November is the time for trophies
With the offseason almost fully, officially here, we are very near awards season, which includes several Dodgers in contention for 2021 honors. Consider this your one-stop shop for keeping track of which awards get announced, and whom might hear their names called.
The MLB Players Association already got their awards out of the way, announcing the player-voted choices last week. Max Scherzer was selected by his peers as the best pitcher in the National League.
Here’s the schedule for the rest of the awards:
Gold Glove
Three Dodgers are finalists for the top fielder at their positions — Mookie Betts in right field, Max Muncy at first base, and AJ Pollock in left field. The award is decided by a mix of voting from managers and coaches, plus a SABR Defensive Index, an amalgam of statistics that account for approximately 25 percent of the voting.
Betts has won a Gold Glove in each of the last five seasons. Winners will be announced on Sunday, November 7 at 5:30 p.m. PT on ESPN.
BBWAA award finalists
On Monday, November 8, the top three finishers for each of the four awards in each league bestowed by the Baseball Writers Association of America — Rookie of the Year Manager of the Year Cy Young Award, and MVP — will be revealed on MLB Network.
Silver Slugger
The top offensive players at each position in each league, as voted on by managers and coaches, will be announced on Thursday, November 11 at 3 p.m. PT, on MLB Network. Three Dodgers are listed among the top four vote-getters at their position in the National League — catcher Will Smith, first baseman Max Muncy, and Trea Turner at shortstop.
The original press release from Louisville Slugger also listed Justin Turner among the finalists at second base, a position he’s played for one inning in the last six years. This is believed to be a mistake, with Trea Turner likely a finalist at two positions. There is precedent for this, with JD Martinez of the Red Sox winning two Silver Slugger Awards in 2018, one for the outfield and one at designated hitter.
Rookie of the Year
Monday, November 15 will see the winners announced on MLB Network. No Dodgers are expected here.
Manager of the Year
Dave Roberts has received votes for National League Manager of the Year in all five of his previous seasons at the helm in Los Angeles, including at least one first-place vote in every year except 2018. Roberts won the award in 2016 and finished second in 2017. He’s isn’t likely to win this year, with competition including Gabe Kapler and the 107-win Giants, and Craig Counsell and the NL Central-winning Brewers. But it will be interesting to see where Roberts finishes. We’ll find out on Tuesday, November 16 on MLB Network.
Cy Young Award
The Dodgers will be well represented here, with results announced on Wednesday, November 17 on MLB Network. Scherzer and Walker Buehler are strong contenders, and Julio Urías is also deserving of votes. If the writers mimic the players’ vote, Scherzer would be the second Cy Young winner to switch teams midseason, joining Rick Sutcliffe, who was traded from Cleveland to the Cubs in 1984.
Most Valuable Player
Trea Turner is the Dodger likely to finish highest here, finishing his regular season strong, winning a batting title while also leading the NL in hits, total bases, stolen bases, and fWAR.
“I don’t know why Trea isn’t getting spoken about in the MVP stuff as much. He’s had an extremely special year. He’s had a year not many players can have,” Buehler said of Turner on the regular season’s final day. “He’s a special player and a game-changing player.”
Results will be announced on Thursday, November 18 on MLB Network.