New York Yankees OF Aaron Judge is Mark Whicker’s choice for the AL MVP.

November 7, 2022

By Mark Whicker

Canadian Baseball Network

It’s Election Day here in the States, so let’s go:

AMERICAN LEAGUE MVP: Shohei Ohtani’s feats were unprecedented, breathtaking and totally irrelevant to the AL narrative. Aaron Judge kept the Yankees afloat with 62 home runs and a serious Triple Crown run. He should win decisively.

NATIONAL LEAGUE MVP: Paul Goldschmidt didn’t win the Triple Crown but was the most consistent offensive player in the league and should nose out Freddie Freeman, Pete Alonso and Manny Machado.

AL CY YOUNG: Justin Verlander probably had the best year of his career, after two years on the shelf, and should win unanimously over Blue Jays Alek Manoah.

NL CY YOUNG: Tough call here, with Sandy Alcantara, ERA leader Julio Urias, wins leader Kyle Wright, Yu Darvish and WHIP leader Zac Gallen. Alcantara was 14-9 for a Marlins team that couldn’t hit. When he pitched, they were 19-13. He also pitched 25 more innings than any other NL pitcher, so he wins in a runoff.

AL ROOKIE: The rookie classes in both leagues give you hope for the future of the game, particularly Julio Rodriguez, the first rookie to steal 25 bases and hit 25 homers.

NL ROOKIE: It’s an Atlanta thing. Outfielder Michael Harris hit .297 with 19 home runs and 64 RBIs, slightly trumping Spencer Strider, who struck out 202 in 131 2⁄3 innings and went 11-5 with a 2.67 ERA.

AL MANAGER: As impressive as Cleveland’s Terry Francona was, Baltimore’s Brandon Hyde went from 52 to 83 wins and temporary contention for the sixth playoff spot. Plus, he held his credibility through his first three years (68 games under .500).

NL MANAGER: My personal rule is that if you win 111 games, you should be Manager of the Year. And it wasn’t like Dave Roberts didn’t have to maneuver his way through problems with the Dodgers.

AL COMEBACK: Verlander.

NL COMEBACK: Brandon Drury played 72 games in 2020-21 and had only four homers and 15 RBIs. Splitting time with Cincinnati and San Diego, he had 28 homers and 87 RBIs with a .263 batting average.

AL BACKSLIDE: Seattle’s Jesse Winker hit .305 for Cincinnati in 2021, hit .219 this year, and his OPS slid from .949 to .688.

NL BACKSLIDE: Jake McGee was a top closer in 2021, with 31 saves for the Giants and a .905 WHIP. This year he pitched for the Giants, Brewers and Nationals and the mileage seemed to wear on him, with a 1.437 WHIP.

AL EXECUTIVE: James Click of the Astros gave Carlos Correa a laurel and a hearty handshake on the way to free agency, knowing he had Jeremy Pena on the way. Houston also has more young, cheap, credible pitching than anyone else.

NL EXECUTIVE: Whether the Juan Soto deal works out or not, San Diego’s A.J. Preller has furiously reworked his roster to get to NLCS-caliber, and the Josh Hader deal may look better with each season.

AL EXECU-STIFF: The Tigers took several steps back, and there weren’t that many to go. Al Avila got fired during the season because he had based his program on kids who either weren’t ready or hurt.

RP Josh Hader was dealt from Milwaukee to San Diego

NL EXECU-STIFF: David Stearns had distinguished himself in Milwaukee, but got moved aside after he traded Josh Hader at a time when the Brewers were in position to make the playoffs.

AL MIS-MANAGER: The Twins aren’t 14 games worse than the Guardians, but they showed no fight in the second half, and part of that falls on manager Rocco Baldelli.

NL MIS-MANAGER: The estimable Bud Black suffered a 68-win season in Colorado because the pitching reverted, and that’s his specialty.

AL WIND FARM: Riley Greene of the Tigers hit five home runs and struck out 120 times.

NL WIND FARM: Chris Taylor of the Dodgers parlayed 10 homers with 160 strikeouts.

Whicker: Polls are open - AL MVP envelope please (and other winners)