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.

2017 Draft Preview: Tanner Houck

RHP Tanner Houck (University of Missouri): 6'5", 215 lbs, born 6/29/1996

Overview

Fastball: 65. Slider: 50. Changeup: 50. Control: 55.

Tanner Houck, Mizzou's flamethrowing ace, is one of the more polarizing prospects in this draft. He consistently throws his fastball in the mid 90's, but his lack of developed secondaries keep him from truly being a top of the draft talent. He also throws from a low three quarters arm slot with possibly the longest arm path among potential Day One draftees. Houck has a solid track record at Missouri, as he has been a full time starter since the very beginning of his freshman year, and with good results. However, he is a bit unique among this year's top crop of college starts in that he hasn't broken out this year (Brendan McKay, J.B. Bukauskas, Griffin Canning, David Peterson, Clarke Schmidt pre-injury) or suffered through an up and down campaign (Kyle Wright, Alex Faedo, Alex Lange, Seth Romero); rather, Houck has been pretty much nothing more or nothing less than as expected, the only first-round hopeful to do so among college pitchers. However, because of Houck's polarizing nature, he could go pretty much anywhere in the first round or supplemental/competitive balance rounds, though he is unlikely to crack the top ten.

Strengths
Fastball. Houck cranks a sinking, running fastball in the low to mid 90's, even touching the upper 90's as a starter. It is a true plus pitch, rivaling the fastballs of Hunter Greene, J.B. Bukauskas, and Nate Pearson for the best in the draft. Interestingly enough, despite his unconventional mechanics that involve reaching way behind his back with his long arms, he commands the pitch well. Additionally, the 6'5" righty has proven to be extremely durable during his time at Missouri, nearing 300 innings for his career in less than three years. He's also fairly young for a college junior, as he won't turn 21 until more than two weeks after the draft, making him younger than draft-eligible sophomores Tristan Beck and Blaine Knight.

Weaknesses
At this point, the fastball is Houck's only MLB ready pitch. He can get by on blowing college hitters away with the heat, but he'll need to improve his slider and changeup to cut it as a big league starter. Houck throws his slider fairly regularly now, but it grades as average at best and lacks the bite to be useful in its current form. Couple his lack of a full arsenal with his irregular delivery, and many doubt his ability to remain a starter in pro ball. In my opinion, he's probably a reliever at the major league level, but if he can refine his off-speed pitches, he still could be a mid-rotation starter.

2017 Draft Preview: Drew Waters

OF Drew Waters (Etowah HS, GA): 6'2", 185 lbs, born 12/30/1998

Overview

Hit: 50. Power: 55. Run: 60. Throw: 55. Field: 60.

Drew Waters is an athletic high school outfielder from the Atlanta area. As of now, he's not quite a first rounder, but I am a big fan of his and I believe his talent warrants a first round selection. Waters, a switch hitter, has a broad set of tools that could all grade out as above average, making him a potential five-tool threat. His left handed and right handed swings are not identical, with his left handed swing producing more power and his right handed swing being more geared towards contact. Unless he signs an under-slot deal earlier, his likely draft range is somewhere in the supplemental, competitive balance, or early second rounds.

Strengths
Waters is an athlete, and this translates well on both sides of the ball. He grades out as a plus defender in the outfield, with the ability to man all three spots with above average arm strength. His athletic build is also very projectable, with plenty of room to add strength. At the plate, he is one of the most intriguing players in this draft. His big left handed swing produces a ton of bat speed, and the ball jumps off his bat for deep line drives and fly balls. From the right side, his swing is a little cleaner and a lot more compact, but the bat speed is still there and he sprays line drives all over the field.

Weaknesses
Like many high school switch hitters, he is a bit raw, and the differing approaches from either side of the plate are not ideal. He has a lot of cleaning up to do with his left handed swing, which makes him a high risk pick for the first round. However, past the first 25 or so picks, the upside might just be too much to pass up.

2017 Draft Preview: Jeren Kendall

OF Jeren Kendall (Vanderbilt): 5'10", 180 lbs, born 2/4/1996

Overview

Hit: 50. Power: 50. Run: 70. Throw: 55. Field: 60.

When you hear high-risk, high-reward, you typically think of high schoolers, but that label applies very well to Vanderbilt outfielder Jeren Kendall. He has put up big college numbers against top pitching in the SEC, slashing .308/.391/.557 over his college career as of May 7th, but there is continued skepticism over his ability to hit at the higher levels. If he does maximize his tools, he has the upside of a Jacoby Ellsbury/Grady Sizemore type player. Coming into the season, he was seen as a top-five pick after slashing .332/.396/.568 and stealing 28 bases as a sophomore, with early mock drafts placing him as high as #2 to the Reds, but an up and down spring has damaged his stock a tad. Still, with a .302/.382/.568 and 16 stolen bases so far in 2017, he is considered a front half of the first round pick.

Strengths
Kendall is an athlete. His speed stands out the most, having stolen 63 bases in 79 attempts (79.7% success rate), including 16 of 20 this season (80%). His speed also helps him on defense, where he grades out as a plus defender and should have no problem sticking in center field. He also does have that strong track record of offensive performance in the SEC, and his .266 ISO this season is an improvement on his .236 last season. His strong wrists snap the bat through the zone, generating power with a quick, simple swing.

Weaknesses
Despite all the tools and even all the performance, whether he will be able to maintain that high level of performance at the next level is up for debate. Kendall has a lot of swing and miss in his game, and after he posted K/BB ratios of 60/21 as a freshman and 62/25 as a sophomore, there was hopes that he would improve that ratio in 2017. However, unlike other college hitters like Keston Hiura, Jake Burger, and Adam Haseley, he has been unable to do so, putting up a 55/23 ratio so far. His strikeout rate has actually increased from 23.6% as a freshman/sophomore to 24.8% as a junior, though his 10.4% walk rate is a career best. I stated in the strengths section that he has a quick, simple swing, but because he simply throws his hands at the ball and snaps his wrists through, his barrel often isn't in the zone for long, contributing to his swing and miss tendencies. Whether pro coaching can help him fix those issues is yet to be seen.

Tracking Awards: 5/7

AL MVP: Mike Trout (LAA): 8 HR, 21 RBI, .355 AVG, 5 SB, 215 wRC+. Last week: Trout.

Mike Trout, named the American League's Player of the Month for April, has continued his hot hitting into may (is it really "hot hitting" if he does this all the time, though?). After slashing .364/.443/.707 with seven home runs in 27 May games, he has slashed .273/.467/.636 with one home run over three May games as hamstring tightness has held him out of the lineup. He is currently riding a 17 game hitting streak, and he has reached base in 29 of his 30 games this season. His only blemish this season was an 0-4 in Ian Kennedy's gem (8 shutout innings, 2 hits, 2 walks, 10 K's). 30 games in, we are seeing vintage Mike Trout.

NL MVP: Ryan Zimmerman (WSH): 13 HR, 34 RBI, .435 AVG, 1 SB, 252 wRC+. Last week: Zimmerman.

It's May 7th and Ryan Zimmerman is still slashing a ridiculous .435/.475/.907, leading the National League in home runs (13) and just about every other category. His 252 wRC+ is 30 points higher than the next best in the majors (Aaron Judge, 222) and 42 points higher than the next best in the National League (Bryce Harper, 210). He won the NL Player of the Month Award after slashing .420/.458/.886 with 11 home runs in 24 games in April, and he has only gotten better in May, slashing .500/.545/1.000 with a pair of home runs in five games. He has had at least two hits in eight of his past nine games, slashing .553/.561/1.158 and smashing six home runs over that span. I talked last week about how higher launch angles have helped Zim's production, but at this point, this is just absurd. Nothing we can do but sit back and enjoy his onslaught.

AL Cy Young: Ervin Santana (MIN): 5-0, 0.66 ERA, 0.71 WHIP, 33/13 K/BB. Last week: Santana.

Coming into the week having occupied this spot in each of the past two weeks, Santana made it three weeks in a row by casually tossing six shutout innings against the A's on Tuesday, allowing three hits and three walks while striking out seven. His ERA has dropped to a minuscule 0.66 as he has allowed just three earned runs over 41 innings, and perhaps even more impressive, just 16 hits. Allowing less than a hit per two innings has led to an opponents' slash line of just .120/.199/.180. The surprising Twins are 15-13 this season, thanks in large part to Santana's dominance every fifth day.

NL Cy Young: Mike Leake (STL): 4-1, 1.79 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 27/7 K/BB. Last week: Ivan Nova.

While Leake has hung around this spot for a few weeks now, tough starts from Noah Syndergaard (1.1 IP, 5 ER) and Ivan Nova (6 IP, 4 ER) allowed him to step in despite not having the world's greatest game (7 IP, 3 ER). Largely mediocre in his first season in St. Louis (9-12, 4.69 ERA, 1.32 WHIP), Leake has been everything the Cardinals have wanted this year, putting up a 1.79 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP over six starts. Each of his six starts have been quality starts (at least 6 IP, at most 3 ER), and Adonis Garcia's three run home run on Saturday was the first home run hit off Leake this season. He hasn't put up Ervin Santana-type numbers, but in a National League where Ryan Zimmerman, Bryce Harper, Freddie Freeman, Eric Thames, etc. are hitting the snot out of the ball, what Leake has been doing has been pretty incredible. Those four hitters have combined to go 2-12 (.167 AVG) with a pair of strikeouts, no walks, and no extra base hits against Leake, with only Zimmerman and Thames picking up lone singles despite terrorizing NL pitching otherwise.

AL Rookie of the Year: Aaron Judge (NYY): 13 HR, 27 RBI, .320 AVG, 1 SB, 222 wRC+. Last week: Judge.

Earlier in the season, Mitch Haniger's hot start had him in this spot. At this point, not only is Judge looking like a unanimous AL ROY, he is competing with Mike Trout for AL MVP consideration. Judge slashed just .133/.188/.200 in his first five games, picking up a single, a double, and a walk while striking out five times in 16 plate appearances. Since then, he has been unstoppable, slashing .354/.454/.878 with 13 home runs in 22 games. I talked last week about his improved plate discipline, and that is still the case today, and the numbers show it. With three home runs in May, he and Ryan "Babe Ruth" Zimmerman are tied for the MLB lead with 13, and Judge's 222 wRC+ and .487 wOBA actually edge Trout for the AL lead (215 and .469, respectively).

NL Rookie of the Year: Antonio Senzatela (COL): 4-1, 2.84 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 20/8 K/BB. Last week: Senzatela.

For the first time since April 16th, Senzatela got the chance to pitch somewhere other than Coors Field on Wednesday, and he didn't disappoint, allowing two earned runs on six hits and one walk over six innings, striking out two Padres in San Diego. His ERA and WHIP stand at 2.84 and 1.03, respectively, which actually puts him in NL Cy Young consideration given the difficulty of pitching half your games in Coors Field and the lack of one true frontrunner in the race. Senzatela knows what kills you in Denver, so he has walked just eight of the 151 batters he has faced, good for an excellent 5.3% rate, especially for a rookie. We'll see how a full season as a Rockie goes, but he's looking great so far. 

Minor League Watch: Thomas Pannone (CLE AA): 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.61 WHIP, 39/7 K/BB. Last week: Domenic Mazza.

Thomas Pannone was the Indians' ninth round pick in 2013 out of the College of Southern Nevada, and he pitched decently but uninspiringly over his first three seasons. Pannone was good enough at Class A Lake County in 2015 (5-5, 3.02 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 84/25 K/BB) to earn a promotion to High Class A Lynchburg in 2016, where he was excellent down the stretch. After not allowing an earned run in his final 18 innings in 2016, the Indians started him off with Lynchburg again in 2017, and it was more of the same. Over five starts, he still didn't allow an earned run over 27.2 innings, giving him 45.2 consecutive shutout innings (though he did allow an unearned run on April 12th against the Salem Red Sox). In his five starts this year, he allowed just ten hits and and seven walks, striking out 39. In no start has he allowed an earned run, more than four hits, more than two walks, or struck out fewer than six. The amazing performances earned the 23 year old a promotion to AA Akron, where he has yet to pitch.

2017 Draft Preview: MacKenzie Gore

LHP MacKenzie Gore (Whitesville HS, NC): 6'2", 180 lbs, born 2/24/1999

Overview

Fastball: 60. Curveball: 60. Slider: 55. Changeup: 50. Control: 55.

Very few players in this draft have as much helium as MacKenzie Gore, the left handed pitcher out of southeastern North Carolina. Entering the season, Gore was seen as a project who had the tools to succeed but hadn't quite put them together yet. A monster spring has rocketed him up draft boards, where he could easily go as high as the top five picks, and is a near lock for the top ten, barring collapse or injury.

Strengths
The first thing that stands out about Gore is his makeup. He is a fierce competitor, one who goes right after hitters with a high leg lift and a full arsenal. Gore's stuff has also made a huge leap forward this spring, with his fastball sitting 92-95 with peaks at 96-97, and it figures to get even faster as he matures. The 6'2" lefty also spins a tight, hard breaking curveball that draws plus grades. His slider and changeup are also fairly advanced for a high schooler, giving him the chance to have four above average major league pitches. Surprisingly for such a raw pitcher, he actually commands everything pretty well, hitting his spots with all of his pitches. He keeps it up through his starts, maintaining velocity and stuff into the late innings due to his bulldog mentality.

Weaknesses
Gore is still somewhat of a project. He's extremely raw, with a funky delivery featuring lots of wasted movement that detracts from his velocity. He has legs and arms flying everywhere, not necessarily going towards the plate, but that could actually be the best way to criticize him because it's completely fixable. If pro coaching can corral his delivery, he could add even more velocity and get into the upper 90's.

2017 Draft Preview: Nick Allen

SS Nick Allen (Francis Parker HS, CA): 5'8", 160 lbs, born 10/8/1998

Overview

Hit: 55. Power: 30. Field: 70. Throw: 55. Run: 60.

Nick Allen, standing at all of 5'8" and 160 pounds, is arguably this draft's most fun player to watch. The high schooler from San Diego plays an excellent shortstop, making highlight reel plays seem routine. Really, the only question right now surrounds his bat, and he will likely sneak into the back half of the first round with a team that can overlook his lack of height.

Strengths
Allen shines with the glove, to the point where it is almost impossible to get a ground ball through the infield on the left side. He'll have absolutely no trouble staying at shortstop, as he has enough arm strength to remain there. He also has a quick bat that produces consistent contact, and as you'd expect from a player of his profile, his makeup is off the charts, giving him every chance to maximize his tools on the field. Ultimately, there is no reason not to love Nick Allen, even if you don't see him as a first rounder.

Weaknesses
Because of his small stature, power is hard to come by. It will likely never be even average, though there is hope for improving that 30 grade to a 40 down the road. Allen tends to leak his power over his front foot, which is an easy fix with pro coaching. His swing is also very geared towards line drives at this point, meaning it is linear and down through the zone, so adding a bit of loft could help him reach that 40.