With an 88-48 record and a 16 and a half game lead in the Central Division, the Chicago Cubs are one of the biggest favorites to win the World Series this season, and they have plenty of players who will be vying for individual hardware as well.
With that in mind, and with the Cubs embarking on a tough road trip Monday, it’s as good a time as any to take a look at the races for those awards as the team moves forward on its march toward a postseason berth.
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Most Valuable Player
The Cubs have not had an MVP award winner since Sammy Sosa took home the honors in 1998, but it would appear that they have several players who could end that drought this season.
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The biggest contender on that list is third baseman Kris Bryant, who is looking to follow up his Rookie of the Year season in 2015 with an even bigger prize this year. He currently leads the National League in home runs with 36, WAR with a 7.1, and runs scored with 112 to his credit.
Add to that mix his excellent batting average and his solid defense at both third base and left field, and there’s a strong argument to be made that he is the current frontrunner for MVP honors.
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First baseman Anthony Rizzo has hit a bit of a rough stretch in terms of hitting home runs lately, but he’s still very much in the mix for MVP honors. He has 26 home runs and 93 RBI so far this season, and he’s hitting a very respectable .294 for the best team in baseball. Add in his status as the clubhouse leader for the Cubs, and baseball writers could look at him as a serious contender for the award.
Off the beaten path but worthy of consideration is shortstop Addison Russell. Currently holding a 4.3 WAR (ninth-best in the NL), Russell is a strong contender to not only win a Gold Glove for his defense at shortstop but also to finish in the top 10 in MVP voting. He has 19 home runs and a staggering 88 RBI this season, and although his .245 batting average will scare off some voters, his contributions with the bat and the glove will make him an MVP contender in the years to come.
Along with the Cubs in the race, there are several other players who could make a strong push in the season’s final weeks. Corey Seager of the Los Angeles Dodgers is one such player, with his .313 batting average and 5.5 WAR on the season.
Another player to watch out for is Washington Nationals infielder Daniel Murphy. Hitting an astounding .340, Murphy has slugged the Nationals into a big lead in the National League East thanks to his 25 home runs and 98 RBI on the season.
Cy Young Award
The Cubs also have a very strong chance to win the Cy Young Award for the second consecutive season, but at this point it’s unclear which of their pitchers has the best case.
Kyle Hendricks has been one of the best pitchers in the NL all season long, posting a league-best 2.09 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP in 25 starts this season. His strikeout numbers are impressive for a pitcher who uses more finesse than brute strength, fanning 139 batters in 159 innings, and while his 13-7 record may not resonate with voters, all of his other statistics should give him a strong case.
Hendricks is far from alone in terms of Cubs pitchers worthy of consideration. Jon Lester is having a strong second season with the Cubs, with a 2.61 ERA (fourth-best in the NL) and a 15-4 record this season. He’s striking out nearly a batter per inning as well, and his WHIP of 1.04 ranks in the top five of National League hurlers.
Even Jake Arrieta still has an outside shot to repeat as the Cy Young winner this season. He currently leads the senior circuit in wins with 16, and although his ERA of 2.84 isn’t anywhere near the gaudy numbers his teammates are putting up, he has still been a critical part of the best pitching staff in the game.
For voters looking for gaudy numbers, Washington’s Max Scherzer makes a compelling case. He has the best WHIP in the National League with a 0.91, and he is the league-leader in strikeouts as well with 238 in 190 innings pitched. His WAR of 5.3 is the best among National League pitchers this season.
San Francisco Giants hurler Madison Bumgarner has a solid case as well, with a 14-8 record and a 2.51 ERA this season. He also has the requisite strikeout numbers to warrant inclusion in the discussion, with 217 punch-outs in 193 and two-thirds innings.
Manager of the Year
It’s tough for a manager to repeat in this category, but Joe Maddon is making a compelling case this season. Burdened with heavy expectations from the word go, Maddon and company have exceeded all of them thus far, racing out to a massive lead in the division and the best record in baseball by a wide margin.
Even with those numbers, Maddon will still have some competition. If the New York Mets make the playoffs, Terry Collins will have to be in the discussion, as he’s had to deal with a staggering number of injuries to his pitching staff. Nationals manager Dusty Baker will likely get some votes as well, as he’s guided the team to a strong record after a hugely disappointing 2015 season in the nation’s capital.
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