Biggest Takeaways From the 2018 Season

In my second installment of this piece (see 2017 version here), I'll be looking at exactly what the most important and most memorable developments from the 2018 season were. First off, congratulations to the Boston Red Sox, taking home their ninth World Series title and fourth in the past fourteen years. What else should we remember about 2018?

Pitching Staff Management is Fundamentally Changing
When Buck Showalter failed to use relief-ace Zach Britton in the 2016 AL Wild Card Game because he was waiting for a "save situation," even as the game went into extra innings, it provided the spark that would slowly change pitching staff management forever. We saw it a little bit in the 2017 playoffs, then in 2018, the ball really got rolling. Starters are throwing less than ever, and the Rays (and to a lesser extent the A's) even experimented with openers. Guys like Ryne Stanek, Diego Castillo, Hunter Wood, and Sergio Romo served as openers for Ryan Yarbrough and Yonny Chirinos, and the Rays benefited. I'd expect more teams to join the trend next season. In the playoffs, hooks came quicker than ever, and many of us were surprised to see starters come out for the seventh inning at all when they did. Closers came in in the eighth inning, and hopefully we'll see more of that next season. Whatever you think about bullpening or openers, the starting pitcher is going to continue to recede.

Data Analytics Works
The final four teams in the playoffs - the Red Sox, Astros, Dodgers, and Brewers - were four of the teams that relied the most heavily on analytics. All those high school coaches, barstool pundits, and opinionated uncles who think "the nerds are ruining the game," they might want to either thank them for their favorite team's success. The "eye test" and "gut feelings" just don't match up to empirical data, and we're getting more and more of the latter every year. Sabermetricians already nearly perfected offensive evaluation with stats like wOBA and wRC+, and Statcast is even beginning to dip its foot into quantifying something we have struggled to understand forever: defense. Fielding percentage is an awful judge of ability, and sabermetric stats like DRS (defensive runs saved) and UZR (ultimate zone rating) just began to scratch the surface. With Statcast, we're at least beginning to understand outfield defense with stats like catch probability and outs above average. We still haven't quite figured out how to quantify infield defense with Statcast; that's up next.

Parity is Becoming a Thing of the Past
Unless the MLB does something, our divisions will look more and more like the 2018 AL East, with the Red Sox and Yankees blowing everyone out and the Blue Jays and Orioles sitting at the bottom with no chance. Rebuilds work, and the more you commit to them, the better they do. Look at the Astros. Playing .500 ball is not much better for your fanbase than playing .400 ball, which is in turn not much better than playing .300 ball. Simply put, if you're not winning, then it pays to tear down the team and just lose until your stockpiled prospects reach the majors. That's what we're seeing in Miami, Baltimore, Chicago (White Sox), and Detroit. This is both good for baseball and bad; it's good because it enables small market teams like the ones listed to compete with the Boston's, New York's, and Los Angeles's of the world, but it is bad because it just leads to awful teams and boring division races. I'm not sure what the solution is, but don't expect more than two or three exciting division races per season until something is done.

Mike Trout Might Be the Best Player Ever
The idea that Mike Trout might be one of the best who ever lived entered the national conversation a few years ago, but he might actually end up being the best player ever. Eight years into his career and only a few months after turning 27, he has 240 home runs, a .307/.416/.573 slash line, 189 stolen bases, and 64.7 fWAR. His 172 career wRC+ ranks sixth all time, behind only Babe Ruth (197), Ted Williams (188), Lou Gehrig (173), Rogers Hornsby (173), and Barry Bonds (173). The 64.7 fWAR are already 89th on the all time list, despite every single player ahead of him on the list having played more than 500 more games than him. He's already ahead of plenty of Hall of Famers, from Yogi Berra to Duke Snider to Ernie Banks to Willie Stargell, and he's likely to catch Tony Gwynn and Craig Biggio within the first month of 2019. And he just turned 27 on August 7th.

Clayton Kershaw is No Longer the Best Pitcher in Baseball
It's been a great run for Clayton Kershaw. From 2011-2017, his age 23-29 seasons, he went 118-41 with a 2.10 ERA, a 0.91 WHIP, and a 1623/283 strikeout to walk ratio over 1452 innings, good for a 29.1% strikeout rate and a 5.1% walk rate. By those numbers the average season saw him go 17-6 with a 2.10 ERA and a 232/40 strikeout to walk ratio in 207.1 innings. Kershaw's 47.4 pitching fWAR led the majors by a massive margin, 11.2 ahead of second place Max Scherzer's 36.2. That's not only a great run, but one of the best in history. However, there is reason to believe that that run is coming to an end. Kershaw turns 31 in March, and while that's not old, he figures to be past his prime. This past season, he went 9-5 with a 2.73 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP over 26 starts, striking out 155 and walking 29 in 161.1 innings. Those numbers are great, yes, but not Kershaw great. His fastball velocity has been steadily declining from 94.2 MPH in 2015 to 93.6, 92.8, and 90.8 in the last three seasons as he has battled back problems. That's not to say Kershaw isn't still good; he's one of the best in the game and I expect him to contend for the NL Cy Young Award next season, but he's not *the best* anymore.

Something is Happening in Oakland
The A's went 97-65 in 2018 and captured the second AL Wild Card, though based on that record they deserved better. What people might not realize, though, is that they are here to stay. Their entire core outside of Jed Lowrie and second half addition Mike Fiers was young, with guys like Khris Davis (48 HR, .247/.326/.549), Matt Chapman (24 HR, .278/.356/.508), Matt Olson (29 HR, .247/.335/.453), and Lowrie (23 HR, .267/.353/.448) leading the offense and Sean Manaea (12-9, 3.59 ERA), Fiers (5-2, 3.74 ERA post trade), Daniel Mengden (7-6, 4.05 ERA), Blake Treinen (0.78 ERA, 100/21 K/BB), and Lou Trivino (2.92 ERA, 82/31 K/BB) leading the pitching staff. Out of that entire list, only Lowrie is a free agent, though Manaea might not pitch at all in 2019 due to shoulder surgery. However, on the flip side, Jharel Cotton will be back from Tommy John surgery. There are also prospects on the horizon, with Jesus Luzardo, Franklin Barreto, Jorge Mateo, and Ramon Laureano looking to break through sooner rather than later. Nobody saw it coming, but this team is very good and it's built to last. They're not going anywhere in 2019.

New Faces Everywhere
In 2017, we saw the rise of Aaron Judge, Luis Severino, Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez, Corey Seager, Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, and others to stardom, and this year, the youth movement continued. Mookie Betts, after a relative down year in 2017 (.264/.344/.459), bounced back with a huge 2018 that saw him slash .346/.438/.640 with 32 home runs and 30 stolen bases, and he's likely to take home the AL MVP Award. Now with 28.7 fWAR over the past three seasons, he has elevated himself to superstar levels. Alex Bregman had a huge season, building on his .284/.352/.475 2017 season by slashing .286/.394/.532 with 31 home runs and 51 doubles, surprising many by being the best hitter in a formidable Houston lineup. The A's have a of young defensive wiz that can also swing the bat in Matt Chapman (24 HR, .278/.356/.508). On the mound, quite a few new starting pitchers turned into aces. Aaron Nola posted a 2.37 ERA and looks poised to lead the Phillies into contention, while Blake Snell dropped his ERA below 2.00. Kyle Freeland even got in on the fun from Colorado, becoming the first Rockies' starter since Ubaldo Jimenez in 2010 to drop his ERA below 3.00. Josh Hader was an unstoppable force in the Milwaukee bullpen, striking out 143 batters in just 81.1 innings (but not without dodging controversy). Oh, and out of Betts, Bregman, Chapman, Nola, Snell, Freeland, and Hader, Betts is the oldest and even he will play the entire 2019 season at just 26 years old.
Don't Forget the Rookies
This year's rookie class was among the best we've ever seen. Shohei Ohtani fulfilled the lofty expectations placed on him and while he won't get to pitch in 2019 due to Tommy John surgery, he has already elevated himself to stardom with both his bat and his arm. Teenager Juan Soto took the baseball world by storm by sprinting up from Class A to the majors in just one month, then slashed .292/.406/.517 with 22 home runs against much, much older competition. Ronald Acuna, less than a year older than Soto, was equally impressive by slashing .293/.366/.552 with 26 home runs and 16 stolen bases for the Braves. Walker Buehler was incredible in Los Angeles, posting a 2.62 ERA, a 0.96 WHIP, and a 151/37 strikeout to walk ratio before dominating in the postseason. Miguel Andujar stepped up when the Yankees needed him, slashing .297/.328/.527 with 27 home runs and 47 doubles, while his teammate, Gleyber Torres, slashed .271/.340/.480 with 24 home runs. Harrison Bader showed a decent bat (12 HR, .264/.334/.422) but immediately established himself as one of the best defensive outfielders in the game. Even in that long paragraph of names, I left out guys like Joey Wendle, Ryan Yarbrough, Jack Flaherty, Lou Trivino, Brian Anderson, Jaime Barria, Brad Keller, and Joey Lucchesi.

And Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is coming in April

2018 Draft Preview: Matthew Liberatore

LHP Matthew Liberatore (Mountain Ridge HS, AZ): 6'5", 200 lbs, born 11/6/1999

Overview

Fastball: 55. Curveball: 55. Slider: 55. Changeup: 60. Control: 60.

My personal favorite in this year's high school class, as of mid May, is Matthew Liberatore, who reminds me a lot of Clayton Kershaw. Liberatore is a tall, skinny left hander who is more about polish than power, throwing an array of quality pitches and commanding them well. He has hung around the top of the draft all spring, and he will likely go in the top ten picks with a good shot at the top five, though high school pitchers can be unpredictable.

Strengths

Liberatore is as polished as they come in high school. He has enough fastball velocity to get by, throwing in the low 90's, even touching 97 at some points, and he can locate that fastball around the zone with ease. His curveball has very good depth on it, and while it doesn't have too much power at the moment, its high spin rate makes it a very promising pitch. The slider is new this year, showing good bite and offering a different look from his curve. The changeup also has very good diving action, giving him four quality pitches, and with his command, everything plays up. His delivery looked like it would need to be cleaned up once he was in pro ball, but it looks cleaner this year already, showing that he is trending in the right direction.

Weaknesses

When teams are going to bypass high-upside flamethrowers for polished strike throwers like Liberatore, they look for consistency, and while Liberatore hasn't been too inconsistent, his stuff has ticked up and down a little bit this spring. He came out of the gate throwing mid 90's this spring, but has settled back into his usual low 90's as the season progressed, and his stuff has looked plus at times while looking more ordinary at others. That said, he is just 18, so you can't expect him to be perfect.

Clayton Kershaw Comparison

Kershaw and Liberatore share a striking number of similarities. Both are tall, skinny left handers with balanced skillsets that don't rely on any one pitch or skill to much. Both throw in the low 90's, and they're offspeed arsenals are identical. Kershaw's curve has more power, but Liberatore's drops nearly as much and has a similar shape, and both have short but effective sliders. Lastly, they both know how to use a changeup, and both can command their pitches around the zone. They also have similar deliveries, using a sizable leg kick before dropping and driving to the plate while dropping the ball down behind their back knee. Liberatore doesn't have the pause, but that is nit picking. I obviously don't think Liberatore will be quite the sure-fire Hall of Famer that Kershaw is, but they are extremely similar pitchers.

Biggest Takeaways From the 2017 Season

The 2017 season is complete, with the very deserving Houston Astros winning the World Series. Over the long offseason, while we impatiently wait for trades and free agent signings, we will also look back on the last six months of baseball. Each year has something it stands out for. 1967 was defined by Carl Yastrzemski's Triple Crown and the Red Sox' Impossible Dream. 1998 gave us Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa's chase for Roger Maris' home run record. 2012 introduced us to Mike Trout's ability. What will we remember in a few months? In a few years? In a few decades? Here is what stood out to me, starting with the broadest observations and finishing with more specific, nuanced takes.

The Fly Ball Revolution and the Year of the Home Run

It would be tough to argue that there was a bigger story in 2017. After years of lower offense, the Fly Ball Revolution (as well as potentially juiced baseballs) led to the largest single season output of home runs we've ever seen. Players like Daniel Murphy, Justin Turner, Josh Donaldson, and J.D. Martinez were at the forefront of encouraging hitters to increase their launch angles, and for most who followed (such as Yonder Alonso, Chris Taylor, Trea Turner, Ryan Zimmerman, etc.), the results were enormously positive. 2000 may have seen greater overall offensive output (fueled by the Steroid Era), but the real story of 2017 was specifically the home run. Francisco Lindor blasted 33, Rougned Odor hit 30, Chris Taylor hit 21, Marwin Gonzalez hit 23, and 5'5" Jose Altuve hit 24. None of these guys would ever strike you as home run hitters, but this was the Year of the Home Run, and it will likely continue as hitters keep aiming for fly balls rather than ground balls.

The World Series We All Wanted

Sure, it is nice when an underdog breaks through the ranks and makes a surprise run to the World Series, but every once in a while, it's nice to see the two best teams in baseball, the two that dominated their respective leagues, go head to head in a best of seven series. The 104 win Dodgers, led by the best pitcher in baseball, a deep rotation, bullpen, and lineup, and a plethora of breakout stars, matched up against the 101 Astros, led by the best collection of bats we've seen in recent memory. The Series itself lived up to the billing, showcasing back-and-forth game after back-and-forth game as the two equally matched clubs battled it out.

And a Win for Analytics

The Astros and Dodgers are two of the most analytics-heavy teams in the game, and it was a huge win for the nerds as those two met in the World Series. Analytics is growing around baseball, and what we saw this year will only speed that up.

Yankees Get Their Superstar, Prepare For New Dynasty

This may be the most visible effect of the 2017 season. The Yankees have always been a team known for their superstars: from Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig to Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Mickey Mantle, Thurman Munson, Ron Guidry, Don Mattingly, and Bernie Williams, it seems like every era can be defined by Yankees great or greats. Most recently, the Yanks were defined by the "Core Four" of Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, and Andy Pettitte, and you can throw Alex Rodriguez and Mike Mussina in that group as well. However, over the past half-decade or so, the lineup has been devoid of any superstars as the team has attempted to rebuild. That all changed this year, when Aaron Judge exploded onto the scene with 52 home runs, and he could be the AL MVP when all is said and done. One season isn't enough to label somebody the next DiMaggio or Mantle, but the MLB is a different place when the Yankees have a superstar. Combine Judge with up and coming stars like Gary Sanchez and Luis Severino, as well as top prospects Gleyber Torres and Clint Frazier (though Frazier technically is not a prospect), and this could be a new dynasty in the making.

Shift in Pitching Staff Management Continues

On a per batter basis, relievers are better than starters simply because they don't have to pace themselves. Managers are slowly beginning to realize that, and starting pitchers are finding themselves with shorter and shorter leashes. In the playoffs, teams have already almost fully adopted the strategy of yanking starters early and using your "closer" when you need him most (not necessarily in a "save situation"), and we're starting to see that strategy filter into the regular season. Starters are throwing the fewest percentage of their teams' innings in history and the trend is clearly continuing downwards. Hopefully, 2018 will be the year that "closers" start to come in at the most critical situations, not "save situations," at a higher rate. New Red Sox manager Alex Cora has hinted that he may be one to start that trend.

Braves, White Sox Position Themselves as Future Superteams

Many teams are rebuilding, but during the 2017 season, no team built up their farm system better than the Braves and White Sox. They Braves did so more through player development, which is cheaper and more sustainable, while the White Sox did so through trades, but both farm systems are fearsome to say the least. The Braves' system was led by the emergence of super-prospect Ronald Acuna, but other hitters such as Cristian Pache, Kevin Maitan, Cristian Pache, and Drew Waters help round out the offensive core. However, it's the pitching that is really exciting down on the farm, led by Luiz Gohara, Kolby Allard, Mike Soroka, Kyle Wright, Max Fried, Joey Wentz, Ian Anderson, Bryse Wilson, Kyle Muller, Touki Toussaint, and many more. The talent pipeline here is seemingly endless, and they could have an extremely deep MLB roster in the near future. Meanwhile, the White Sox' system is a conglomeration of the former top prospects of other teams, as they have acquired top prospects Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech, Eloy Jimenez, Dylan Cease, Blake Rutherford, Dane Dunning, and Ryan Cordell, as well as mid-level guys like Ian Clarkin, Charlie Tilson, Luis Alexander Basabe, and A.J. Puckett. They also have their fair share of homegrown talent, led by recent draft picks Carson Fulmer, Alec Hansen, Zack Collins, Jake Burger, and Zack Burdi, as well as Cuban star Luis Robert.

Bud Black Establishes Rockies' First Effective Starting Rotation

You may not have noticed it, but first year Rockies manager did something amazing with the Colorado rotation. The team has difficulty attracting top-flight starting pitchers to ruin their career numbers in Coors Field, and young pitchers can often have their confidence dashed when they get blown up in the extremely hitter-friendly conditions. Because of this, the Rockies have never had a starting rotation worth bragging about until a staff full of rookies went out and shoved. 25 year old Jon Gray, in his second full season, went out and led the rotation by going 10-4 with a 3.67 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP, with his 73 ERA- (ballpark adjusted, lower is better, 100 is average) being better than that of Carlos Carrasco (73), Justin Verlander (76), Rich Hill (80), Madison Bumgarner (80), Jake Arrieta (81), Lance Lynn (81), and Yu Darvish (86), just to name a few. However, he was far from the only Rockies' pitcher to break out. 24 year old rookie Kyle Freeland went 11-11 with a 4.10 ERA (82 ERA-) and a 1.49 WHIP, 22 year old rookie German Marquez was 11-7 with a 4.39 ERA (87 ERA-) and a 1.38 WHIP, and fellow 22 year old rookie Antonio Senzatela was 10-5 with a 4.68 ERA (93 ERA-) and a 1.30 WHIP. That's four pitchers 25 and under, three of which had never thrown an MLB pitch prior to 2017, who went out and pitched better than league average in the toughest of situations. While the offense struggled outside of Charlie Blackmon and Nolan Arenado, these four were fun to watch, and could be the anchors of a great Rockies rotation for years to come.

Mike Trout, Clayton Kershaw Continue to Build Resumes As All Time Greats

Though both missed time to injury this year, Trout and Kershaw are looking more and more like they could will end up among the all time greats at their positions. In 114 games, Trout slashed .306/.442/.629 with 33 home runs and 22 stolen bases, marking his sixth straight season with at least 6.9 fWAR and a 167 wRC+. Through 925 games and at age 26, he has accumulated 54.4 fWAR, which puts him 156th all time and ahead of greats like Vladimir Guerrero (54.3), George Sisler (51.9), Jim Rice (50.8), David Ortiz (50.7), and Fred Lynn (49.2). With another seven win season (his career low is 6.9), he could jump to 110th all time. Meanwhile, Clayton Kershaw made only 27 starts, but he still went 18-4 with a 2.31 ERA, a 0.95 WHIP, and a 202/30 strikeout to walk ratio in 175 innings. In terms of ERA as well as WHIP, that was actually his worst season since 2012, when his 2.53 ERA and 1.02 WHIP were best in the National League. Yes, you read that correctly; by two good metrics, his worst season in the past six seasons was still best in the National League. For his career, he is now 144-64 with a 2.36 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP, giving him the lowest ERA by a starter in the history of the Live Ball Era (post 1919, minimum 1500 innings), way ahead of second place Whitey Ford (2.75). In terms of ERA- (see above paragraph), his 62 mark is the lowest of all time.

New Wave of Stars Continues to Emerge

Though it was a great year for rookies Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger, many young players who have already established their names are working their way from star-level to superstar-level. Jose Altuve, after a few years of above average production, has now put up back to back seasons of 6.8 fWAR and 7.5 fWAR, proving 2016 was no fluke and establishing himself as one of the top players in the game. Meanwhile, the Indians built up a pair of homegrown offensive stars, with Francisco Lindor posting fWAR's of 6.2 and 5.9 over the past two seasons and Jose Ramirez quietly turning himself into an elite third baseman. We all know about Lindor's great defense and dynamic offensive style, but Ramirez goes criminally un-talked about. He was very good in 2016 (.312/.363/.462, 11 HR, 46 2B, 4.7 fWAR), but he really burst out in 2017, slashing .318/.374/.583 with 29 home runs, 56 doubles, six triples, and 6.6 fWAR. Together, he and Giancarlo Stanton not only tied for the MLB lead with 91 extra base hits, but also posted the most in a season since Chris Davis' 96 in 2013. Another big season from Ramirez and we should start to hear is name a lot more in the national baseball media. Furthermore, Corey Seager nearly matched his huge rookie campaign, working to join Trout and Kershaw as the faces of West Coast Baseball. After posting a ridiculous 7.4 fWAR as a 22 year old rookie in 2016, he was able to rack up 5.7 in 2016 despite only playing in 145 games. There is also Kris Bryant, who nearly matched his MVP 2016 season with a 6.7 fWAR campaign (after 8.3 in 2016). On the mound, Noah Syndergaard may not have been able to further his name, but one Indians pitcher is quietly out-pitching tons of big names. Carlos Carrasco just posted his third season in the past four years with an ERA of 3.32 or lower, with 2017 actually being his best yet. Over 32 starts, the 30 year old went 18-6 with a 3.29 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP, striking out 226 and walking 46 in 200 innings. He's not a traditional rising star given his age, but he is a late bloomer who has not received enough attention from national baseball media. Luis Severino had everything to prove after a disastrous 2016, and he proved it all by going 14-6 with a 2.98 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP, striking out 230 in 193.1 innings. Other young pitchers to insert themselves into the national discussion or otherwise enhance their names include Robbie Ray (15-5, 2.89 ERA, 1.15 WHIP), Marcus Stroman (13-9, 3.09 ERA, 1.31 WHIP), and Drew Pomeranz (17-6, 3.32 ERA, 1.35 WHIP). Relievers Corey Knebel (1.78 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 126/40 K/BB), Brad Hand (2.16 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 104/20 K/BB), Felipe Rivero (1.67 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 88/20 K/BB), and Chris Devenski (2.68 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 100/26 K/BB) also did great work to join the Kenley Jansens, Craig Kimbrels, and Aroldis Chapmans at the top of the reliever hierarchy.

End of Season Awards: Cy Young

Below are my picks for the AL and NL Cy Young Awards. These are my picks, not predictions.

American League Cy Young

Winner: Corey Kluber (Cleveland Indians): 18-4, 2.25 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 265/36 K/BB

Corey Kluber only made 29 starts, but he still eclipsed 200 innings for the fourth straight season and was as good as any pitcher in baseball. In those 29 starts, he posted a 2.25 ERA, a 0.87 WHIP, and an excellent 265/36 strikeout to walk ratio over 203.2 innings, making for a percent ratio of 34.1% to 4.6%. He may have been the single biggest reason the Indians were able to go from good to great as the season progressed, as his season didn't really get going until June. Over his first six starts, he went 3-2 with a 5.06 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP, though that did include a three hit shutout of the White Sox on April 21st. Then, in his sixth start, he hurt his back, and he didn't return until June 1st. From that point on, Kluber was untouchable, going 15-2 with a 1.61 ERA and a 0.81 WHIP, striking out 224 and walking 23 in 167.1 innings. Aside from shutting out the White Sox on April 21st, he shut out the Orioles in Baltimore on June 19th while striking out eleven, and on September 12th, he shut out the Tigers on five hits. After the injury, he allowed more than three earned runs in a start just once and never allowed more than four, holding opponents to one or zero in fifteen of the 23 starts.

Runner-up: Chris Sale (Boston Red Sox): 17-8, 2.90 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 308/43 K/BB

Sale was almost as good as Kluber this year, keeping his ERA below 3.00 in a hitters' park, but the real story was the strikeouts. With 308, Sale had the most in a single season since Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling struck out 334 and 316, respectively, for the 2002 Arizona Diamondbacks. His season was up and down, highlighted by rough patches but also including absolute gems for starts. On April 20th, he shut down the Blue Jays for no runs, four hits, one walk, and thirteen strikeouts over eight innings. He was similarly untouchable against the Yankees on July 15th (7.2 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 13 K's), the Rays on August 8th (8 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 13 K's), the Blue Jays on August 29th (7 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 11 K's), and the Orioles on September 20th (8 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 13 K's). When he was on, there was no better pitcher in the American League than Chris Sale.

Honorable mention: Luis Severino (New York Yankees): 14-6, 2.98 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 230/51 K/BB

He wasn't quite on the level of Kluber or Sale, but this was a pleasantly surprising season we saw from the 23 year old Yankee starter. After going 3-8 with a 5.83 ERA last year, Luis Severino turned it around to go 14-6 with a 2.98 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP, striking out 230 batters in 193.1 innings (29.4% of those faced) to lead the Yankees to the Wild Card. There were some bumps along the way, but Severino was very consistent for the most part, allowing two or fewer earned runs in 20 of his 31 starts. Overall, he finished third in the American League in ERA (2.98) and WHIP (1.04) as well as fourth in strikeouts (230) while pitching his home games in hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium.

Just missed: Carlos Carrasco (18-6, 3.29 ERA, 1.10 WHIP), Justin Verlander (15-8, 3.36 ERA, 1.17 WHIP), Dallas Keuchel (14-5, 2.90 ERA, 1.12 WHIP)

National League Cy Young

Winner: Max Scherzer (Washington Nationals): 16-6, 2.51 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 268/55 K/BB

It's very close between Max Scherzer and Clayton Kershaw, but having the edge in innings pitched and WHIP will be enough to give Scherzer the award in my book. Through over 200 innings, he posted a 2.51 ERA, a 0.90 WHIP, and 268 strikeouts (34.4% of batters faced), leading the three headed monster of a Nationals rotation to the second best record in the NL. In 23 of his 31 starts, he allowed two or fewer earned runs, giving the Nationals the chance to win nearly every time he went out there. This marks three straight seasons for Scherzer with a sub-3.00 ERA, a sub-1.00 WHIP, more than 200 innings, and more than 260 strikeouts, making his the Nationals look better and better for signing him to that seven year megadeal.

Runner-up: Clayton Kershaw (Los Angeles Dodgers): 18-4, 2.31 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 202/30 K/BB

Had he not missed a month with a back injury, Kershaw likely would hold the top spot here. Despite making just 27 starts, he still threw 175 innings (averaging well into the seventh inning), and he was as good on a per inning basis as any pitcher in baseball. His 2.31 ERA and 0.95 WHIP may be his highest marks since 2012 (he still led the NL in ERA and was second in WHIP), but teams rarely got the chance to do much of anything against Kershaw. In 16 of his 27 starts, he allowed no more than one earned run. He also never allowed more than two runs in back to back starts, showcasing an ability to avoid slumps. His career ERA and WHIP now sit at 2.36 and 1.00, respectively, through nearly 2000 innings. At this point, it's not out of the question that he could find his name carrying the same weight as Walter Johnson, Sandy Koufax, Tom Seaver, and Pedro Martinez.

Honorable mention: Stephen Strasburg (Washington Nationals): 15-4, 2.52 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 204/47 K/BB

Strasburg only made 28 starts, but he still tossed 175.1 innings and went on a crazy run at the end of the season. He was pretty good in the first half (9-3, 3.43 ERA, 1.13 WHIP), but in the second half, he rivaled Corey Kluber for the most dominant pitcher in baseball. Over ten starts, he went 6-1 with a 0.86 ERA and a 0.81 WHIP, striking out 76 batters in 62.2 innings while allowing just six earned runs. That included a 35 inning scoreless streak that only ended on an unearned run, though Strasburg may have a tough time winning the award considering that to many analysts, he wasn't the best pitcher on his own team.

Just missed: Zack Greinke (17-7, 3.20 ERA, 1.07 WHIP), Robbie Ray (15-5, 2.89 ERA, 1.15 WHIP), Gio Gonzalez (15-9, 2.96 ERA, 1.18 WHIP)

First Half Awards

AL MVP: Aaron Judge (New York Yankees): 30 HR, 66 RBI, .329 AVG, 6 SB, 197 wRC+.

After a fairly miserable debut in 2016 (.179/.263/.345), Judge has been unstoppable in his first full season, slashing .329/.448/.691 with 30 home runs through 84 games, already setting the Yankees rookie home run record and winning a Home Run Derby. His 197 wRC+ shows that he's creating nearly twice as many runs as the league average hitter, and although he has struck out in 29.8% of his plate appearances, he has also walked in 16.7%, providing value in more than just home run power. His outside-the-zone swing percentage is down from 33.6% last year to 24.1% this year, showing sustainable success. Mark McGwire holds the rookie record with 49 home runs, but Judge is just 19 away and could easily become the first rookie ever to hit 50 in a season. His on-base percentage sits at .448 right now, and even if he follows Steamer's fairly pessimistic projection and posts a .352 OBP for the rest of the season, he'll still finish at .408, so he's the whole offensive package. He's been worth 5.5 fWAR this year, well ahead of second-place Jose Altuve's 4.4.

Runner-up: Jose Ramirez (Cleveland Indians): 17 HR, 48 RBI, .332 AVG, 10 SB, 157 wRC+.

After Judge, there are a lot of players who have produced about the same amount this year, but I chose to put Ramirez in the runner-up spot because of the ridiculous amount of lineup protection in Houston, where George Springer, Jose Altuve, and Carlos Correa all could easily fill this spot. Ramirez has put up his own crazy-good numbers without the same amount of protection in the lineup, slashing .332/.388/.601 with 17 home runs and 27 doubles through 86 games. Adding ten stolen bases and good defense at third base, he has been worth 3.9 fWAR, holding up more than his fair share of the responsibility as part of the Indians young dynamic duo with Francisco Lindor. He's been especially hot as of late, slashing .401/.446/.774 since June 3rd, spearheading the Indians' run to the top of the AL Central.

Honorable mentions: Jose Altuve (13 HR, .347 AVG, 18 SB, 161 wRC+), George Springer (27 HR, .310 AVG, 2 SB, 164 wRC+), Carlos Correa (20 HR, .325 AVG, 0 SB, 161 wRC+), Mike Trout (16 HR, .337 AVG, 10 SB, 208 wRC+)

NL MVP: Bryce Harper (Washington Nationals): 20 HR, 65 RBI, .325 AVG, 2 SB, 161 wRC+.

Bryce has been producing back at his 2015 levels, slashing .325/.431/.590 in the middle of a lineup that has been one of the most prolific in baseball. He sits second to Joey Votto in just about every offensive category, but because he adds value with good defense in right field, he truly contributes to the Nationals in every way he can. He slumped a bit in late May and into early June, but he seems to have rebounded and is slashing .433/.528/.700 in the month of July, currently sitting on an eight game hitting streak. Overall, he has been worth 3.8 fWAR.

Runner-up: Joey Votto (Cincinnati Reds): 26 HR, 68 RBI, .315 AVG, 3 SB, 167 wRC+.

Votto's edge over Paul Goldschmidt is razor thin, but I think he has just enough to take the runner-up spot, slashing .315/.427/.631 with 26 home runs through 88 games. Arguably the closest thing this generation of baseball players has to Ted Williams, Votto has walked in 16.1% of his plate appearances while striking out in just 10.9%. He hits for power, he gets on base, he makes the hitters around him better, and he's overall one of the very first bats I'd pick to be in my lineup this year. What's even crazier is that his .291 BABIP says that he may have been the recipient of bad luck so far, especially considering his career rate is .354, though his hard hit rate and soft hit rates aren't quite as stellar as they have been in the past, so who knows. What we do know is that Votto leads the NL in home runs (26), slugging percentage (.631), OPS (1.058), wOBA (.432), and wRC+ (167), and that he has been worth 3.8 fWAR.

Honorable mentions: Paul Goldschmidt (20 HR, .312 AVG, 13 SB, 153 wRC+), Daniel Murphy (14 HR, .342 AVG, 1 SB, 146 wRC+), Justin Turner (10 HR, .377 AVG, 2 SB, 183 wRC+), Ryan Zimmerman (19 HR, .330 AVG, 1 SB, 148 wRC+).

AL Cy Young: Chris Sale (Boston Red Sox): 11-4, 2.75 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 178/22 K/BB.

During his time with the White Sox, Sale bounced back and forth between "very good" and "excellent," and when he was shipped over to a tougher division and a tougher home park in Boston, it was expected that his numbers would revert back to "very good," at least at first, as had happened with David Price. However, Sale had no intentions of letting that happen, instead putting himself on pace for what may be the best season of his career with a 2.75 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP. He has struck out 35.9% of the batters he has faced, which is a ridiculous number for a starter, meanwhile walking only 4.4%. He has been surprisingly consistent, as you might be surprised to hear he has just three scoreless starts this season, but he hasn't been blown up in any, either. His best start came on April 20th, when he struck out 13 Blue Jays over eight shutout innings, allowing four hits and walking just one. His worst start came in his return to Chicago, when the White Sox touched him up for six runs (five earned) over five innings, but he still struck out nine.

Runner-up: Dallas Keuchel (Houston Astros): 9-0, 1.67 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 69/18 K/BB.

Keuchel has only made eleven starts due to injuries, but no pitcher other than Chris Sale has been able to step in and firmly take over this runner-up spot, with even the best pitchers' ERA's creeping up close to 3.00. Over a month ago, when Keuchel made his most recent start, he was the clear front runner for the AL Cy Young Award, holding a 1.67 ERA, a 0.87 WHIP, and just 48 hits allowed in 75.2 innings. He has given up more than two runs in just one of his eleven starts, when manager A.J. Hinch left him in too long and he gave up three runs in the ninth inning while vying for a complete game. Other than that easily avoidable bad-on-paper start, he is 9-0 with a 1.20 ERA and a 0.84 WHIP. When he's on the mound, he's easily been the most dominant pitcher in baseball this year, and we're eagerly awaiting his imminent return.

Honorable mentions: Corey Kluber (7-3, 2.80 ERA, 0.99 WHIP), Jason Vargas (12-3, 2.62 ERA, 1.15 WHIP), Ervin Santana (10-6, 2.99 ERA, 1.08 WHIP), Carlos Carrasco (10-3, 3.44 ERA, 1.08 WHIP).

NL Cy Young: Max Scherzer (Washington Nationals): 10-5, 2.10 ERA, 0.78 WHIP, 173/27 K/BB.

Slowly and steadily, Max Scherzer has put up an amazing season. His 0.78 WHIP is lower than any full National League season since 1876, and if he can maintain the pace he is on, it will be the second lowest in MLB history, trailing only Pedro Martinez's 0.74 in 2000. He's also leading the MLB in ERA this year at 2.10, enough to give him the rare edge over Clayton Kershaw for NL Cy Young. He has absolutely dominated almost every time out, reaching double digits in strikeouts in 11 of his 18 starts and striking out at least one batter per inning in all 18. In terms of consistency, his worst month in terms of both ERA and WHIP was April, when he went 3-2 with a 2.94 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP, striking out 40 batters in 33.2 innings. Not bad for your worst month.

Runner-up: Clayton Kershaw (Los Angeles Dodgers): 14-2, 2.18 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 159/22 K/BB.

We're seeing classic Clayton Kershaw, as he is in the middle of posting his fifth straight season with an ERA below 2.20 and a WHIP below 0.95. Like Scherzer, the highest ERA he has posted in any month was a 2.43 mark in May, and he has shown the uncanny ability to bounce back from tough starts and keep them from snowballing. He has only allowed more than two runs in a game four times this year, but in his subsequent start after each of those games, he is 4-0 with a 0.94 ERA and a 0.59 WHIP, striking out 39 in 28.2 innings. Nobody gets to Kershaw two starts in a row, and that's part of what makes him great.

Honorable mentions: Zack Greinke (11-4, 2.86 ERA, 1.00 WHIP), Robbie Ray (8-4, 2.97 ERA, 1.22 WHIP), Ivan Nova (9-6, 3.21 ERA, 1.09 WHIP), Gio Gonzalez (7-4, 2.86 ERA, 1.23 WHIP).

AL Rookie of the Year: Aaron Judge (New York Yankees): 30 HR, 66 RBI, .329 AVG, 6 SB, 197 wRC+.

See MVP write-up. If Judge gets his projected 252 additional plate appearances this year (Steamer) and literally strikes out in every single one, he'd still slash .176/.290/.370 with 30 home runs, which would still theoretically have him in the running.

Runner-up: Andrew Benintendi (Boston Red Sox): 12 HR, 51 RBI, .279 AVG, 9 SB, 106 wRC+.

Benintendi won't catch Judge, but he's having a fine season in his own right. Through 82 games, Benintendi, who just over two years ago was still suiting up for the Arkansas Razorbacks, is slashing .279/.357/.446 with 12 home runs and nine stolen bases, showcasing an all around game that will be hugely valuable for the Red Sox in the coming years. If you look closer, though, he's actually having a better season than the numbers say. He had a horrible slump in which he went hitless in seven straight games from May 10th to the 17th, totaling 26 at bats, but outside of that, he's been putting up All Star numbers: all 12 of his home runs (obviously) with a .305/.375/.487 slash line. With his low .299 BABIP, he'll likely finish the season with better numbers than he has right now. He has been worth 1.4 fWAR this year.

Honorable mentions: Trey Mancini (14 HR, 44 RBI, .312 AVG, 1 SB, 133 wRC+), Jordan Montgomery (6-4, 3.65 ERA, 1.23 WHIP), Yulieski Gurriel (11 HR, 44 RBI, .297 AVG, 1 SB, 115 wRC+), Danny Barnes (2-2, 2.31 ERA, 0.90 WHIP)

NL Rookie of the Year: Cody Bellinger (Los Angeles Dodgers): 25 HR, 58 RBI, .261 AVG, 5 SB, 145 wRC+.

While Bellinger hasn't quite dominated the NL the way Aaron Judge has dominated the AL, he's been quite amazing in his 70 games, slashing .261/.342/.619 with 25 home runs. He may not hit .300 to back up his power, but he has supplemented his average .261 batting average with 33 walks, good for 11.3% of his plate appearances and a .342 on base percentage. Of course, when you're slugging over .600 with those 25 home runs, anything more than an acceptable OBP is just a bonus. He already has six multi-homer games. From May 5th to June 25th, a span of just 48 games, he blasted 21 home runs. His uppercut is, in my opinion, baseball's most aesthetically pleasing swing, and when you add in his great defense, he's a complete player. He's been worth 2.3 fWAR this season.

Runner-up: Kyle Freeland (Colorado Rockies): 9-7, 3.77 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 65/41 K/BB.

Freeland has been an enigma this year. The 8th overall pick of the 2014 draft, Freeland has kept his ERA under 4.00 despite pitching half his games in Coors Field, an extremely difficult place to be a pitcher. Oddly enough, he has been way better at Coors (5-4, 3.23 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) than he has been on the road (4-3, 4.35 ERA, 1.51 WHIP). Additionally, he's somehow getting it done with a low strikeout rate (14%) and a high walk rate (8.8%) that should theoretically hurt him in an environment where any ball put in play is dangerous. He has induced 1.8 ground outs for every fly out, so he does have that going in his favor. In his final start before the All Star Break, he took a no-hitter into the ninth inning against the White Sox and finished with 8.1 shutout innings on one hit, three walks, and nine strikeouts at Coors Field.

Honorable mentions: Jesus Aguilar (9 HR, 34 RBI, .294 AVG, 0 SB, 131 wRC+), Josh Bell (16 HR, 44 RBI, .239 AVG, 2 SB, 107 wRC+), Antonio Senzatela (9-3, 4.63 ERA, 1.24 WHIP), Ian Happ (13 HR, 31 RBI, .257 AVG, 3 SB, 122 wRC+).

Tracking Awards: 6/4

AL MVP: Mike Trout (LAA): 16 HR, 36 RBI, .337 AVG, 10 SB, 212 wRC+. Last week: Trout.

You never like to hear about players getting injured, but having the game's best player, in the midst of a career year, go down for almost two months is especially disappointing. At this point, though, he hasn't missed enough time to justify giving the award to someone else, like Aaron Judge, so let's recap what he was doing before he got hurt. Through 47 games, Trout had 16 home runs, 14 doubles, a pair of triples, and ten stolen bases, slashing .337/.461/.742 and leading the MLB with a 212 wRC+ and 3.4 fWAR. We all wish Trout a speedy recovery, and if he keeps playing the way he has, he could conceivably still win the AL MVP at the end of the season as long as BBWAA writers don't continue their misguided trend of valuing team performance. 

NL MVP: Bryce Harper (WSH): 15 HR, 43 RBI, .328 AVG, 0 SB, 179 wRC+. Last week: Freddie Freeman.

Freddie Freeman still leads the MLB in wOBA (.488) and the NL in wRC+ (208), but unlike Trout, he has now missed enough time with his injury to justify moving the award elsewhere. Bryce Harper is very much back in his 2015 form, with his .328/.438/.655 slash line comparing well to 2015's .330/.460/.649. The heart of a lineup that also includes Ryan Zimmerman and Daniel Murphy, he is currently serving a three game suspension for *hot take alert* standing up for himself after being beaned by Giants reliever Hunter Strickland. We are extremely lucky to be able to watch Harper and Trout (once he comes back in July) compete against each other, even if they aren't in the same league. It's reminiscent of the Mantle-Mays-Snider era to me. While Bryce probably compares better to Duke Snider than to Mickey Mantle or Willie Mays at this point, comparing Trout to Mantle or Mays may not be too much of an overstatement at this point.

AL Cy Young: Dallas Keuchel (HOU): 9-0, 1.67 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 69/18 K/BB. Last week: Keuchel.

Unlike most of the other awards here (save for AL ROY), this one is pretty clear. Dallas Keuchel has not only bounced back from a rough 2016 (4.55 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) to regain his 2015 form in which he won the AL Cy Young Award, but he's actually putting up a career year that outperforms anything he's ever done. Through eleven starts, he's unbeaten (with the help of MLB's best offense) with an MLB-leading 1.67 ERA and 0.87 WHIP, allowing just 67 baserunners over 75.2 innings. He has allowed two or fewer earned runs in ten of his eleven starts, with his only blip being an eight inning, five earned run performance against the Angels in which his manager left him in to long and he allowed three runs in the eighth. If you take out that one start, which really wasn't as bad as the stat line would suggest, he has a 1.20 ERA, a 0.84 WHIP, and a 64/16 strikeout to walk ratio over ten starts.

NL Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw (LAD): 7-2, 2.28 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 92/11 K/BB. Last week: Kershaw.

Max Scherzer is doing his best to challenge him here, but realistically, it's tough to see baseball's best pitcher relinquishing this spot. Any time he has a tough start, he bounces back better than ever; this season, in his three starts that have immediately succeeded starts in which he allows at least three runs, Kershaw has a 1.19 ERA and a 0.75 WHIP, allowing three earned runs and striking out 31 over 22.2 innings. Obviously, it's a small sample size, but one of the many things that make Kershaw great is that he will not let one tough start build on him. Overall, he has a 2.28 ERA, a 0.90 WHIP, and 90 strikeouts over 83 innings, which is right in line with what is expected out of him.

AL Rookie of the Year: Aaron Judge (NYY): 18 HR, 41 RBI, .326 AVG, 4 SB, 197 wRC+. Last week: Judge.

Forget AL ROY, Judge is the frontrunner to take over the AL MVP spot once Trout misses enough games. He is leading the MLB with 18 home runs, and when you throw in his eight doubles, two triples, and 32 walks, he has an extremely impressive .326/.433/.691 slash line, regardless of the fact that he's a 25 year old rookie. He's currently riding a seven game hitting streak in which he has knocked three home runs, and he's actually drawn a walk as well in each of his past five. One possible red flag to watch is his strikeout rate, which has climbed from 26.7% in April to 29.7% in May to 42.9% in three June games (two strikeouts in each game), and it could be a sign of an impending slump. His walk rate also dropped from 14.4% in April to 13.5% in May, before jumping to 28.6% in June, though keep in mind for both the strikeout and walk rates that June's sample size is too small to really get much from the data. Analysts have been predicting Judge to slow down for some time now, and he's proven them wrong so far, so we can continue to sit back and enjoy the monster home runs and surprisingly high on-base percentages for now.

NL Rookie of the Year: Antonio Senzatela (COL): 7-2, 3.49 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 44/20 K/BB. Last week: Kyle Freeland.

Senzatela and rotation-mate Kyle Freeland are neck and neck for this award, but Senzatela has taken the lead for now. Through eleven starts, six of them in Coors Field, Senzatela has a 3.49 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP, striking out 44 batters in 67 innings. He wasn't as sharp in May as he was in April, having allowed four earned runs in three of his past four starts, but sandwiched inside was one of the greatest games any pitcher has thrown this season. Facing the Cardinals in Coors Field on May 26th, Senzatela tossed eight shutout innings and allowed just five hits and walked nobody, striking out three. First off, to allow no runs and no walks over eight innings is impressive regardless of the situation, but to do it in Coors Field, as a rookie, and against the St. Louis Cardinals, who aren't elite hitting-wise but certainly are no easy foe, is pretty amazing.

Minor League Watch: Chance Adams (NYY AAA): 7-1, 1.24 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 59/22 K/BB. Last week: Kolby Allard.

Few players, if any, can match Chance Adams' minor league success over the past three years. Since being drafted in the fifth round, 153rd overall, out of Dallas Baptist University in 2015, Adams has been nearly untouchable. Over 49 games (34 starts), he is 23-3 with a 1.96 ERA, a 0.92 WHIP, and 248 strikeouts over 220.2 innings across five different levels. This season, he's been better than ever. Starting at AA Trenton, the 22 year old put up a 1.03 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP over six starts, striking out 32 in 35 innings. He was promoted to AAA Scranton-Wilkes Barre, and he's been just as good, putting up a 1.57 ERA and a 0.78 WHIP over four starts while striking out 27 in 23 innings. He hasn't allowed more than two earned runs in any start this season, and he had his best start on May 31st. Squaring up against Columbus, the Indians' AAA affiliate, he allowed just one hit and two walks while striking out 12 Clippers over six shutout innings. New York's rotation is full right now with Masahiro Tanaka, C.C. Sabathia, Michael Pineda, Luis Severino, and Jordan Montgomery, but once there's an opening, Adams could be the one to seize it.

Tracking Awards: 5/22

AL MVP: Mike Trout (LAA): 14 HR, 34 RBI, .350 AVG, 9 SB, 222 wRC+. Last week: Trout.

Last week, Trout and Judge were neck and neck for this award, and while Judge blasted a pair of home runs to give himself sole possession of the MLB lead at 15, Trout has managed to put some daylight between himself and the rookie. He homered in four straight games from May 12th to May 15th, then added home runs on May 17th and May 21st. Riding a nine game on-base streak, Trout has somehow managed to make his May (.317/.508/.878) better than his April (.364/.443/.707), and he now leads the MLB in wRC+ (222) and the AL in wOBA (.487). His 3.1 fWAR puts him well ahead of second place Freddie Freeman (2.6), making MLB's only three win player still less than a third of the way through the season. Steamer now projects Trout to finish the season with a .320/.440/.632 slash line, which would rank as the best of his career, even with some regression through the rest of the season.

NL MVP: Freddie Freeman (ATL): 14 HR, 25 RBI, .341 AVG, 4 SB, 204 wRC+. Last week: Bryce Harper.

Unfortunately, Freeman won't hang onto this spot for long after an Aaron Loup fastball broke his left wrist, likely holding him out for ten weeks. For now, though, his numbers are the best in the National League. He's leading it with 14 home runs, as well as with his 204 wRC+, 2.6 fWAR, and .489 wOBA, the latter of which actually leads the MLB. Freeman was hot, too, when he got hurt, having homered in his last two games and having collected at least two hits in three of his past four games. His .341/.461/.748 slash line is pretty mighty, and the Braves are certainly going to miss it while he recovers. They added Matt Adams (.292/.340/.396) in a trade in response, but he's no MVP.

AL Cy Young: Dallas Keuchel (HOU): 7-0, 1.84 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, 54/14 K/BB. Last week: Jason Vargas.

Here we have another injured player, though unlike Freeman, Keuchel is only expected to miss one start with a pinched nerve in his neck. After respective tough starts for Ervin Santana and Jason Vargas the week they each claimed this spot, Keuchel will be our third AL Cy Young in three weeks. Through nine starts, Keuchel is unbeaten (for what it's worth) with a 0.86 WHIP and an MLB-leading 1.84 ERA. Aside from one tough start where Astros manager A.J. Hinch left him in way too long, Keuchel has allowed two or fewer runs in each of his other eight starts. Leave out that eight inning, five run performance in Los Angeles on May 5th (in which he had allowed just two runs in the first eight innings before allowing three more in the ninth), and Keuchel's ERA and WHIP drop to 1.29 and 0.83, respectively. The Houston ace has done this by putting up a wicked, MLB-leading 2.97 ground out to air out ratio, taking advantage of the fact that ground balls are a pitcher's friend and limiting balls in the air. This has led opponents to bat just .217 on balls in play against him, and while that may be due for some regression, I don't expect it to float all the way up to his career mark of .294 as BABIP's tend to do. After a tough 2016 (4.55 ERA, 1.29 WHIP), Keuchel is pitching better than ever, including his 2015 AL Cy Young season.

NL Cy Young Award: Clayton Kershaw (LAD): 7-2, 2.15 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 62/8 K/BB. Last week: Kershaw.

Last week, I mentioned that partially because he had made two starts at Coors Field already, Kershaw's 2.43 ERA and 0.95 WHIP were his worst since 2012. He must have read this, because in his next start, on May 17th, he shut down the Giants over seven innings, allowing no runs on three hits and no walks while striking out five. His ERA and WHIP dropped to 2.15 and 0.89, respectively, but that 2.15 ERA is still his worst since 2012 and the 0.89 WHIP is his worst since 2013. Can you believe this guy? The two greatest players of our generation currently play in Los Angeles, with Mike Trout tearing it up for the Angels and Clayton Kershaw shutting it down for the Dodgers.

AL Rookie of the Year: Aaron Judge (NYY): 15 HR, 30 RBI, .321 AVG, 200 wRC+. Last week: Aaron Judge.

Something tells me the Yankees' 25 year old right fielder isn't letting go of this spot any time soon. He is leading the majors with his 15 home runs, and 39 games into his season, he is still producing twice the offense as the average player, as evidenced by his 200 wRC+. After slashing what was thought to be an unsustainable .303/.411/.750 in April, he has been just about as good in May, slashing .344/.432/.656. His .390 BABIP is pretty inflated, so expect some regression, but we've thought that was due for a while and it hasn't happened yet. For now, Judge can just keep blasting home runs and getting on base.

NL Rookie of the Year: Kyle Freeland (COL): 5-2, 3.31 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 32/24 K/BB. Last week: Antonio Senzatela.

Back to back tough starts have dropped Antonio Senzatela from this spot, but another Rockies' rookie starter has jumped in to scoop it up before Dodgers rookie Cody Bellinger could. Kyle Freeland has had all the same disadvantages as Senzatela by pitching in Coors Field, but it hasn't bothered him yet, as he has a 3.31 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP through nine starts. That gets even better when you consider his 3.80 ERA and 1.35 WHIP in four home starts, meaning he has a 2.89 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP in five starts in more pitcher-friendly locations. Despite pitching in Coors, he actually has only allowed more than three earned runs in one of his nine starts. Take out the second MLB start of his career on April 12th in Coors Field, when he allowed six runs against the Padres, and he has 2.49 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP over eight starts, five on the road and three at Coors. While Freeland needs to get his walk rate down (10.9% of the batters he's faced so far, or 24 out of 221), his secret to success has been the same as Dallas Keuchel's, as his 2.44 ground out to air out ratio leads the NL. Considering that he pitches in Coors Field (how many times can I mention that in one paragraph?), this number is even more important to him than Keuchel's is to himself.

Minor League Watch: Kolby Allard (ATL AA): 4-1, 1.65 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 41/13 K/BB. Last week: Taylor Gushue.

The Braves selected Allard with the 14th overall pick in the 2015 draft out of high school in California, but had he been healthy, he could have easily gone in the top ten picks and possibly within the top five. He's showing why this year, dominating the AA Southern League at just 19 years old. Through nine starts, the teenager has a 1.65 ERA, a 1.02 WHIP, and a 41/13 strikeout to walk ratio in 49 innings, forcing the Braves to at least consider promoting him to AAA Gwinnett. Down in Mississippi, he has allowed more than two runs in a start just once, as he allowed three in his most recent outing on May 19th. His most impressive start came on May 4th in Birmingham, when he tossed six shutout innings on three hits and no walks, striking out 11 Barons. Right now it's a four way race to see who will be the first player younger than me to break into the major leagues, with Allard, his AA teammate Mike Soroka (3.14 ERA, 1.02 WHIP), another Braves prospect in Ozzie Albies (.259/.308/.388 at AAA Gwinnett), and Padres prospect Luis Urias (.344/.429/.485 at AA San Antonio) making their cases.

Tracking Awards: 5/14

AL MVP: Mike Trout (LAA): 10 HR, 24 RBI, .347 AVG, 5 SB, 216 wRC+. Last week: Trout.

Trout and Judge remain neck and neck offensively (216 to 212 in wRC+, .471 to .473 in wOBA, 1.151 to 1.150 in OPS), but Trout gets the edge due to defensive value and the lack of lineup protection around him. He is slashing .347/.441/.711, all of which would be career highs, and his .376 BABIP (the "luck" factor) is not too high above his career .361. Coming into today, he has homered in back to back games, easing any worries about his hamstring at least from a hitting standpoint. This season has been vintage Mike Trout, a guy who is a future first ballot Hall of Famer easily.

NL MVP: Bryce Harper (WSH): 11 HR, 31 RBI, .368 AVG, 0 SB, 209 wRC+. Last week: Ryan Zimmerman.

Bryce Harper will take over this spot from his teammate, Ryan Zimmerman, as he outplayed him this week. He is getting on base at a ridiculous pace, leading the MLB with a .493 on-base percentage that crushed #2 Freddie Freeman's .463. He has walked more times (29) than he has struck out (27), while adding 11 home runs and nine doubles to go along with valuable defense. His 2.5 fWAR leads the MLB, and his .499 wOBA is second only to Zimmerman's .518. He's already had three four-hit games. The same day that he agreed to the largest arbitration contract in history, he knocked a walk-off home run for the Nationals, helping them maintain the best record in the National League. With Harper, Zimmerman, and Daniel Murphy (.331/.392/.554) in the middle of the lineup, the Nats offense has been pretty unstoppable to this point.

AL Cy Young: Jason Vargas (KC): 5-1, 1.01 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 39/8 K/BB. Last week: Ervin Santana.

Ervin Santana finally had a tough start, so the equally surprising Jason Vargas will step into this spot. He has only allowed runs in three of his seven starts, and he has only allowed more than one run in one of his starts. Take out one mediocre start against the White Sox on April 24th (5 IP, 3 ER, 7 H), then Vargas is 5-0 with a 0.45 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP over his other six starts. In each of those starts, he has gone at least six innings, allowed no more than one run or six hits, and walked no more than three batters. The 34 year old made just twelve starts from 2015-2016 due to Tommy John surgery, but he has come back stronger than ever here in his twelfth major league season.

NL Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw (LAD): 6-2, 2.43 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 57/8 K/BB. Last week: Mike Leake.

Think about this: despite those great numbers, Kershaw is on pace to have his worst ERA and his worst WHIP since 2012 (2.53 and 1.02, respectively), when he led the National League in both. (Yes, that was typed correctly). Basically, his worst season was still the best in the NL, and this season, his "second worst," is still the best in the NL. Kershaw's "bloated" stats are still excellent, with a 2.43 ERA, a 0.95 WHIP, and a 57/8 strikeout to walk ratio over 55.2 innings. He gets the benefit of the doubt, because through eight starts, he's already pitched at Coors Field twice, allowing allowing a combined six runs over thirteen innings. At Coors Field, he's 1-1 with a 4.15 ERA, a 1.23 WHIP and 10 strikeouts in 13 innings, which is pretty respectable for the conditions, but away from the pitchers' hell, he is 5-1 with a 1.90 ERA, a 0.87 WHIP, and 47 strikeouts over 42.2 innings. That is closer to the Clayton Kershaw we know, and it's the reason he gets the NL Cy Young Award for me at this point.

AL Rookie of the Year: Aaron Judge (NYY): 13 HR, 28 RBI, .315 AVG, 2 SB, 212 wRC+. Last week: Judge.

This one is the easiest choice, because Judge is even competing with Mike Trout for the AL MVP Award at this point. Through 31 games, he is tied for the MLB lead with 13 home runs while slashing .315/.411/.739, basically on par with Trout's offensive production. The 6'7", 282 pound outfielder has also been pretty good on defense, and despite solid efforts from Boston's Andrew Benintendi and Seattle's Mitch Haniger, it is looking like Judge could end up winning this award unanimously. He hasn't homered since May 3rd, though, so he should get back on that.

NL Rookie of the Year: Antonio Senzatela (COL): 5-1, 2.86 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 24/11 K/BB. Last week: Senzatela.

New week, more of the same from the Rockies' star young pitcher. This week's start came in Coors Field against the defending World Champion Cubs, but he was unfazed, allowing just two runs on five hits and three walks in six innings, striking out four. That brings his Coors Field-only ERA down to 3.12 and his WHIP to 1.08, versus a 2.50 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP in stadiums that aren't pitchers' hells. For any pitcher to perform this well as a Rockie is impressive, but for a rookie, it's downright amazing.

Minor League Watch: Taylor Gushue (Nationals High Class A): 11 HR, 33 RBI, .326 AVG, 0 SB, 195 wRC+. Last week: Thomas Pannone.

Quick update on Pannone: upon his promotion to AA Akron, Pannone extended his scoreless streak to 51.1 innings, 33.1 of which have come this season. Obviously, AA wasn't too much of a challenge in that start.

Okay, on to Gushue. Playing 2016 at High Class A Bradenton, Gushue put up a very mediocre season by slashing .226/.282/.357 with eight home runs over 90 games at age 22. The Pirates then sent him, with cash, to the Nationals for prospect Chris Bostick, and this team has been a completely flipped script. Repeating High Class A, he has slashed .326/.373/.753 over 25 games, crushing eleven home runs and five doubles for Potomac. Aside from a seven game homerless drought from April 15th to April 23rd, he has not gone more than two games without a home run at any point this season. He homered in four straight games April 10th to April 14th, and also had two-homer games on May 1st and May 10th. Meanwhile, he is batting .326 with a .373 on-base percentage, so he's not just a power bat. Look for this pop-up Nationals prospect down the road, as he will play all of 2017 at 23 years old.