Favorites to Win MLB Awards Entering the Final Stretch

With the 2011 regular season in its final month, players are making their final push as they head to either the postseason, or the offseason. 

The World Series ring is clearly the ultimate goal for every player in the sport, but that honor will be limited to a select few once the season has played itself out.

In addition to that, rookies and veterans alike are taking the field to make their mark and potentially gain consideration for a highly coveted MLB award.

The voters will have the final say as to who is awarded these honors, but here are a few favorites to take home the hardware when the time comes this fall.

A.L. Rookie of the Year: Mark Trumbo

Mark Trumbo's offensive prowess has to have Angels fans optimistic about the future of the franchise.

In 130 games he's gone deep 25 times and driven in 77 runs. His .256 batting average is relatively low in general, but in the neighborhood of many power hitters in the game today.

On the field Trumbo boasts a .993 fielding percentage, proving that he may be a cornerstone for the Angels' defense at first base for years to come.

Honorable Mention: Eric Hosmer (.281 BA, .331 OBP, 15 HR, 61 RBI)

ESPN Preseason Picks:

Tim Kurkjian - Jeremy Hellickson, Tampa Bay Rays

Buster Olney - Ivan Nova, New York Yankees

N.L. Rookie of the Year: Craig Kimbrel

The Atlanta Braves farm system is deep enough that multiple members of the team could be seriously considered for Rookie of the Year honors.

But while Freddie Freeman is having a strong rookie campaign in 2011, Craig Kimbrel's numbers are so impressive that voters likely won't be able to look away.

Kimbrel has appeared in 69 games this season, saving 42 of them. He strikes out nearly 15 batters per nine innings and has only given up one home run in nearly 70 innings this season.

Honorable Mention: Danny Espinosa (.228 BA, .309 OBP, 19 HR, 59 RBI)

ESPN Preseason Picks:

Tim Kurkjian - Freddie Freeman, Atlanta Braves

Buster Olney - Brandon Belt, San Francisco Giants

A.L. Cy Young: Justin Verlander

It's hard to argue with Justin Verlander as the A.L. Cy Young winner this season. His remarkable run has included 21 wins, 224 strikeouts and only 58 earned runs allowed.

For comparative purposes, Yankees ace C.C. Sabathia has allowed 70 earned runs in almost 20 fewer innings.

There's an outside chance that Verlander could reach 25 wins this season. If he does (and probably even if he doesn't) Verlander's name will be thrown around more and more with regards to potential MVP consideration.

Honorable Mention: C.C. Sabathia (18-7, 2.99 ERA; 201 SO, 50 BB)

ESPN Preseason Picks:

Tim Kurkjian - C.C. Sabathia, New York Yankees

Buster Olney - Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners

N.L. Cy Young: Roy Halladay

With all due respect to Clayton Kershaw and Ian Kennedy, Roy Halladay is the most consistently dominant pitcher in baseball.

A Cy Young award this season would mark the third in his 14-year career. Halladay has been in the Top 5 in the voting every year since 2005.

Halladay may not reach the 21 wins he notched last season, but the number is still within reach.

When you consider his 8.7 strikeouts per nine innings (a career high) and 1.1 walks per nine innings (a career low) it's easy to see that Halladay's numbers are worthy of the highest award.

Honorable Mention: Clayton Kershaw (17-5, 2.45 ERA; 212 SO, 50 BB)

ESPN Preseason Picks:

Tim Kurkjian - Roy Halladay, Philadelphia Phillies

Buster Olney - Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies

A.L. Most Valuable Player: Curtis Granderson

In his second year with the New York Yankees, outfielder Curtis Granderson has improved significantly on his 2010 season and is well on his way towards leading the Yankees' charge toward a World Series championship.

Granderson is batting .271 this season with a .375 on base percentage. He's driven in 107 runs and is just two home runs shy of 40 for the year, already well above his previous career high.

His speed on both the base paths and in the outfield are a valuable asset for the Yankees, as he's stolen 24 bases on the offensive side, and covered the turf to the tune of a .991 fielding percentage.

Honorable Mention: Adrian Gonzalez (.342 BA, .405 OBP, 23 HR, 103 RBI)

ESPN Preseason Picks:

Tim Kurkjian - Robinson Cano, New York Yankees

Buster Olney - Adrian Gonzalez, Boston Red Sox

N.L. Most Valuable Player: Ryan Braun

Ryan Braun is one of a number of Milwaukee Brewers who are leading the march towards postseason play. With Prince Fielder as the unquestioned leader of the team, Braun lets his bat do the talking.

Playing in 128 games this season, Braun has gone deep 25 times and driven in 91 runs. His .335 batting average leads the National League and his .994 OPS is also tops.

Braun's speed on the base paths has netted him 31 stolen bases this season, and while he may not have the art of the inside the park home run mastered, he's well on his way to a 30/30 season, something only eight players have done since 2005.

Honorable Mention: Matt Kemp (.320 BA, .400 OBP, 31 HR, 102 RBI)

ESPN Preseason Picks:

Tim Kurkjian - Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals

Buster Olney - Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals