I know I might be cheating a bit by having this come out on the third day of the season, but better late than never.

With Jacob DeGrom and Blake Snell winning the Cy Young award last year, some didn’t see it coming. Unless you’re a die-hard Rays fan, like so many people out there are, you knew Snell could do it. It was just a matter of time and since I don’t lie to you, I was expecting it at least by 2021. Jacob DeGrom has been on the verge of breaking out the last couple years and last year it was either going to be him or Scherzer and DeGrom came out on top. Even with his anemic offense, he said fuck it, I’ll put the team on my back. And he did and now his shoulders are jacked.

Christian Yelich getting out of Miami’s (amusement) park did wonders for his production as his line drives in the gaps that would hit the wall at 420 feet, were now home runs still rising as the ball cleared the wall in Milwaukee. Not saying that it was all because of the Brewers park as he hit .328, which was .04 points higher than his .324 mark at home. Although he did slug more than 100 points higher playing at home and hitting 22 of his 36 home runs at home. So in other words the man fucking deserved it and should be in for another big year.

Mookie on the other hand has been on the cusp of taking home the MVP award ever since his monster 2016 season that saw him finish second to the unheralded beast himself Mike Trout. Just like Yelich, Betts deserved that MVP and with another season like last, he should be right up there with the best of them again.

We are all very blessed to be able to see another year. And with that, we get possibly some new faces with these awards. Let’s take a look at some guys that have the opportunity this year to capture their respected awards in their leagues.

American League MVP: Mike Trout

Some say this is a safe pick, others say he deserves it every year. I’m one of those people. If the Angels were any sort of in a contention Mike Trout would be the unanimous MVP every year if his team would make it to the playoffs. The last six years for Trouts MVP placement has gone as follows:

2012- 2nd

2013- 2nd

2014- 1st

2015- 2nd

2016- 1st

2017- 4th-?

2018- 2nd

Based on the numbers and the calculations I just did in my head, he’s due for one this season. Imagine if the Angels had a good team…. every year he was placed 2nd, he would have won the MVP award. Shit’s scary and it won’t stop anytime soon. Trout for 2019 MVP.

National League MVP: Nolan Arenado

If the Rockies would have gone to the World Series instead of the Rockies, the award would have been Arenado’s to lose. Unfortunately, the Rockies never have enough pitching to compete so Arenado always gets over looked. Plus, all these old writers take points away due to him playing half his games at Coors Field. Even though he wins the Gold Glove every year. Arenado is as consistent as they come, just like Trout. There’s only one consistent part of Arenado’s game that is missing; an MVP award. This is the year. The Rockies finally have an ace in Kyle Freeland, the bullpen is looking solid and you know Arenado is ready to drop bombs. With a solid season from the Rockies and an even better one from Arenado, this is going to be the year.

American League Cy Young: Gerrit Cole

Not that he wasn’t great in his five years in Pittsburgh, but something clicked and he seemed to finally tap into the potential that was bestowed upon him in his prospect days. Last year Cole registered an ERA of 2.88 with 15 wins and a WHIP of 1.033. What really did it fr Cole last year was the big talk on his spin rate. Thankfully, we live in the world of statistics and “Fangraphs” is one of the best websites out there. The spin rate on his fastball, according to Fangraphs, went from 2164 rpm to 2379 rpm in his time with the Astros. Not only that, but he stopped throwing his sinker. With just strictly throwing his fastball, he went from a K/9 of 8.7 to 12.4. If Cole can keep his walks down, this could be the year he puts it all together. Minus his first start against the power house Tampa Bay Rays, can’t win em’ all.

National League Cy Young: Jacob DeGrom

I know this is a bullshit pick because he’s dominate, but it’s either going to be him or Max Scherzer. I like DeGrom just because his control is almost legit pinpoint and he never seems off his game. Whether it’s a different mind-set of preparation or he stopped eating chicken nugs, something clicked. His historic season last year was no joke and does not need to be forgotten as he already started off on the right foot with his 30th consecutive quality start. The dude is dominate and it doesn’t look like he is ready to slow down. Let’s get number two in a row.

It’s easy to be cliché in these predictions as there is obviously a cream of the crop in every sport, but these guys are year to year threats to dominate just like they have in the past. Of course, baseball is a crazy game and the baseball gods could come down one night, touch one random dude the right way and next thing you know he’s dropping bombs and or throwing darts and frisbees. The world works in mysterious ways and this could be one of those years. For my sake, I hope all these guys get these awards and then  I get hired somewhere for my future telling skills. Or maybe I should play the lottery.