Can you believe it's near the end of the 2021 regular season? We saw the rise of prominent sluggers, a dynamic pitcher/hitter, and an exciting AL Wild Card race. With that, we must reward some people with awards. Here are my picks for the award winners for this season.
AL Cy Young: Robbie Ray (Toronto Blue Jays): It's going to be close between Ray and Gerrit Cole of the Yankees. After all, the two share close stats aside from ERA. However, there's one statistic that stands out in the race: WAR. Yes, the Mike Trout statistic. Ray's 6.7 WAR is noticeably higher than Cole's 5.5, making him more valuable to his team. Normally, I don't like using this stat to judge a player's value. However, it's applicable in this situation.
NL Cy Young: Max Scherzer (Washington Nationals/Los Angeles Dodgers): With an ERA of 2.46, a WHIP of 0.86, and 236 Ks, there's no better choice for the Cy Young than Mad Max. It would be Scherzer's fourth Cy Young of his career, establishing himself as a dominant starter.
AL Rookie of the Year: Adolis Garcia (Texas Rangers): Garcia's made an immediate impact on the Rangers, hitting 31 homers and 90 RBIs. The All-Star also has 16 stolen bases and an OPS+ of 102, making him a valuable asset to the team.
NL Rookie of the Year: Jonathan India (Cincinnati Reds): There are other worthy contenders such as Trevor Rogers and Patrick Wisdom. However, India's been the catalyst for Cincinnati's uprising. The second baseman boasts an on-base percentage of .376, an OPS+ of 112, and an OPS of .834. He even added 12 stolen bases to boot, making the Reds dangerous offensively.
AL MVP: Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Angels): Yes, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has a solid case for being the MVP here. However, can you name a pitcher who has 45 homers and 99 RBIs in a single season? Not only that, but his OPS (.960), stolen bases (26), and OPS+ (157) are off the charts. For the pitching side, the former Rookie of the Year has an ERA of 3.18, a WHIP of 1.09, and a SO/9 of 10.8. There's nobody who matters more to his team than Ohtani, which is apparent whether he's on the mound or batting.
NL MVP: Juan Soto (Washington Nationals): Why is nobody talking about Soto's case for Most Valuable Player? The outfielder's stats are absurd; whether it's his 29 homers, 94 RBIs, a BA of .317, or an OPS of 1.011, you can't deny Soto's been excellent for the Nats.
