MLB awards finalists: Ohtani, Vlad, Tatis highlight MVP candidates

The Baseball Writers' Association of America revealed each league's three finalists for Major League Baseball's top regular-season awards - Most Valuable Player, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, and Manager of the Year - on Monday night.

Winners and full voting results will be announced next week.

AL MVP

Ohtani is widely seen as the front-runner for AL MVP following his unprecedented and dominant season as a two-way superstar for the Angels. He slugged .592 with 46 homers and posted a 3.18 ERA with 10.8 strikeouts per nine on the mound. But Guerrero is a worthy challenger after his breakout 2021 season. The 22-year-old made a legitimate triple crown run for the 91-win Blue Jays and led the Junior Circuit in homers, runs, OBP, slugging, OPS, and WAR. Semien teamed with Guerrero to form a fearsome duo in the middle of the Blue Jays' lineup, trailing only his teammate in WAR. He appeared in all 162 games in his first season as a second baseman (and first with Toronto), set a new single-season record for homers at the position, won a Gold Glove, and led the AL in extra-base hits.

NL MVP

Harper will vie for his second NL MVP (he won it in 2015), thanks in part to a brilliant second half for the Phillies. He finished with 35 homers and 100 walks and led the NL in doubles, slugging, OPS, and extra-base hits. Soto is a first-time MVP finalist after showcasing his incredible on-base skills all season long, posting an eye-popping .465 OBP and walking 145 times. He also tied Harper for second in the NL in WAR (6.6), hit 29 homers, and ranked top 10 in hits. Tatis' 6.1 WAR ranked fourth in the NL despite a shoulder injury limiting him to 130 games and necessitating a move to the outfield. He still managed to hit an NL-best 42 homers, steal 25 bases, score 99 runs, and slug .611 with a .975 OPS.

AL Cy Young

Cole earns his fourth consecutive top-five finish in Cy Young voting and is a finalist for the first time since 2019. He finished top five in the AL in multiple categories, including strikeouts, innings, WHIP, and ERA. Lynn, a first-time finalist, was the ace the White Sox needed, turning in a solid All-Star campaign as one of the AL's premier workhorses. Many consider Ray the leader in this race after topping the AL in ERA, ERA+, WHIP, strikeouts, and innings while walking under three batters per nine innings.

NL Cy Young

Burnes was the ace of a dominant Brewers rotation and led the majors in ERA, FIP, and strikeouts per nine innings. Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young winner, secured his sixth career top-three finish with a brilliant stretch run after the Nationals traded him to the Dodgers. Wheeler is a first-time finalist for this award after emerging as a true workhorse for the Phillies. He led the majors in innings pitched, tossed three complete games, and paced the National League in strikeouts.

AL Rookie of the Year

Arozarena burst onto the scene as the 2020 ALCS MVP, and now he's a finalist for AL Rookie of the Year after turning in a 20-20 campaign and earning a Gold Glove nomination. Also representing the Rays is Franco, the 20-year-old phenom who finally reached the majors. Franco played in just 70 games but made an impact by posting a .810 OPS and putting together a 48-game on-base streak, tying Frank Robinson's record for a player age 20 or younger. Garcia helped push the Astros to a division title by striking out almost 10 batters per nine innings and leading AL rookie pitchers in WAR.

NL Rookie of the Year

Carlson became a force in the middle of the Cardinals' lineup, hitting 18 homers while earning a Gold Glove nomination for his work in the outfield. India led NL hitters in WAR and was an on-base machine for the Reds, reaching at a .376 clip while slugging 21 homers, 34 doubles, and driving in 69 runs. Rogers was the Senior Circuit's top rookie pitcher by a wide margin. The first-time All-Star accrued 4.2 WAR and led NL rookie starters in multiple categories, including ERA and innings. He also allowed just six home runs across 25 starts.

AL Manager of the Year

Cash, the reigning AL Manager of the Year, will defend his award after guiding the Rays to their first 100-win season in franchise history. Baker, 72, is trying to win this award for a record-tying fourth time and become the eighth manager to claim it in both leagues. Servais' Mariners narrowly missed what would have been a shocking playoff berth, but he still guided his club to 90 wins for the first time since 2003.

NL Manager of the Year

Counsell is once again a finalist after leading the Brewers to 95 wins and a division title. He was the runner-up in 2018 and 2019 but has never won. Kapler's Giants were the most shocking story of 2021, notching an MLB-best and franchise-record 107 wins en route to an NL West title. Shildt, who won this award in 2019, guided the Cardinals to a surprising berth in the NL wild-card game on the heels of a 17-game September win streak. The Cardinals fired Shildt shortly after their elimination, citing "philosophical differences."