Let’s take a non-commercial break from the Division Series to tackle who is most deserving of the top Baseball Writers Association of America awards this season. Unlike previous years, there are tough, nearly impossible choices to be made, particularly in three of the top four awards: MVP in each league, and the AL Cy Young. And unlike past seasons, the arguments to be made for each worthy candidate do not break down into the tiring “battle” between those who lean toward sabermetrics and those who see performance through a more traditional lens.
Sometimes it’s a judgment call, an art, not a science, when it comes to these awards.