatis "slumping" in September (hitting just .220) the favorite goes to Betts, who would become the second player to win MVP awards in both leagues.
AL Cy Young - Shane Bieber, CLE: This is the only real no-brainer. Since his first two starts, when he struck out 27, walked one and didn't allow a run, the award has basically been Bieber's. The Indians' ace leads the AL in wins (eight), ERA (1.74), strikeouts (112; compared to 18 walks!), ERA+ and FIP. It would be a surprise if he didn't win unanimously.
NL Cy Young - Max Fried, ATL: While the AL Cy Young is the easiest choice, picking the NL Cy Young is the hardest. Jacob deGrom, Yu Darvish and Trevor Bauer all have a legitimate case, and you could even throw a few more names into the conversation. However we'll go with Fried, who leads the National League with a 7-0 record and a 3.1 bWAR, while sporting a 1.96 ERA. He's only pitched into the seventh inning twice, and his turn in the rotation was skipped once, which could matter in such a short season, but his numbers are off-the-charts. He's allowed more than one earned run in a start three times: twice allowing two runs and once allowing three (gasp!). Most amazingly, in 55 innings this year he hasn't allowed a single home run.
AL Rookie of the Year - Luis Robert, CHW: This is a two-horse race between Robert - who basically everybody predicted would win the award in the preseason - and Seattle's Kyle Lewis. Lewis has the edge in most hitting categories (batting average: Lewis .278 to .230, home runs: 11 each, extra base-hits: Robert 19 to 14, OPS: Lewis .853 to .756), it's Robert's defensive ability that wins him the Rookie of the Year award. The White Sox centerfielder dazzles in the outfield, with 5.4 Defensive Runs Saved according to FanGraphs that puts him second among Major League outfielders. Chicago has a ton of bright young stars, and Robert is as good as any of them.
Runner-up: Kyle Lewis
NL Rookie of the Year - Jake Cronenworth, SDP: The Padres are going to the postseason for the first time since 2007, and lost in all the Slam Diego hoopla, led by superstars in Fernando Tatis and Manny Machado, is Cronenworth. A late-bloomer, the 26-year-old was acquired along with Tommy Pham last December in a trade with Tampa Bay that didn't generate much interest. Making his Major League debut this year, he's been a stud, batting .303 with 22 extra base-hits and a .886 OPS. He's struggled in September (hitting .204 with a .614 OPS) which has allowed a few others to enter the mix. But Cronenworth's total output is enough to carry him to the award.