The San Francisco Giants are the defending World Series Champions, but they missed the playoffs (don't worry, they only win it all in even years, so they'll be right on track to win again next year). My favorite team, the Philadelphia Phillies, were literally the worst team in baseball with a stellar 63-99 record. Staying with the NL East, the Washington Nationals, the prohibitive favorite by just about everyone to win the World Series, missed the playoffs entirely. The New York Mets won the NL East for the first time since 2006, but the Phillies swept them down the stretch (after the Mets had already clinched, but still). The Mets will play the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first round after the Dodgers cruised to an easy division title out west. The three best teams in baseball, by record, were all in the NL Central. The St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Chicago Cubs finished 1-2-3 in the Majors and in the division. Because of that, the Cubs and Pirates already played the Wild Card game, which eliminated the team that I thought was the best and deepest team in the league in the Pittsburgh Pirates since they ran into the buzzsaw that is SP Jake Arrieta. The Cub's reward for surviving that Wild Card game? A five game series with the Cardinals (hey, at least Back to the Future could still be right. Great Scott, the Cubs are still alive!). That means that two of the three best teams in baseball will be eliminated before we even hit the Championship Series. That kinda sucks. The Kansas City Royals were the best team in the AL all season and they pretty much clinched the AL Central back in April, but the trade deadline deals by the Toronto Blue Jays (SS Troy Tulowitzki and SP David Price specifically) have caused the Blue Jays to be among the hottest teams in baseball down the stretch. The AL West was a three team bonanza in September, with the Houston Astros, Texas Rangers, and Los Angeles Angels all having very realistic chances to win the division and make the playoffs. Ultimately, the Rangers, led by former Phillie SP Cole Hamels, clinched the division and the Astros held on to a Wild Card spot (by far, the most surprising playoff team. The Astros are incredibly talented, but no one thought they'd put it all together this quickly. Well, they did), leaving last year's AL MVP, OF Mike Trout, and the Los Angeles Angels out of the playoffs. The Astros continued the storybook run with a win in the AL Wild Card game on Tuesday night, defeating the New York Yankees. Alright, I think we're all caught up. Now, for some awards.
- Bryce Harper, OF, Washington Nationals
- Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, Arizona Diamondbacks
- Andrew McCutchen, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates
- Yoenis Cespedes, OF, New York Mets
- Ryan Howard, 1B, Philadelphia Phillies (I stand by this vote)
This one is probably the easiest award to hand out. Hate him all you want, but Bryce Harper was far and away the best player in the National League. It really wasn't even close (the only one who could've been close would've been Cespedes, but he only played 57 games in the NL. He was absolutely remarkable for those 57 games though). The Nationals may have been thoroughly underwhelming as a whole, but Harper certainly did his part. He hit .330 with 42 home runs and 99 RBIs (which is incredible if you think about it. Hit over 40 home runs and have less than 100 RBIs. Crazy). His 9.9 WAR led all of baseball, and his 1.109 OPS led everyone by a mile. This was the kind of season everyone envisioned when Harper entered the league three years ago. Oh, and he doesn't even turn 23 until next week.
- Josh Donaldson, 3B, Toronto Blue Jays
- Mike Trout, OF, Los Angeles Angels
- Lorenzo Cain, OF, Kansas City Royals
- Manny Machado, 3B, Baltimore Orioles
- Prince Fielder, DH, Texas Rangers
This one is down to Donaldson and Trout, but I'll give the edge to Donaldson. Trout leads in WAR (9.4 to 8.8), but their numbers are so close otherwise (with the exception of RBIs, where Donaldson has a big lead). I give it to Donaldson simply because the Blue Jays were fantastic down the stretch, and Donaldson was a huge reason why. Trout was great in September as the Angels were making their push to get back to the playoffs, but with Toronto in the playoffs and LA out, it's just enough to swing in Donaldson's favor.
- Jake Arrieta, SP, Chicago Cubs
- Zack Greinke, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers
- Clayton Kershaw, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers
- Max Scherzer, SP, Washington Nationals
- Jake deGrom, SP, New York Mets
This one will probably be the closest of any race as it's essentially a coin flip between Arrieta and Greinke. What this vote comes down to is the absolutely dominate second half by Arrieta against a truly fantastic season by Greinke. Let's put it this way on how good these guys both were: Clayton Kershaw is still the best pitcher in baseball, had an amazing last month, and is pretty much set in stone at third in the voting. I'm leaning Arrieta because that's what my coin told me (kidding. Kind of). Greinke's season long brilliance should have made him a shoo-in for this, but Arrieta's second half was truly that good. Greinke has a slight edge is ERA and WHIP (1.66 to 1.77, 0.84 to 0.87). Arrieta has a slight edge in FIP and wins (2.35 to 2.76, 22 to 19). Arrieta also has four complete games to Greinke's one (three of Arrieta's were shutouts). It's incredibly close, but I'll go with Arrieta.
- Dallas Keuchel, SP, Houston Astros
- David Price, SP, Toronto Blue Jays
- Chris Archer, SP, Tampa Bay Rays
- Chris Sale, SP, Chicago White Sox
- Felix Hernandez, SP, Seattle Mariners
This one is pretty close between Keuchel and Price. Price helped me win a championship in my dynasty fantasy baseball league, so I really wanted to pick him. You know, besides that fact that he was the AL's best pitcher since being traded to Toronto (since the trade, in 11 starts, he was 9-1 with a 2.30 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and 2.22 FIP. Nasty). But I'll go with Keuchel because of how much he's meant to Houston (especially at home, where he was been virtually unhittable).
- Kris Bryant, 3B, Chicago Cubs
- Noah Syndergaard, SP, New York Mets
- Jung Ho Kang, SS, Pittsburgh Pirates
- Odubel Herrera, OF, Philadelphia Phillies
- Matt Duffy, 3B, San Francisco Giants
One of the two easiest awards to give, Bryant was a monster for the Cubs since his call-up in April. His presence in the middle of the Cubs lineup helped propel the Cubs to the third best record in the league. He also helped me win my dynasty fantasy baseball league, so bonus points for that.
- Carlos Correa, SS, Houston Astros
- Francisco Lindor, SS, Cleveland Indians
- Lance McCullers, SP, Houston Astros
- Roberto Osuna, RP, Toronto Blue Jays
- Miguel Sano, DH, Minnesota Twins
This one comes down to Correa vs. Lindor, and good luck trying to figure out which one. I'm going with Correa because he was absolutely insanely good right after his call-up (so much so, that he almost made the All-Star team after about a month and a half of playing in the Majors), but you can't go wrong with either.
- Joe Maddon, Chicago Cubs
- Mike Matheny, St. Louis Cardinals
- Clint Hurdle, Pittsburgh Pirates
- Terry Collins, New York Mets
- Don Mattingly, Los Angeles Dodgers
What Joe Maddon did in his first year with the Cubs is nothing short of spectacular. He won 97 games with a incredibly young and inexperienced roster. I don't know if any other manager in baseball could have replicated what he did, which is why he edges out some other very worthy candidates (I would have no issue giving the award to Maddon, Matheny, Hurdle, or Collins. All probably deserve it, but only one can win it).
- A.J. Hinch, Houston Astros
- Jeff Banister, Texas Rangers
- Joe Girardi, New York Yankees
- John Gibbons, Toronto Blue Jays
- Paul Molitor, Minnesota Twins
Similar rationale to giving Maddon the award in the NL, Hinch made the playoffs with the Astros about five years ahead of schedule. Yes, they faltered down the stretch, but this was not a team that should have contended this year. Now, they're in the ALDS. Hinch is a big part of that.
Again, it's almost criminal that the Cards and Cubs have to face off in the NLDS after the Pirates and Cubs had to face off in the Wild Card, but that's just the way it is right now. The Cards have been the best team in baseball all season (although they definitely faltered down the stretch), and they get the SP Adam Wainwright back for the postseason run (he'll pitch out of the bullpen during the playoffs). The Cubs offer one of the most exciting lineups in the league and better starting pitching than anyone really expected. Yes, Arrieta has been absolutely unreal, but people tend to forget that SP Jon Lester is the #2 guy on the Cubs. Lester was brought to Chicago for this reason: to win in October. Touted as a big-game pitcher, Lester brings the experience necessary to help the Cubs outlast the Cards in a tight series. Cubs in 5.
NL #2 Los Angeles Dodgers vs. NL #3 New York Mets
The Mets have been the fairy tale team of the NL. No one thought they would be able to win the division (mostly because the Nationals were supposed to run away with it by about 25 games, but that didn't exactly work out), but the Mets are back in the postseason. That means they get to see Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke in the first round. Still, the Mets starters are no slouch in their own right (and definitely a deeper rotation than LA). A 1-2 punch of Kershaw and Greinke will be tough for any team to beat, but the deeper pitching of the Mets to go along with a lineup that has been unbelievable since the Cespedes acquisition should be enough for the Mets to get past the Dodgers. Mets in 5.
AL #1 Kansas City Royals vs. AL #4 Houston Astros
The Royals have been the best and most consistent team in the AL, but they still have to get through the incredibly talented Astros. The Royals are deeper and definitely more battle tested as the defending AL champions, and that's part of the reason I'll go with them. Plus, since the Astros had to use Keuchel in the Wild Card (on three days rest), it's almost guaranteed he'll get only one start. Royals in 4.
AL #2 Toronto Blue Jays vs. AL #3 Texas Rangers
The Rangers are the team I want to win the AL for one reason and one reason only: they have Cole Hamels. The long-time Phillies ace is one of my favorite players, so I would love to see the Rangers win a World Series strictly for him. However, the Blue Jays are just not fair. They boast the deepest lineup and most explosive offense in baseball, and the way David Price has been pitching just puts him on another level. The Jays have some concerns with their pitching outside of Price, which could torpedo their World Series aspirations, but their offense is good enough to carry them through at least the ALDS. Blue Jays in 4.
As I said, I'm a Phillies fan, so it pains me to say this, but the Mets are good. Really good. And built to win in October. A Mets-Cubs series would probably be the most entertaining series these playoffs could offer. The Mets dynamic young starting pitching (plus Bartolo Colon, who's just plain fun) against the Cubs dynamic young position players. These two teams match-up well against each other, but I think the Cubs are just ever so slightly better. Cubs in 6.
AL #1 Kansas City Royals vs. AL #2 Toronto Blue Jays
This is a series of strength vs. strength. The pitching and defense of Kansas City against the offense of Toronto. The Royals will need SP Johnny Cueto to re-discover his pitching ability (he's been pretty horrible lately) if they want to slow down the Blue Jays offense. The depth of the bullpen by Kansas City, plus their top-notch defense may be enough to quiet the Blue Jay bats, but Toronto's offense may just be that good that it won't matter. It can be tough to rely on offense to consistently win once October rolls around, but the Blue Jays pitching should be able to hold it together just enough with Price that the offense puts them over the top. Blue Jays in 7.
The AL champion will have homefield advantage due to the fact that they won the All-Star Game this year. As I said earlier, it's tough to rely on a great offense to carry you through and consistently win in October. Although the Blue Jays offense is truly historically great, the Cubs offense is definitely good enough to take advantage of the pitchers not named Price on Toronto, and their pitching is good enough to at least slow down the Blue Jays. If there's any offense that can figure out how to score runs on Arrieta, it's these Blue Jays. But if the Cubs use Arrieta in two (or three games, if he goes on short rest), plus Lester going in two (or three games, if he also goes on short rest), it may be just enough to get by the juggernaut Blue Jays offense. It's tough to count on young, inexperienced talent to win a World Series, but if there is any manager who can make sure the Cubs are ready each and every game, it's Maddon. He's the best manager in baseball, and the absolute perfect manager at the perfect time for this Cubs team. All in all, the Cubs may just be that "team of destiny" (I mean, come on. A movie called them winning the World Series this year 26 years ago. That's destiny right there), riding their unbelievably talented youth, experienced 1-2 punch of Arrieta and Lester, and Maddon's genius to their first World Series since 1908. Cubs in 7.
World Series MVP: Jake Arrieta, SP