There are more than a dozen awards in MLB offered at the end of the regular season and in the postseason. Baseball offers most awards to players in both the National League and American League, including Cy Young, Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year, and the MVPs of both leagues in the respective championship series.
Fans can vote on some of the awards, including All-MLB honors and the Hank Aaron Award. According to MLB.com, the remaining major league baseball awards will get announced in November and December.
Here’s a look at some of the biggest awards in MLB and who has already been named the winners in some of the categories for 2020.
All MLB Honors
Fans get to vote once every 24 hours for the best players at each position during the regular season. Voting this year continues until 2 p.m. on Nov. 13. MLB will announce a first team and a second team in December on MLB Network.
The Baseball Writers of America Association Awards
Baseball writers bestow the “big four” individual player awards in MLB after the end of the postseason. They are typically announced in early November. A play from each league wins the award, for eight players total. They are the Cy Young Award for the best pitcher, Most Value Player, Rookie of the Year, and Manager of the Year.
The Hank Aaron Award
Started in 1999, MLB gives the Hank Aaron Award to one player from each league who was the best overall offensive performer. Aaron and a panel of Hall of Fame members make the selection as well as a fan vote on 14 finalists.
The Life and Career of Hank Aaron
Roberto Clemente Award
Every MLB team nominates one player for this award. The league gives the award to a player who best “demonstrates the values Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente displayed in his commitment to community and understanding the value of helping others.” Clemente, a star player known for his commitment to charity work, died in 1972 after a plane full of goods for earthquake victims in Nicaragua crashed into the Atlantic Ocean after takeoff from Isla Verde, Puerto Rico.
Gold Gloves
This award goes to nine players in each league who fielded their position better than anyone else. Baseball chooses the 18 total players based on a sabermetric index provided by the Society for American Baseball Research. MLB announces the winners in November.
Relievers of the Year
MLB honors a player from each league every year for being the best relief pitcher. The winner of the Mariano Rivera AL Reliever of the Year Award went to Liam Hendriks of the Oakland Athletics, while the Trevor Hoffman NL Reliever of the Year Award went to Devin Williams of the Milwaukee Brewers.
Players’ Choice Awards
At the end of each season, the players themselves vote to bestow awards on their peers in different areas. For 2020, the categories and the winners were as follows.
- AL Comeback Player: Carlos Carrasco, pitcher, Cleveland Indians
- NL Comeback Player: Daniel Bard, pitcher, Colorado Rockies
- AL Outstanding Pitcher: Shane Bieber, Cleveland Indians
- NL Outstanding Pitcher: Trevor Bauer, Cincinnati Reds
- Al Outstanding Player: José Abreu, 1st baseman, Chicago White Sox
- NL Outstanding Player: Freddie Freeman, 1st baseman, Atlanta Braves
- AL Outstanding Rookie: Kyle Lewis, outfielder, Seattle Mariners
- NL Outstanding Rookie: Jake Cronenworth, infielder, San Diego Padres
- Man of the Year: Nelson Cruz, DH, Minnesota Twins (players give this award to someone who they respect for leadership on the field and in the community.
- Player of the Year: Freddie Freeman, 1st baseman, Atlanta Braves
Postseason Awards
In the postseason playoffs, Randy Arozarena of the Tampa Bay Rays won the MVP award for the American League Championship Series, while Cory Seager of the Los Angeles Dodgers won the MVP award for the National League Championship Series. Seager also won the MVP award for the World Series.
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