Division Reports
Award Picks
AL MVP: Bobby Witt Jr., Royals SS
Last year Witt was worth 9.4 WAR and won the AL batting title—in his age 24 season. He also won a Gold Glove. In other words: He’s valuable.
AL Cy Young: Logan Gilbert, Mariners SP
Breakout alert: Seattle’s workhorse led the AL in innings and WHIP while striking out nearly six times as many hitters as he walked.
AL Rookie of the Year: Kristian Campbell, Red Sox 2B
He played at three levels in the minors last sason and his worst OPS was .898. Meanwhile, Boston’s second basemen were worth -2.3 WAR in 2024.
AL Manager of the Year: Alex Cora, Red Sox
Cora has the Sox poised to break their three-year playoff drought (their last four-year dry spell was in the early 1990s).
NL MVP: Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers SP/DH
Now that he’s back on the bump, Ohtani is a strong bet to become the first player (non-Bonds division) to threepeat as MVP.
NL Cy Young: Paul Skenes, Pirates SP
For those concerned about his durability: As a rookie last year, his best month was September (0.75 ERA, 12.8 strikeouts/9 IP).
NL Rookie of the Year: Roki Sasaki, Dodgers SP
The Dodgers own this award. They’ve had 18 winners; no other team has more than 10. Sasaki, who can touch 102 mph, should make it 19.
NL Manager of the Year: Carlos Mendoza, Mets
Expectations are high in Queens after a 67–40 finish last year—and a new addition you might have read about.
Postseason Predictions
AL Wild Card
AL Division Series
AL Championship Series
NL Wild Card
NL Division Series
NL Championship Series
World Series
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as MLB Season Preview: Playoff Predictions, Award Picks and Division Reports.