Top 5 MLB ROY, MVP and Cy Young Contenders for Each League After 1 Month
As the calendar flips from April to May, it's time for some early MLB award rankings based on what we saw over the season's first month.
This is by no means a prediction of who will actually take home the Rookie of the Year, Cy Young and Most Valuable Player awards in the American and National Leagues.
Instead, it's a look at who might claim those honors if the season were to end today.
It will be fun to look back on these month-by-month updates when the season ends and see which small sample sizes proved to be a farce and which were a sign of bigger things to come.
The top five current contenders for each major award are listed, along with a handful of honorable mentions.
NL Rookie of the Year
1 of 6
1. 3B Christian Villanueva, San Diego Padres
(85 PA, .329/.424/.726, 5 2B, 8 HR, 18 RBI, 15 R, 1.5 WAR)
Villanueva was a top prospect in the Texas Rangers system before he was traded to the Chicago Cubs along with Kyle Hendricks in exchange for Ryan Dempster at the 2012 trade deadline.
Injuries and inconsistent performances plagued him throughout his time with the Cubs, and he was eventually signed by the Padres as a minor league free agent in 2016 without having made his MLB debut.
An .896 OPS with 20 home runs and 86 RBI in Triple-A last year earned him his first taste of the big leagues, and he went 11-for-32 with four homers to earn the first crack at the starting third base job this spring.
So far so good, as he leads the NL in slugging (.726) and OPS (1.150) while also ranking among the league in batting average (.329, fourth) and home runs (eight, third).
2. SP Joey Lucchesi, San Diego Padres
(6 GS, 3-1, 2.78 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 35 K, 32.1 IP, 0.3 WAR)
A fourth-round pick in 2016, Lucchesi was a breakout star in a loaded Padres system last season, going 11-7 with a 2.20 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 148 strikeouts in 139 innings between High-A and Double-A.
An elbow injury to Dinelson Lamet opened the door for Lucchesi to join the big league rotation from the onset, and he's been the most productive rookie pitcher in the majors this season.
The 24-year-old lefty has a middle-of-the-rotation ceiling, but with a polished three-pitch mix and a sturdy 6'5" frame, he's capable of being a significant piece of the long-term puzzle in San Diego.
3. RP Shane Carle, Atlanta Braves
(13 G, 5 HLD, 0.96 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 17 K, 18.2 IP, 0.7 WAR)
The Braves acquired Carle from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for a player to be named or cash in January, and he won a bullpen job with a strong spring.
With a mid-90s fastball that he backs with an excellent changeup/slider combination, Carle has quickly pitched his way into a high-leverage role for a better-than-expected Braves team.
The 26-year-old is under team control through the 2023 season, so he'll be a valuable asset if he continues to impress.
4. 3B Colin Moran, Pittsburgh Pirates
(87 PA, .276/.356/.421, 5 2B, 2 HR, 13 RBI, 8 R, 0.7 WAR)
The Pirates acquired Moran as part of a four-player package in the deal that sent Gerrit Cole to the Houston Astros this offseason.
After hitting .301/.369/.532 with 18 home runs and 65 RBI in 82 games at Triple-A last year, the No. 6 overall pick in 2013 had nothing left to prove in the minors, and the Pirates gave him the starting third base job to open the season.
Much like first baseman Josh Bell last season, Moran has a chance to be a steady producer for the Pirates who compiles solid overall stats due to his clear path to playing time.
5. RP Adam Cimber, San Diego Padres
(13 G, 1 HLD, 2.45 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 23 K, 18.1 IP, 0.3 WAR)
A reliever throughout his college career, Cimber was taken in the ninth round of the 2013 draft as a senior.
The 27-year-old has spent the last three seasons putting up solid numbers in the upper levels of the minors, including posting a 2.90 ERA and 0.91 WHIP over 49 appearances last season.
That said, with just 6.2 strikeouts per nine innings during his time in the minors, his ability to miss bats so far at the MLB level has been a pleasant surprise. He averages just 87.3 mph with his fastball but it's a bowling ball, and he backs it with a plus slider.
Honorable Mentions
- 3B Brian Anderson (MIA)
- RP Victor Arano (PHI)
- OF Harrison Bader (STL)
- RP Yoshihisa Hirano (ARI)
- SP Tyler Mahle (CIN)
- RP Dan Winkler (ATL)
AL Rookie of the Year
2 of 6
1. RHP/DH Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels
(47 PA, .341/.383/.682, 1 2B, 4 HR, 12 RBI, 6 R, 0.5 WAR)
(4 GS, 2-1, 4.43 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 26 K, 20.1 IP, 0.2 WAR)
Simply put, there's no one in baseball who makes an impact quite like Ohtani.
The two-way standout has been as advertised, flashing front-line stuff on the mound and impressive power at the plate.
He's homered off Corey Kluber and Luis Severino, and he's struck out Jose Altuve and J.D. Martinez.
There's probably no one else who will ever be able to say that.
The question now is whether he can stay healthy enough to continue producing on both sides of the ball. Will manager Mike Scioscia will need to reel him in a bit for the sake of his long-term value?
2. 2B Joey Wendle, Tampa Bay Rays
(74 PA, .338/.405/.508, 4 2B, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 13 R, 1.2 WAR)
A .285/.325/.441 hitter in parts of three seasons at the Triple-A level, Wendle never got an extended look in the majors during his time in Cleveland and Oakland.
The Rays acquired him in December for catching prospect Johan Heim, and he's quickly played his way into the starting second base job.
The 28-year-old might not be a long-term piece with top prospects Nick Solak and Willy Adames looking like the future middle infield tandem. He's been a pleasant surprise so far, though, and his emergence will allow those prospects further time to develop.
3. 1B Tyler Austin, New York Yankees
(69 PA, .290/.362/.629, 6 2B, 5 HR, 16 RBI, 12 R, 0.7 WAR)
Austin hit .322/.400/.559 with 35 doubles, 17 home runs, 80 RBI and 23 stolen bases in his full-season debut as a 20-year-old in 2012, emerging as one of the top prospects in the Yankees system.
However, in the years since, he's been slowed by injuries and surpassed by a number of other prospects, leaving him as something of a forgotten man heading into 2018.
An injury to Greg Bird has opened the door for regular playing time at first base, and he's run with the opportunity, at the very least solidifying his place as a long-term reserve piece.
4. 3B Miguel Andujar, New York Yankees
(83 PA, .300/.313/.588, 12 2B, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 10 R, 0.3 WAR)
Since opening the season in a 3-for-28 slump, Andujar is hitting .404/.415/.846 with 16 extra-base hits in his last 13 games.
The 23-year-old is still a work in progress defensively at the hot corner (-3 DRS, -54.5 UZR/150), and he could conceivably lose playing time to Brandon Drury once he returns from migraine issues.
His bat is for real, though.
5. SP/RP Yonny Chirinos, Tampa Bay Rays
(6 G, 5 GS, 0-1, 3.71 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 24 K, 26.2 IP, 0.3 WAR)
The Rays started the season with plans to implement a four-man rotation and a "bullpen game" where they spread innings among a number of relievers.
Chirinos, 24, has thrown a wrench into those plans as he's pitched well enough to warrant a more traditional spot in the rotation.
Then again, after getting shelled in his most recent start against the Red Sox (2 IP, 6 H, 2 BB, 3 ER), he'll need to bounce back next time out. Otherwise, the team could quickly revert back to the previous approach.
Honorable Mentions
- RP Pedro Araujo (BAL)
- RP Noe Ramirez (LAA)
- C Chance Sisco (BAL)
- SP/RP Hector Velazquez (BOS)
NL Cy Young
3 of 6
1. SP Johnny Cueto, San Francisco Giants
(5 GS, 3-0, 0.84 ERA, 0.67 WHIP, 26 K, 32.0 IP, 2.0 WAR)
Like many on the Giants roster, Cueto had a trying 2017 season in San Francisco.
After finishing sixth in NL Cy Young voting in the first season of a six-year, $130 million deal, he went just 8-8 with a 4.52 ERA and 1.45 WHIP while failing to reach 200 innings for the first time in four years.
The 32-year-old no longer operates in the mid-90s, but he has pinpoint control of what is now a low-90s fastball. He backs it with the same excellent changeup/slider pairing he's shown throughout his career.
While a 2.81 FIP is a good sign he's pitched over his head a bit to this point, the NL ERA and WHIP leader has earned top billing among Senior Circuit hurlers.
2. SP Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals
(6 GS, 5-1, 1.62 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, 57 K, 39.0 IP, 1.4 WAR)
Randy Johnson and Greg Maddux are the only pitchers in MLB history to win the Cy Young Award three years in a row—with both pitchers actually winning four straight during their storied careers.
Scherzer will look to join that group here in 2018.
The 33-year-old has seen his walk rate (2.5 to 2.1 BB/9) and strikeout rate (12.0 to 13.2 K/9) both improve from last season. He leads the NL with a 1.77 FIP, so there's no reason to believe he won't maintain his current Cy Young-caliber form.
3. SP Patrick Corbin, Arizona Diamondbacks
(6 GS, 4-0, 2.25 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 55 K, 40.0 IP, 1.5 WAR)
After an offseason of trade rumors, Corbin ended up staying put in the desert, and the Diamondbacks have to be thanking their lucky stars that's how things played out.
The 28-year-old was solid last season, going 14-13 with a 4.03 ERA over 189.2 innings, but with a $7.5 million price tag in his final year of arbitration, he found himself on the block.
Now, with Taijuan Walker lost for the season to Tommy John surgery, Corbin's performance has become that much more important. He's been the best pitcher on the best team in the NL in the early going.
His strikeout rate is up from 8.4 to 12.4 strikeouts per nine innings, with a new approach on the mound as the reason. He's scrapped his changeup—a pitch that was hit hard last year (.317 BAA, .300 ISO)—in favor of a slow curveball to go along with his low-90s sinking fastball and plus slider.
4. SP Carlos Martinez, St. Louis Cardinals
(6 GS, 2-1, 1.43 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 40 K, 37.2 IP, 1.6 WAR)
Martinez has been the unquestioned ace of the Cardinals staff for the past several seasons. At 26 years old, there's reason to believe he's still capable of taking another step forward.
After surrendering a career-high 27 home runs last season, he's allowed just one long ball over his first 37.2 innings this season.
That's helped him post a 1.43 ERA that ranks third in the NL as he looks to make his first appearance on an NL Cy Young ballot.
5. SP Jacob deGrom, New York Mets
(6 GS, 3-0, 2.06 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 48 K, 39.1 IP, 1.5 WAR)
The lone standout in an injury-riddled Mets rotation last year, deGrom has maintained his standing as the staff ace even with the return of Noah Syndergaard.
The 29-year-old has rattled off five straight quality starts after going 5.2 innings on Opening Day. He's maintained an elite strikeout rate with an 11.0 K/9 mark that ranks seventh among qualified NL starters.
If the Mets are going to continue their hot start and make a serious run at the NL East title, deGrom will need to continue performing like one of the top starters in the league.
Honorable Mentions
- SP Chad Bettis (COL)
- RP Wade Davis (COL)
- RP Sean Doolittle (WAS)
- SP/RP Jarlin Garcia (MIA)
- SP Aaron Nola (PHI)
- SP Hyun-Jin Ryu (LAD)
- SP Noah Syndergaard (NYM)
- SP Trevor Williams (PIT)
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AL Cy Young
4 of 6
1. SP Sean Manaea, Oakland Athletics
(6 GS, 4-2, 1.03 ERA, 0.62 WHIP, 37 K, 43.2 IP, 2.2 WAR)
Manaea claims the top spot among AL pitchers and it's for more than just the no-hitter he twirled against the Boston Red Sox.
The 26-year-old is the AL leaders in ERA (1.03) and WHIP (0.62), and his 2.2 WAR is tops among all pitchers this season.
The former first-round pick went 12-10 with a 4.37 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 140 strikeouts in 158.2 innings in his second season in the majors last year. It looks like he's ready to take a significant step forward for an Oakland squad that could surprise some people this year.
2. SP Gerrit Cole, Houston Astros
(6 GS, 2-1, 1.73 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, 61 K, 41.2 IP, 1.4 WAR)
Cole enters the month of May as the AL leaders in strikeouts (61), K/9 (13.2) and FIP (1.91) as he once again looks like the dominant front-line starter we saw during his peak in Pittsburgh.
Still just 27 years old and with the same electric stuff he had when he finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting in 2015, there were plenty of reasons to believe Cole would rebound from a disappointing 2017 season.
He's done that and then some, giving an already-stacked Houston roster one more elite weapon.
3. SP Justin Verlander, Houston Astros
(6 GS, 4-0, 1.36 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, 48 K, 39.2 IP, 1.6 WAR)
Verlander still hasn't lost a regular-season start as a member of the Astros.
The former AL MVP went 5-0 with a 1.06 ERA in five starts with the team after he was acquired in an August waiver trade last season, and he's picked up right where he left off here in 2018.
With the Detroit Tigers still paying $8 million of his $28 million salary, Verlander could wind up being one of the better bargains among front-line pitchers this season. And he'll be around for that same $20 million price tag in 2019, with a chance to turn that trade into one of the best in franchise history.
4. SP Corey Kluber, Cleveland Indians
(6 GS, 4-1, 2.18 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, 47 K, 45.1 IP, 1.6 WAR)
The reigning AL Cy Young winner has shown more of the same this season as he ranks among the AL leaders in ERA (2.18, sixth), WHIP (0.77, third), strikeouts (47, fourth) and innings pitched (45.1, first).
He's provided a quality start in each of his six outings and turned in one of the most dominant starts of the year against the Detroit Tigers on April 9, when he allowed just two hits and struck out 13 over eight scoreless innings.
The Indians have not quite hit their stride as a team yet, but Kluber already looks to be in midseason form.
5. SP Rick Porcello, Boston Red Sox
(6 GS, 4-0, 2.23 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 38 K, 40.1 IP, 2.0 WAR)
After winning AL Cy Young honors in 2016, Porcello endured a rough 2017 campaign.
The 29-year-old led the AL in losses (17) and saw his ERA (3.15 to 4.65) and WHIP (1.01 to 1.40) both climb significantly.
He's outpitched teammate Chris Sale in the early going, and with a 2.07 FIP, his resurgence looks like the real deal.
Honorable Mentions
- RP Cody Allen (CLE)
- SP Trevor Bauer (CLE)
- RP Aroldis Chapman (NYY)
- RP Edwin Diaz (SEA)
- RP Craig Kimbrel (BOS)
- SP Charlie Morton (HOU)
- SP Chris Sale (BOS)
- SP Luis Severino (NYY)
- SP Blake Snell (TB)
NL MVP
5 of 6
1. 2B Ozzie Albies, Atlanta Braves
(127 PA, .293/.341/.647, 12 2B, 9 HR, 20 RBI, 29 R, 1.2 WAR)
Albies enters May as the NL leader in hits (34), doubles (12), home runs (eight), runs scored (29) and total bases (75).
Still just 21 years old, he's been the catalyst for an Atlanta Braves team that has emerged as a surprise contender ahead of schedule.
Teammates Freddie Freeman and Nick Markakis actually have a higher WAR at 1.6, but it's Albies who has provided the early spark in Atlanta to emerge as the top early candidate for NL MVP honors.
2. 2B Javier Baez, Chicago Cubs
(104 PA, .292/.346/.656, 8 2B, 7 HR, 26 RBI, 20 R, 1.5 WAR)
The free-swinging Baez has been making a lot more dangerous contact this season.
After striking out at a 28.3 percent clip last season, he's trimmed that to a more manageable 21.2 percent so far, and in the process, he's paced the NL in RBI (26).
Meanwhile, he's continued to provide his usual highlight-reel defense at both middle infield spots and he's responded well to being asked to be even more of a catalyst since moving up to the No. 2 spot in the lineup.
The Cubs lineup is loaded with stars, but it's Baez who has been the early standout.
3. LF Rhys Hoskins, Philadelphia Phillies
(111 PA, .318/.468/.553, 8 2B, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 16 R, 0.6 WAR)
Perhaps the most promising sign from Hoskins' standout rookie season—even more so than the 18 home runs he hit in 212 plate appearances—was his 17.5 percent walk rate and .396 on-base percentage.
It meant that even if his power production regressed, he'd still be a productive offensive player since that level of plate discipline is rarely a fluke.
So far, he's showed even more patience at the dish with a 20.7 percent walk rate and a .468 on-base percentage that leads the NL. He's been the top producer on a Phillies team that looks like it could have a say in the NL Wild Card picture.
4. LF Corey Dickerson, Pittsburgh Pirates
(105 PA, .316/.362/.495, 9 2B, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 15 R, 1.3 WAR)
Several players have better numbers, but in terms of importance to a contender, few compare to Dickerson.
The Pirates ranked 28th in the majors with just 4.12 runs per game last season, then they traded away their most productive hitter in Andrew McCutchen.
The biggest addition to the lineup was Dickerson, who was cut loose by the Tampa Bay Rays, despite making the AL All-Star team. A relatively high price tag and second-half swoon made him a rebuilding casualty.
Hitting primarily No. 5 in the lineup, Dickerson has been the team's most productive hitter. What's more surprising has been his defense in left field, as he's tallied six DRS and ranks as the most valuable defensive player in all of baseball, according to the DEF metric at FanGraphs.
Not bad for someone who was plucked from the scrap heap.
5. SP Johnny Cueto, San Francisco Giants
(5 GS, 3-0, 0.84 ERA, 0.67 WHIP, 26 K, 32.0 IP, 2.0 WAR)
As the NL leader in ERA, WHIP and WAR, and given his added importance keeping the rotation afloat while Madison Bumgarner recovers, Cueto also belongs in the MVP discussion.
Honorable Mentions
- 1B Brandon Belt (SF)
- CF Charlie Blackmon (COL)
- 2B Asdrubal Cabrera (NYM)
- SP Patrick Corbin (ARI)
- 1B Freddie Freeman (ATL)
- RF Bryce Harper (WAS)
- CF Tommy Pham (STL)
- SP Max Scherzer (WAS)
- LF Kyle Schwarber (CHC)
- 3B Christian Villanueva (SD)
AL MVP
6 of 6
1. SS Didi Gregorius, New York Yankees
(117 PA, .340/.436/.766, 8 2B, 10 HR, 30 RBI, 24 R, 2.2 WAR)
The three-headed monster of Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez for the Yankees was the talk of the offseason.
However, it's Gregorius who has been the team's most dangerous weapon at the plate. He's tied for the AL lead with 10 home runs and is pacing the league in RBI (30), slugging (.766) and OPS (1.202).
After setting career highs in home runs (25) and RBI (87) a year ago, it looks like he's ready to reach new heights in 2018.
Throw in his strong defensive work at the shortstop position (2 DRS, 7.0 UZR/150) and he's the clear choice for AL MVP front-runner heading into May.
2. RF Mookie Betts, Boston Red Sox
(107 PA, .344/.439/.733, 11 2B, 8 HR, 18 RBI, 29 R, 1.7 WAR)
After finishing second in AL MVP voting in 2016, Betts turned in a down year by comparison last season, posting an .803 OPS with 24 home runs and 102 RBI on his way to 6.4 WAR.
That ninth-place ranking in the AL speaks more to just how good he was in 2016 than anything else, and he's on pace for even better numbers with a red-hot start this season.
The Red Sox having the best record in baseball also helps his cause, as he's been the catalyst behind a 20-7 start.
3. RF Mitch Haniger, Seattle Mariners
(112 PA, .309/.384/.701, 6 2B, 10 HR, 27 RBI, 17 R, 1.7 WAR)
The Seattle Mariners offense is loaded with star power.
The casual fan would probably name Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz, Kyle Seager, Jean Segura and Dee Gordon before Haniger even crossed their mind.
Don't expect that to be the case for much longer.
The 27-year-old battled injuries during his rookie season but still hit .282/.352/.491 with 25 doubles, 16 home runs and 47 RBI over 410 plate appearances on his way to 3.0 WAR.
A healthy season could mean a big breakout, and he's off to a great start.
4. 3B Manny Machado, Baltimore Orioles
(125 PA, .361/.448/.676, 7 2B, 9 HR, 22 RBI, 14 R, 1.7 WAR)
In terms of pure production, Machado belongs right alongside Gregorius and Betts.
However, the fact that he's playing for an 8-20 Orioles team has to be taken into account when it comes to the MVP discussion.
The 25-year-old will be a free agent at the end of the season, and a summer trade is looking more and more inevitable with each passing loss.
His smooth transition back to the shortstop position only increases his overall value, and even two months of the slugger could cost a king's ransom if the O's front office plays its cards right.
5. CF Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels
(125 PA, .291/.408/.631, 5 2B, 10 HR, 18 RBI, 21 R, 2.4 WAR)
It wouldn't be an AL MVP discussion with mentioning Trout.
His numbers are not quite otherworldly, but they're pretty excellent. As usual, he's leading the majors in WAR (2.4).
The difference this season is that he's doing it for a team that's winning ballgames, as the Angels look like legitimate playoff contenders, even after a recent skid following their 13-3 start.
Honorable Mentions
- 2B Jose Altuve (HOU)
- 3B Matt Chapman (OAK)
- SP Gerrit Cole (HOU)
- RP Edwin Diaz (SEA)
- RF Aaron Judge (NYY)
- RP Craig Kimbrel (BOS)
- 2B Jed Lowrie (OAK)
- SP Sean Manaea (OAK)
- CF Kevin Pillar (TOR)
- SP Justin Verlander (HOU)
All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs and accurate through Sunday's games.
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