MLB Final Awards: We hand out our hardware to baseball's best

Ahead of the Baseball Writers' Association of America awards rollout starting Monday, 13 of theScore's editors handed in their own ballots for MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, and Manager of the Year. Ballots include the top five players/managers for each award, with 14 points given for a first-place vote, nine points for a second-place vote, eight points for a third-place vote, and so on.

Shohei Ohtani takes home his second AL MVP after another incredible season at the plate and on the mound. Ohtani receives 12 of 13 first-place votes from us after leading the AL with 44 home runs and a major-league best 1.066 OPS. He also posted a 3.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts across 132 innings on the mound but did not pitch after Aug. 23 due to an elbow injury. Texas Rangers star shortstop Corey Seager finishes second and receives one top vote. He helped lead his club to the postseason and managed 33 home runs, 42 doubles, and a 1.013 OPS despite appearing in only 119 games.

Ronald Acuña Jr. can add his first NL MVP trophy next to his 2019 NL Rookie of the Year award. The Atlanta Braves outfielder put together the first 40-homer, 70-stolen base season in MLB history in what was one of the best campaigns ever recorded. In any other year, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, or Matt Olson would have had a case to win the award.

After five top-five finishes, including runner-up in 2019 and 2021, Cole finally claims his first Cy Young. The New York Yankees right-hander was the unanimous choice for us after leading the AL in ERA (2.63), innings pitched (209), WHIP (0.98), and opponent batting average (.206), while also finishing third in strikeouts (222). Sonny Gray's second-place finish, and Kevin Gausman's third-place finish, mark the best results of their careers.

Blake Snell easily claims his second Cy Young, but two other starters receive first-place votes. The San Diego Padres left-hander finished first in the NL in ERA (2.25) and opponent batting average (.181), while ranking second in strikeouts (234). However, he ranked 10th in innings pitched (180) and ninth in WHIP (1.19) after walking an MLB-worst 99 batters. Spencer Strider picks up two second-place votes, but his inflated ERA (3.86) was too much for the majority of our voters, despite leading MLB with 281 strikeouts.

Gunnar Henderson is our unanimous winner despite a loaded rookie class. The Baltimore Orioles infielder led all first-year players with 28 home runs and 82 RBIs. He was also a key contributor to his team's first AL East title since 2014. Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas may be the biggest snub on our ballot. He finishes outside the top three despite posting the second-highest OPS (1.034) in the majors in the second half of the season, behind Ohtani.

Corbin Carroll finished fifth in our NL MVP voting, so it's no surprise to see that he's our unanimous winner for the NL Rookie of the Year. The Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder led NL rookies with 25 home runs, 54 stolen bases, and 6.0 fWAR. Kodai Senga was excellent in his first season after coming over from Japan. The New York Mets right-hander led rookie starters in ERA (2.98), strikeouts (202), and opponent average (.208).

Brandon Hyde is our unanimous choice for AL Manager of the Year after helping lead the Baltimore Orioles to a 101-win season and an AL East title. It was an 18-win improvement over 2022 and marked the first time the Orioles won at least 100 games since 1980. The AL had no shortage of strong candidates. Kevin Cash helped navigate numerous injuries and the loss of Wander Franco, while Bruce Bochy's Texas Rangers won 90 games in his first year with the team after a 68-94 finish in 2022.

No award was more divided amongst our voters than NL Manager of the Year. Four different managers receive first-place votes, but Skip Schumaker takes home our hardware in his rookie year as a manager. The Miami Marlins reached the playoffs for the first time in a full season since 2003 and had a 15-win improvement over 2022.