By: Nathaniel Ascher and Harold Klapper
The AL East division is loaded with talent and it was shown in the awards given out after the 2018 season. For example, OF Mookie Betts won the MVP, SP Blake Snell won Cy Young, and there were three gold glove winners as well as three silver sluggers. In addition, J.D. Martinez won the Hank Aaron Award and David Price won the Comeback Player of the Year Award. Below are our predictions for which AL East player is most likely to win each award in the 2019 season and why…
2019: AL MVP
In 2018, Red Sox OF Mookie Betts took home his first MVP Award. In the history of the MLB, only 14 people have ever won consecutive MVP awards, so we do not think Mookie will be able to go back to back in 2019. Instead, we believe that the most likely AL East candidate to win MVP this season is Aaron Judge. In Aaron’s first full MLB season in 2017, he hit .284 and lead the AL with home runs with 52, walks with 127, and runs with 128. He also had a .422 OBP that year, a 1.049 OPS., and a 171 OPS +. In addition, in an 162 game average season, Judge leads Mookie in OBP, HR, RBI, BB, SLG, OPS, and OPS+. With a healthy 2019 season, Aaron Judge will take a big step in his game and win the 2019 AL MVP award. Winner: Aaron Judge. Runner up: Mookie Betts
2019: AL Cy Young
Last season, SP Blake Snell from the Tampa Bay Rays won the Cy Young after going 21-5 with an ERA of only 1.89. He won in an intense battle with SP Chris Sale after Sale missed part of the regular season due to a shoulder injury. If Sale isn’t affected by his shoulder in 2019, we predict that he has the best chance to win the Cy Young award out of all the AL East candidates. Sale has been an ace for most of his career and impresses every year. Since he is a pitcher, Sale isn’t going to regress a significant amount in the next couple of seasons and due to the fact that he is a free agent next offseason, Sale has more incentive to go out and win the award. Winner: Chris Sale. Runner up: Blake Snell
2019: AL Manager of the Year
The two most likely candidates for the Manager of the Year award from the AL East in 2019 are Alex Cora and Kevin Cash. In 2019, we think Cora has the highest chance out of all AL East managers to get the award because he already has a great reputation of being a tactical and player friendly manager. During his first year as skipper, he managed the Red Sox to a franchise best 108 wins and made a lot of crucial decisions that resulted in a World Series victory. A similar performance in 2019 should be able to beat out Kevin Cash in the race for Manager of the Year. Winner: Alex Cora. Runner up: Kevin Cash
2019: AL Rookie of the Year
It wouldn’t be an AL East predictions article without Vlad Guerrero Jr., right? The 19-year old phenom is about to get his chance in the big leagues, and we believe he will win the Rookie of the Year Award in 2019. In 408 PA across the minor leagues in 2018, Guerrero Jr. batted a whopping .381 with 20 homers, a .437 OBP, and a 1.073 OPS. Don’t forget, Guerrero is still a teenager, and has been given an 80 by scouts for his hit tool, the highest rating ever awarded to a prospect. The #1 prospect in baseball is ready to shine in the big leagues and has the best chance out of any AL player yet alone AL East player to win the 2019 Rookie of the Year award. Winner: Vlad Guerrero Jr. Runner up: Michael Chavis.
2019: AL Gold Gloves:
Gold Gloves are given out each year to the best defensive player in each league by position. In 2019, we believe that the following AL East candidates have the best chance at winning gold gloves for their respected positions.
RF: Mookie Betts
CF: Jackie Bradley
P: Masahiro Tanaka
2019: AL Silver Sluggers
We believe that there are five major candidates for the silver slugger awards in the AL from the AL East this year. This includes DH J.D. Martinez, RF Aaron Judge, 3B Vlad. Guerrero Jr., 1B Justin Smoak, and RF Mookie Betts. We think J.D. Martinez and Judge are favorites in the AL to win the silver slugger for their respected positions, while Vlad Guerrero Jr. and Justin Smoak could put up good fits in their races. Winner AL DH Silver Slugger: J.D. Martinez. Winner AL RF Silver Slugger: Aaron Judge.
2019: AL Reliever of the Year:
The AL East division has some of the best bullpens in the league. According to covers.com, the Rays, Yankees, and Red Sox had above average bullpens in 2018, while the Yankees and Red Sox are both ranked in the top 10. With great bullpens comes great relievers, and the Yankees have some of the best in baseball. We believe their newest acquisition, Adam Ottavino, has the highest chance to win the Reliever of the Year award for the AL from the AL East in 2019. In 2018, Ottavino had a ridiculous 193 ERA+, and an impressive 13.0 K/9 ratio. He also had his best year ever in ERA, K, and ERA+. All of these stats will get better, as Ottavino will leave the infamous hitter friendly ballpark of Coors Field and continue to develop and become more comfortable with his pitches. Winner: Adam Ottavino. Runner up: Dellin Betances.
2019: Hank Aaron Award:
The Hank Aaron award is given to the best hitter in the American League and the best hitter in the National League. The winners are chosen by the fans and the media come November. Last year, J.D. Martinez won the award for the American League after putting up extremely impressive numbers. We think this year he can do it again and has the capability to be the best hitter in not just the AL East but the American League entirely for a second year in a row. Winner: J.D. Martinez. Runner up: Aaron Judge.
2019: AL Comeback Player of the Year Award:
Our pick to win the Comeback Player of the Year award for AL East candidates is Gary Sanchez. In 2016 in 229 PA, Sanchez batted .299 with 20 homers, a .1.032 OPS and an outstanding 168 OPS+. 2017 was another solid year for Gary, but his 2018 campaign consisted of many injuries, defensive mishaps, and offensive struggles. If Gary can stay healthy and focused in 2019, he will be in prime position to win the Comeback Player of the Year Award. Winner: Gary Sanchez. Runner up: Marcus Stroman
2019: DH of the Year:
Unless something out of the ordinary happens, J.D. Martinez is easily the favorite out of the AL East to win this award. Last year, Martinez hit 43 HRs to go along with a .330 batting average and an MLB leading 130 RBIs. The 2018 season was the best year of his career and he doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. If Martinez puts up numbers close to what he accomplished last season, he is the favorite out of the AL East to win this award . Winner: J.D. Martinez. Runner up: Giancarlo Stanton
2019: Roberto Clemente Award for AL East
The Roberto Clemente award is given to a player that gives back to their communities. For the Boston Red Sox, we feel as though Brock Holt has the best chance to get this award as he is known in the Red Sox organization for engaging with different charities, especially the Jimmy Fund Foundation. Holt can constantly be found talking to kids in hospitals or running charitable marathons, which shows he truly is a good guy on and off the field and could possibly win the Roberto Clemente award for the Red Sox this year.
Red Sox- Winner: Brock Holt. Runner up Mookie Betts
Yankees- Winner: C.C. Sabathia. Runner up: Aaron Judge
Rays- Winner: Charlie Morton. Runner up: Kevin Kiermaier
Blue Jays- Winner: Kevin Pillar. Runner up: Aaron Sanchez
Orioles- Winner: Andrew Cashner. Runner up: Dylan Bundy
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