2013 MLB Picks and Predictions: National League Award Favorites

2013 MLB Picks and Predictions: National League Award Favorites: With the 2013 MLB regular season officially complete and the playoffs set to begin, it is time to predict which players and coaches will take home the top individual awards. In the National League in particular, the list of potential candidates for the MVP Award and the Rookie of the Year Award were both filled with quality candidates throughout the year. Some of the other NL awards were a lot easier to call, but overall, the battle for many of the major awards was as competitive as the battle for playoff spots. With that in mind, here are my picks to receive the top regular season honors in the NL in 2013.

National League Most Valuable Player: Andrew McCutchen, Outfielder, Pittsburgh Pirates

Honestly, I think Arizona’s Paul Goldschmidt deserves the award, but as the top offensive weapon for a Pittsburgh team that is in the postseason for the first team since 1992, I think McCutchen will end up taking home MVP honors. To be fair, McCutchen did finish sixth in runs scored, batting average and OPS and seventh in batting average so he was solid across the board. He also finished with 21 homers, 84 RBIs and 27 steaks for an otherwise shaky Pirates’ offense. In a year when nobody had an overwhelming dominant statistical season, McCutchen’s role on a team that turned out to be one of the feel-good stories in baseball will earn him MVP honors.

National League Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw, Starting Pitcher, Los Angeles Dodgers

This pick is a slam dunk. Kershaw led the majors with a 1.83 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP, and he also led the National League with 232 strikeouts. Kershaw also ranked second in the league is innings pitched and opponent batting average en route to a 16-9 record. Meanwhile, he only allowed more than three runs in three of his 33 starts. Kershaw’s impressive season has already netted him his third straight ERA title, and it should also land him his second Cy Young in the last three seasons.

National League Rookie of the Year: Jose Fernandez, Starting Pitcher, Miami Marlins

While Dodgers’ phenom Yaisel Puig was definitely the most-hyped rookie, Fernandez had the better season on the field. His 2.19 ERA was the second in the NL, and his 0.98 WHIP ranked third. Meanwhile, his .182 batting average against was the best in the majors, and it was actually the ninth best in MLB history for a single season. He also logged 187 strikeouts in 172.2 innings while posting a 12-6 record for a team that won just 62 games. In fact, Miami won 18 games when Fernandez started and just 44 when anyway one else did. Plain and simple, the guy was a stud and deserves to be named Rookie of the Year.

Comeback Player of the Year: Francisco Liriano, Starting Pitcher, Pittsburgh Pirates

After a brilliant 2006 campaign, elbow issues took a huge toll on Liriano. He missed the entire 2007 season and logged an ERA well above 5.00 in three of his last four seasons. However, Liriano was a new man in Pittsburgh this year posting a 16-6 record with a 3.02 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. His 16 wins were actually the most of his career, his ERA and WHIP totals were his best since his magical 2006 season. Liriano may never be as great as he was when he first debuted, but he has worked his way back to being one of the better pitches in the NL.

Manager of the Year: Clint Hurdle, Pittsburgh Pirates

When a manager is at the helm for a franchise that posts a winning record and makes the playoffs for the first time in more than two decades, it is tough to look anywhere else when it comes time to name the Manager of the Year. After flirting with the playoffs in each of the past two seasons, Hurdle was able to help the Pirates get over the hump in 2013. A year after winning 79 games, Pittsburgh finished the year with a 92-70 record and earned one of the wild card spots in the postseason.

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