MLB Awards Week – MVP Announced Tonight

The final portion of the 2021 Major League Baseball season has been going on all week.  On Monday, the American League and National Rookie of the Year Award Winners were announced.  The AL and NL Managers of the Year were awarded on Tuesday.  Yesterday, the Al and NL Cy Young Award Winners were announced.

• AL ROY: Randy Arozarena, Tampa Bay Rays, followed up a tremendous 2020 postseason with a full season of outstanding work, becoming just the third rookie to go 20-20 and leading all rookies with a .274.
• NL ROY: Jonathan India, Cincinnati Reds,  lead all Major League rookies in on-base percentage (.376), doubles (34), walks (71), runs scored (98) and games played (150) while ranking second in OPS (.835).
• AL MOY: Kevin Cash, Tampa Bay Rays, joined only Bobby Cox in repeating as Manager of the Year.  Cash led the Rays to 100 victories and the top seed in the league.
• NL MOY: San Francisco Giants skipper Gabe Kapler netted 28 first-place votes after leading the Giants to a #1 seed in the NL after winning a franchise record and MLB leading 107 games in 2021.
• AL CY YOUNG: Robbie Ray, Toronto Blue Jays, lead the Majors in strikeouts (248) and the AL in ERA (2.84), innings (193 1/3) and WHIP (1.045).
• NL CY YOUNG: Corbin Burnes led the bigs in ERA (2.43) strikeout rate (35.6), strikeout-to-walk ratio (6.88), FIP (1.63) and barrel rate (2.9%).

Tonight, Major league Baseball will announce the winners of the AL and NL Most Valuable Players Award.  Here are the Finalists:

AMERICAN LEAGUE

• VLADIMIR GUERRERO JR.-- Toronto Blue Jays
• SHOHEI OHTANI-- Los Angeles Angels
• MARCUS SEMIEN-- Toronto Blue Jays

NATIONAL LEAGUE

• BRYCE HARPER-- Philadelphia Phillies
• JUAN SOTO-- Washington Nationals
• FERNANDO TATIS, JR.-- San Diego Padres

Not a single finalist saw a post season game-- nobody led their team to a chance to win the 2021 World Series but that does not mean their seasons were not incredible.

Ohtani's season alone, is one to remember and he is the odds on favorite to announced the winner of this award tonight.

Harper has already won this award.  Could he add another?

This could be the last exciting announcement we have about baseball in 2021 because the current collective bargaining agreement between the MLB and the MLBPA expires on December 1st at midnight and a player lockout seems inevitable.