B/R Staff Roundtable: 2022 MLB Awards Picks For MVP, Cy Young, ROY and More
As the 2022 MLB regular season winds to a close, it's time to hand out some hardware.
The Bleacher Report MLB writing team of Kerry Miller, Joel Reuter, Zachary Rymer and Brandon Scott cast their votes for a variety of different awards, from staples like MVP, Cy Young and Rookie of the Year, to more outside-the-box awards of our own invention like Most Improved and Least Valuable Player.
After the votes were cast, each writer was asked to offer up an explanation in instances where their pick went against the majority, in an effort to provide a more well-rounded look at each award.
Those explanations are included along with a full write-up of each award, and while we're still a month removed from the actual award winners being announced, let this serve as a preview of what's to come.
Enjoy!
American League MVP
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Aaron Judge: 3 votes
Shohei Ohtani: 1 vote
There is little doubt that New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge is having an MVP-caliber season, hitting .311/.425/.686 for a 211 OPS+ with 62 home runs, 131 RBI, 133 runs scored and 10.7 WAR in 157 games. It's his production relative to the rest of the league that sets his season apart.
His 62 home runs are 16 more than any other player has hit this year. That's the widest gap between first and second since 1932, when an up-and-coming Jimmie Foxx (58) outslugged a 37-year-old Babe Ruth (41) by 17 long balls.
However, his impact stretches beyond just home runs.
"Far from hitting only in low-pressure situations, he boasts a 1.016 OPS and 10 home runs in high-leverage spots and an otherworldly 1.241 OPS with runners in scoring position. We can also think about how much worse the darkest days of the Yankees' season would have been without Judge. As they went 18-31 between July 9 and Sep. 3, he put up a 1.216 OPS and 22 home runs," Rymer wrote.
Of course, even in one of the gaudiest offensive seasons in recent memory, Judge still doesn't have the same all-around impact as two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani.
The 2021 AL MVP has a 146 OPS+ with 34 home runs and 3.5 WAR as a designated hitter, and he's also gone 15-8 with a 2.35 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 213 strikeouts in 161 innings for another 6.0 WAR on the mound.
"It's incomprehensible how good Ohtani is at two such drastically different aspects of the game. It would almost be like if Patrick Mahomes doubled up as the Chiefs' quarterback and best pass-rusher," Scott wrote while casting the lone vote for Ohtani.
Expect both players to receive their share of first-place votes when the balloting is released.
National League MVP
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Paul Goldschmidt: 3 votes
Manny Machado: 1 vote
Twice the runner-up in NL MVP voting during his time with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Paul Goldschmidt now finds himself in the driver's seat to finally take home the hardware.
The 35-year-old is hitting .317/.404/.578 for an NL-leading 180 OPS+ with 41 doubles, 35 home runs, 115 RBI and 7.8 WAR, and he posted a 1.115 OPS with nine homers and 27 RBI in August when the Cardinals went 22-7 to sprint ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central standings.
However, the gap has narrowed between him and the rest of the field with a quiet final month. Could that open the door for someone else to win the award?
Miller made the case for Manny Machado, who has a 159 OPS+ with 36 doubles, 32 home runs, 102 RBI and 6.6 WAR.
"Both FanGraphs and Baseball Reference have had Nolan Arenado slightly ahead of Goldschmidt in WAR for seemingly the entire second half. And if you're not clearly the best player on your team, are you really the best player in the league? It's why you never saw Dodgers Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman or Trea Turner gain much headway in the MVP conversation."
On the other hand, with Fernando Tatis Jr. watching from the sidelines and Juan Soto failing to live up to expectations since joining San Diego in a midseason blockbuster, Machado has been the guy for the Padres all season.
"Take Machado out of the equation and San Diego might not even be a .500 team, but the Padres are going to the postseason because of him. That's what MVP is all about in my book."
American League Cy Young
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Justin Verlander: 2 votes
Dylan Cease: 1 vote
Shohei Ohtani: 1 vote
In his return from Tommy John surgery, future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander has exceeded even the wildest of expectations.
The 39-year-old is the MLB leader in ERA (1.75) and WHIP (0.83), and he has managed to make 28 starts after pitching a grand total of six innings the previous two years, finishing 18-4 with 185 strikeouts in 175 innings.
That said, he has some competition to add a third Cy Young Award to his trophy case.
Rymer cast his vote for Chicago White Sox right-hander Dylan Cease, who has gone 14-8 with a 2.20 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 227 strikeouts in 184 innings in a breakout season.
"I favor Dylan Cease because he has 14 innings on Verlander and has been perhaps just as dominant even though his 2.20 ERA doesn't quite stack up. The two hurlers have basically the same expected ERA and hits per nine innings, with Cease otherwise holding a major advantage in strikeouts per nine. A lower walk rate is basically all Verlander has on Cease, and I suppose I simply value strikeouts more."
Meanwhile, Miller went with two-way star Shohei Ohtani, who has a 2.35 ERA and 213 strikeouts in 161 innings in the best season of his career on the mound.
"In MLB history, here's the full list of pitchers to log at least 160 innings with a sub-2.40 ERA while averaging at least 11.9 K/9: Randy Johnson in 1997, Pedro Martinez in 1999 and Ohtani this year. There have been just six starts this entire season in which a pitcher went at least eight shutout innings, allowing two or fewer hits while striking out at least 10. Ohtani was responsible for two of those six performances, and has made a total of six starts of at least seven innings with no earned runs and eight or more strikeouts. He's a bona fide ace who also happens to mash at the plate."
Don't be surprised if AL Cy Young Award votes are similarly scattered when balloting results are released.
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National League Cy Young
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Sandy Alcántara: 4 votes
A rare workhorse in today's bullpen-centric game, Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcántara leads the majors in innings pitched (228.2) and complete games (6), but his season has been about more than just volume.
The 27-year-old has a 2.28 ERA and 0.98 WHIP with a career-high 207 strikeouts, and his 8.0 WAR leads all pitchers by a wide margin over those of Dylan Cease (6.4), Max Fried (6.1) and Shohei Ohtani (6.0).
"Between his workload and the quality of his outings, the NL Cy Young Award should be Alcántara's," Scott wrote.
Furthermore, in a disappointing overall season for the Marlins, the team has gone 19-13 (.594) in his 32 starts, compared to 49-80 (.380) when anyone else takes the ball. That speaks volumes to his singular ability to impact the game's outcome when he's on the mound.
All due respect to Julio Urías, Max Fried, Zac Gallen, Max Scherzer, Carlos Rodón and the rest of the NL Cy Young field, but it wouldn't be the least bit surprising to see Alcántara walk away as the unanimous winner.
American League Rookie of the Year
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Julio Rodríguez: 4 votes
It's no coincidence that the arrival of Julio Rodríguez has lined up with the Seattle Mariners snapping a postseason drought that stretched all the way back to 2001.
The 21-year-old has been a catalyst all season, hitting .283/.344/.503 for a 145 OPS+ with 25 doubles, 27 home runs, 74 RBI, 83 runs scored and 25 steals to become just the 12th rookie in MLB history with a 20/20 season. Bobby Witt Jr. later brought that number to 13.
He was neck-and-neck with Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña for top AL rookie honors in the early going, but he pulled away around midseason and has not looked back.
"It's been Rodríguez's award to lose since the All-Star break, and all he did—when healthy—was get better as the season continued. He's slashing .301/.360/.558 with 11 homers in 40 games in the second half, compared to .275/.337/.477 with 16 homers before the break," Scott wrote.
Now his stiffest competition is Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman.
The 2019 No. 1 overall pick has a 131 OPS+ with 35 doubles, 13 home runs, 42 RBI and 70 runs scored in 112 games. With 5.4 WAR, he has joined Carlton Fisk (7.3 in 1972), Mike Piazza (7.0 in 1993), Thurman Munson (5.5 in 1970) and Johnny Bench (5.0 in 1968) as the only rookie catchers in MLB history with a 5-WAR season.
National League Rookie of the Year
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Michael Harris II: 3 votes
Spencer Strider: 1 vote
Michael Harris II made his MLB debut on May 28 with just 43 games played at the Double-A level and without playing a single game at Triple-A, and he didn't miss a beat.
The 21-year-old is hitting .297/.339/.514 for a 134 OPS+ with 27 doubles, 19 home runs, 64 RBI, 75 runs and 20 steals, and he also provided elite defense in center field (8 DRS, 6.8 UZR/150) en route to a 5.2-WAR season.
Despite all of that, Rymer still made a compelling case for his teammate Spencer Strider.
"I firmly believe there's no wrong choice between Spencer Strider and Michael Harris II. I even tend to think that Harris is underrated, as it's just not every day that you see a rookie center fielder hit near .300 while also providing power, speed and Gold Glove-caliber defense. And yet, Strider has just been too dominant this season."
The hard-throwing right-hander has a 2.67 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 202 strikeouts in 131.2 innings spanning 20 starts and 11 relief appearances while limiting opposing hitters to a .180 average.
"To beat Randy Johnson's record for the fewest innings to 200 strikeouts is no minor feat, and Strider did it while also allowing fewer than 100 hits. The combination of those two things is yet another first in MLB history. So as awesome as Harris has been, Strider has had the kind of rookie year that's going to be remembered for a long time."
American League Comeback Player of the Year
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Justin Verlander: 4 votes
Not much needs to be said here.
After making just one six-inning start during the 2020 season, Justin Verlander spent the better part of the past two years watching from the sidelines after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
At 39 years old, it was fair to wonder if he would ever return to peak form, and the one-year, $25 million deal he signed with the Houston Astros during the offseason was the definition of a high-risk, high-reward move.
"Sure, the Astros were hoping Verlander would return to ace form and something resembling his 2019 AL Cy Young season, but it was far from certain and seemed unlikely. Lo and behold, Verlander is back like he never left," Scott wrote.
The right-hander is 18-4 with a 1.75 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and a 185-to-29 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 175 innings to anchor a Houston Astros rotation that ranks first in the American League with a 2.96 ERA.
National League Comeback Player of the Year
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Albert Pujols: 3 votes
Jacob deGrom: 1 vote
Entering the 2022 season, Albert Pujols had not posted above-average offensive production over a full season since 2016 when he logged a 113 OPS+ with 31 home runs in his fifth season with the Los Angeles Angels.
Over the final five seasons of his 10-year deal, he hit .241/.290/.410 for an 87 OPS+, and the one-year, $2.5 million deal he signed with the St. Louis Cardinals during the offseason seemed like little more than a farewell tour for a franchise great.
That was the case during the first half of the season, but the 42-year-old has found the fountain of youth since the All-Star break, batting .323/.388/.715 with 18 home runs and 48 RBI in 56 games to eclipse 700 home runs for his career and help lead the Cardinals to an NL Central title.
Will that be enough to edge out Jacob deGrom for NL Comeback Player of the Year honors?
Sidelined from July 2021 through July 2022 while dealing with a variety of arm and shoulder issues, he didn't show any signs of rust once he finally made his season debut, and his impressive return was enough to get Miller's vote.
"Through his first six starts—which included two against Atlanta, one against Philadelphia and one against the Dodgers—deGrom had a 1.98 ERA and won four games, this despite getting a combined total of just 14 runs of support. It wasn't until his 10th appearance that he allowed more than three runs or five hits as he rapidly reasserted himself as one of the best pitchers—if not the singular best pitcher—in baseball."
Mariano Rivera Award (Top AL Reliever)
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Emmanuel Clase: 4 votes
Armed with a high-octane cutter that averages 99.5 mph and a wipeout slider that has generated a 42.9 percent whiff rate, Emmanuel Clase has quickly established himself as one of baseball's most overpowering relievers in his third MLB season.
The 24-year-old is tied for the MLB lead with 77 appearances, converting 42 of 46 save chances along the way while posting a 1.36 ERA, 0.73 WHIP and a 77-to-10 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 72.2 innings.
Unlike many late-inning relievers, he relies more on weak contact than he does on missing bats, and his 63.9 percent ground-ball rate ranks fifth among pitchers with at least 50 innings pitched.
The Cleveland Guardians went 28-17 in one-run games this year, and Clase is a big reason they enjoyed so much success when the score was close.
Trevor Hoffman Award (Top NL Reliever)
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Edwin Díaz: 4 votes
Simply put, New York Mets closer Edwin Díaz has been the most unhittable pitcher in baseball this season.
He has struck out 118 of the 235 batters he has faced using a fastball that regularly touches triple digits and a hard-biting slider that might be the most dominant pitch in baseball right now.
He has thrown 529 sliders on the year, and opposing hitters are batting just .116 with one extra-base hit against the pitch. It has accounted for 87 of his strikeouts and generated an absurd 54.9 percent whiff rate.
Using that electric two-pitch mix, he has converted 32 of 35 save chances with a 1.31 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and 17.1 K/9 in 61 appearances.
Tip of the cap to St. Louis Cardinals breakout bullpen star Ryan Helsley, who has a 1.25 ERA, 0.74 WHIP and 13.1 K/9 with nine wins, 19 saves and seven holds in 54 appearances.
Most Improved Player
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Andrés Giménez: 4 votes
It's silly that Major League Baseball does not have a Most Improved Player award, as it's perhaps the easiest sport to identify individual improvement on a year-to-year basis, so we're voting on it anyway.
With so many players turning in breakthrough seasons, it's a bit surprising that our vote was a unanimous one, but that speaks to just how good Andrés Giménez has been for the playoff-bound Cleveland Guardians.
"He's gotten better at basically everything en route to a .300 average, 17 home runs and 20 stolen bases on offense, and he's in double digits
with both his defensive runs saved and outs above average on the other
side of the ball. I don't know if he actually will, but his third-ranked 7.2 WAR ought to earn him some MVP votes," Rymer wrote.
Not bad for a guy who batted .218/.282/.351 for a 74 OPS+ with 15 extra-base hits in 210 plate appearances last season, tallying 0.8 WAR in 68 games while spending a significant chunk of the season demoted to Triple-A.
Others worthy of a mention here include Tyler Anderson (LAD), Merrill Kelly (ARI), Alejandro Kirk (TOR), Jorge López (MIN), Gavin Lux (LAD), Rafael Montero (HOU), Josh Naylor (CLE), Martín Pérez (TEX), Jurickson Profar (SD), Cal Raleigh (SEA), Taylor Ward (LAA) and Kyle Wright (ATL).
Least Valuable Player
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Patrick Corbin: 3 votes
Stephen Strasburg: 1 vote
Things have gone from bad to worse for Patrick Corbin in the fourth season of a six-year, $140 million deal with the Washington Nationals. After struggling to a 5.82 ERA in 171.2 innings in 2021, the two-time All-Star has found a new level of awful this season, going 6-19 with a 6.31 ERA, 1.70 WHIP and an NL-high 210 hits and 107 earned runs allowed in 152.2 innings.
That has added up to an unsightly minus-2.5 WAR, and the Nationals are still on the hook for another $59 million over the next three years, including $10 million that was deferred to the 2025 season.
The only other player to receive a vote was Corbin's teammate Stephen Strasburg, who will take home $35 million this season for 4.2 innings of work. The 2019 World Series MVP has pitched a grand total of 31.1 innings since signing a seven-year, $245 million deal prior to the 2020 campaign.
"That's $105 million to face 141 batters," Miller wrote.
"Strasburg has made it impossible for the Washington Nationals to compete over the past three seasons and—coupled with the many remaining deferred payments to Max Scherzer and Patrick Corbin's less-terrible-but-still-horrendous contract—left the franchise unable to give Juan Soto the money he deserves. He's not only hurting them right now, but for the foreseeable future. If that's not least valuable, I don't know what is."
The future is grim for the Nationals.
All-MLB Team
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2022 All-MLB Team
C J.T. Realmuto (4 votes)
1B Paul Goldschmidt (4 votes)
2B José Altuve/Andrés Giménez (2 votes)
3B Nolan Arenado (3 votes)
SS Francisco Lindor (3 votes)
OF Aaron Judge (4 votes)
OF Mookie Betts (4 votes)
OF Julio Rodríguez (3 votes)
DH Yordan Álvarez (3 votes)
SP Sandy Alcántara (4 votes)
SP Justin Verlander (4 votes)
SP Dylan Cease (4 votes)
SP Shohei Ohtani (4 votes)
SP Alek Manoah (2 votes)
RP Edwin Díaz (4 votes)
RP Emmanuel Clase/Devin Williams (2 votes)
All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and accurate through Monday's games.
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