Earlier this week the 2022 Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) revealed finalists for Rookie of the Year, Cy Young Award, Manager of the Year and MVP.
While there are no major surprises or snubs in terms of the nominees, the Los Angeles Dodgers are represented within two categories: Dave Roberts for Manager of the Year, and Julio Urías for the Cy Young Award.
Urías was brilliant in his age-26 season, posting a 17-7 record with a National League-best 2.16 ERA, all while essentially becoming Los Angeles’ ace as both Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler missed time due to injuries.
Urías’ Cy Young finalist nod comes one year after receiving three fifth-place votes for the award despite being the only pitcher in baseball to win 20 games.
For Roberts, his top-three finish for Manager of the Year comes as no surprise. He has completed seven years as the Dodgers’ skipper, and this season helped lead the team to a franchise-record 111 wins.
BBWAA awards winners will be announced next week.
2022 BBWAA awards finalists
AL Rookie of the Year
Steven Kwan, Cleveland Guardians
Kwan, a 25-year-old California native, hit .298 with six home runs and 19 stolen bases in 147 starts this year for Cleveland. Putting his solid discipline at the plate on display, Kwan was one of only six qualified hitters to have more walks than strikeouts (62 to 60).
Julio Rodríguez, Seattle Mariners
The American League favorite to take home the honor, Rodríguez put on display all season why he is one of the most electric and exciting young players in baseball.
Rodríguez batted .284 with 28 home runs and 25 stolen bases, and it’s evident the Mariners — who ended a 20-year playoff drought — has found their next franchise pillar. Not only did he produce an .854 on-base plus slugging percentage, but Rodríguez also became one of only three rookies ever to hit both 25 home runs and steal 25 bases in the same season.
Adley Rutschman, Baltimore Orioles
The former first overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft had a debut rookie season for the Orioles, hitting for a .254 batting average with 13 home runs and 42 RBI. As the Orioles have evidently begun to reach the end of their lengthy rebuild, Rutschman has proven to be a vital part of their lineup moving into 2023.
NL Rookie of the Year
Brendan Donovan, St. Louis Cardinals
Fresh off winning the National League’s first ever utility position Gold Glove Award, Donovan had a solid rookie season for St. Louis.
While the 25-year-old hit for a .281 average, his ability to play various positions around the diamond bodes well for his future with the organization.
Michael Harris II, Atlanta Braves
Despite not being called up until the end of May, Harris II had an electric rookie season with Atlanta. Showcasing both his strong defensive prowess and solid approach in the batter’s box, the Rookie of the Year frontrunner hit .297 with 19 home runs and 20 stolen bases. Amongst all rookies, his 5.3 WAR was the highest in all of baseball.
Spencer Strider, Atlanta Braves
Initially beginning his season in the bullpen, Strider wasn’t made a Braves starter until the end of May, but the move clearly paid off. The 24-year-old posted an 11-5 record for the year with a 2.67 ERA along with 202 strikeouts. Strider’s 16 strikeouts against the Colorado Rockies on September 1 were the most by any pitcher in a single game all season.
AL Manager of the Year
Terry Francona, Cleveland Guardians
Francona led the young brigade of Guardians to not only an impressive 92-70 record but also to their fourth division title under his watch in a tightly competitive AL Central Division. In his 10th year as Guardians manager, they also found themselves only one win away from an appearance in the American League Championship series.
Brandon Hyde, Baltimore Orioles
In his fourth season as Baltimore’s manager, the once-deemed lowly Orioles found themselves playing meaningful baseball for the first time under Hyder’s leadership. After posting a 52-110 record in 2021, going 83-79 in 2022 signals a positive trend upward.
Scott Servais, Seattle Mariners
For the second straight year, the Mariners have been led to a 90-win season under Servais’ watch. After finishing second in Manager of the Year voting last year, 2022 saw him lead Seattle to their first playoff appearance in 20 years and an impressive victory in the Wild Card Series against the Toronto Blue Jays.
NL Manager of the Year
Dave Roberts, Los Angeles Dodgers
In 2022, Roberts led L.A. to their sixth NL West title in the past seven seasons. In addition to getting their division crown back after 2021, the Dodgers set a new franchise record for wins in a single season at 111.
Buck Showalter, New York Mets
Managing New York in the first season of his three-year contract, Showalter led the Mets to their first playoff appearance since 2016 and nearly to an NL East title. The former New York Yankees and Orioles skipper led the organization to 101 wins, the second-most in the regular season in franchise history.
Brian Snitker, Atlanta Braves
Coming off a World Series victory in 2021, Snitker displayed his strong managerial abilities yet again, leading Atlanta to their fifth consecutive NL East title. Although the season began hovering around a .500 record, a 78-34 record from June 1 through the end of the season propelled Atlanta on a red-hot second-half run.
AL Cy Young
Dylan Cease, Chicago White Sox
The 26-year-old posted a dominant season for the White Sox, including the second-best AL ERA of the season (2.20) and a 14-8 record with 227 strikeouts. While Cease might not be the favorite to win the award, his 14-start stretch of allowing no more than one earned run from late May to early August was incredibly impressive.
Alek Manoah, Toronto Blue Jays
Manoah, who has a solid rookie season with Toronto, found no sophomore slump in his second year in the Majors. The right-hander delivered a 16-7 record with a third AL-best 2.24 ERA. His staggering 0.88 ERA in the month of September helped Toronto make a strong playoff push.
Justin Verlander, Houston Astros
Fresh off yet another World Series championship, perhaps another ring is the least impressive part of Verlander’s stellar 2022 campaign. Verlander’s incredible first year back from Tommy John surgery saw an MLB-best 1.75 ERA and AL-leading 18 wins in his age-39 season.
If Verlander can win his third Cy Young Award, he will become just the 11th pitcher in MLB history to do so.
NL Cy Young
Sandy Alcántara, Miami Marlins
The frontrunner for the award, Alcántara posted dominant figures across his 2022 season. With a second-best 2.28 ERA, his 14-9 featured an MLB-high six complete games. With such a figure, it’s no surprise Alcántara’s 228.2 innings pitched led baseball as well.
From May to July, Alcántara showcased his uncanny ability to go deep into games, making 13 consecutive starts of seven innings or more.
Max Fried, Atlanta Braves
Fried, a 28-year-old California native, posted a solid 14-7 record and 2.48 ERA in 2022. In addition to racking up 170 strikeouts, the left-hander also made his first All-Star Game.
Julio Urías, Los Angeles Dodgers
At 26 years old, Urías had a stellar year for Los Angeles, posting an NL-best 2.16 ERA and capturing a 17-7 record. Although he might not be the favorite to win this year’s award, his 2022 proved how beneficial Urías will be for the future of the Dodgers.
In addition to making 31 starts (showcasing strong health), his 0.96 WHIP was tied for third in the NL.
AL MVP
Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels
Ohtani is the baseball unicorn: not only a stellar power hitter but also a lights-out starter on the mound. Fresh off his MVP Award in 2021, Ohtani continued his dominance both on the mound and in the batter’s box in 2022.
For the first time in baseball’s modern era, Ohtani qualified for both batting and pitching leaderboards and was near the top for both. With a .273 batting average, 34 home runs, 95 RBI and .875 OPS, a 2.33 ERA, 219 strikeouts, 1.01 WHIP, and 15-9 record on the mound showcased the modern-day history unfolding every time he takes the diamond.
Aaron Judge, New York Yankees
While Ohtani might be making history, Judge might be rightfully so the only one capable of taking away his second consecutive MVP Award. The 30-year-old is looking to secure his first MVP after posting an AL record-setting 62 home runs, .311 batting and 1.111 OPs.
As his free agency captures the offseason, an MVP Award could add to an already impressive resume for the California native.
Yordan Alvarez, Houston Astros
Alvarez, arguably one of the key postseason heroes for Houston’s World Series win, displayed strong numbers throughout his entire 2022 campaign. While he solidified himself in Astros fan’s hearts win a go-ahead home run in Game 6 of the World Series, his .306 batting average, 1.019 OPS and 37 home runs in the regular season make him one of the most feared power hitters in today’s game.
NL MVP
Paul Goldschmidt, St. Louis Cardinals
At age 35, the seven-time All-Star and two-time MVP runner-up (three-time finalist), is looking to capture his elusive first MVP distinction. Goldschmidt made a stellar case to be the favorite to finally take home MVP after posting a .317 batting average and an NL-leading .578 slugging and .981 OPS. He also collected 35 home runs and 115 RBI.
Nolan Arenado, St. Louis Cardinals
Freshly opted into a five-year, $144 million contract extension with St. Louis, Arenado finds himself in the MVP running after posting a .293 average with 30 home runs. In addition to his efforts in the batter’s box, Arenado also captured his improbable 10th consecutive Gold Glove at third base.
Manny Machado, San Diego Padres
A three-time top-five MVP finisher, Machado is looking to capture the award for the first time. In year that saw his leadership perhaps never more important for a San Diego Padres team, Machado’s .298 batting average, 32 home runs and 102 RBI extended his captain-esque spirit beyond the clubhouse.
Although Machado might not be the favorite to take home the award, his 7.4 wins above replacement was an NL-best.
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