The MLB All-Star break is the perfect time of the year to take a step back and reflect on what we saw over the first half of the season. While there is still a full half of the season to be played and a lot can change, we have a big enough sample size to predict what we should see the rest of the way. There are a handful of players in particular that stand out based on what they have already accomplished so far this season. Here is a look at the winners of the first half MLB awards.
AL MVP: Aaron Judge, New York Yankees
Forget the American League Rookie of the Year honors, because that is a lock. Judge has set his sights on the AL MVP award and there is a good chance he gets it. Judge has exceeded all expectations to this point in the season. He smashed Joe DiMaggio’s rookie home run record by hitting 30 bombs before the All-Star break. He has hit .329 with 75 runs scored and 66 RBI in 301 plate appearances and is the biggest reason why New York has produced a top-five offense. Judge will have a tough time keeping up his current pace. However, even if he slows down a little bit he will remain the AL MVP award favorite.
The Yankees have been in a big funk of late, so we’ll have to see if they can turn things around. Judge’s case for MVP may suffer if the Yankees don’t pick up the pace. They had another collapse to start the second half of the season, losing 5-4 in Boston. The Yankees were 38-23 on June 12 but are now just three games over .500 as we enter the weekend. Their playoff chances are fading by the day and that hurts Judge’s case to win the award this season.
NL MVP: Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals
No pitcher in baseball has been better than Scherzer this season. The veteran Nationals ace has produced a sparkling 2.10 ERA this season. He owns a ridiculous 0.78 WHIP and a 12.13 K.9 while recording 10 wins. His consistency has been something special and there is no reason to expect him to slow down. Paul Goldschmidt, Joey Votto and Bryce Harper have delivered some incredible numbers so far this season. However, Scherzer stands above his competition as the first-half NL MVP.
AL Cy Young Award: Chris Sale, Boston Red Sox
Scherzer’s counterpart in the AL has done an excellent job for his new team this season. Sale has delivered a 2.75 ERA, a 0.90 WHIP and a 12.55 K.9 while recording 11 wins before the All-Star break. The veteran has lived up to all expectations in Boston and he is among the biggest reason why his club owns the best record in the AL East. Sale should continue to pace the Red Sox the rest of the way as an obvious pick for the AL Cy Young award for the first half of the season.
NL Cy Young Award: Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals
It only makes sense that Scherzer would be the first-half NL Cy Young award winner. Clayton Kershaw definitely deserves to be in the mix but he ranks behind Scherzer in ERA, WHIP and K9 so far this season despite having posted four more wins. Kershaw’s numbers are incredible in their own right, but the fact that he hasn’t been able to match what Scherzer has done is a testament to the latter’s dominance. Scherzer is the deserved first-half NL MVP and NL Cy Young award winner.
What’s helping Scherzer’s case is that the Nats are one of the best teams in baseball. Although they don’t have 60+ wins like the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Houston Astros, they do have 53 entering the weekend. They also have a 9.5 game lead in the National League East and are all but a sure lock to make the playoffs. As long as the Nats continue this level of play and Scherzer keeps his numbers in this realm, he’s going to win another Cy Young. You can bet on that.
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