2023 MLB Season Awards Predictions

It’s MLB opening day so it’s time to make wild predictions and speculate based solely on the few Spring Training box scores I sifted through at like, 4am last night.

Here are the 2023 MLB season awards predictions:

AL Rookie of the Year: Anthony Volpe

If you type in the name ‘Gunnar Henderson’, all of the top results are sports sites handing him the Rookie of the Year award. And I totally understand the hype. Henderson is a 21-year-old shortstop who can hit for both average and power. He’s the top prospect in the sport. He’s really good at baseball.

But there is another 21-year shortstop in the Bronx who will have far more eyes on him and having far more pressure-packed at-bats than Henderson will have on the Orioles.

#Yankees top prospect Anthony Volpe is hitting .308 this spring. Seven of his 12 hits are for extra bases, including this double today: pic.twitter.com/DWUznioOJp

— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) March 21, 2023

Playing on the Yankees means Volpe will potentially have bigger moments like walk-off hits in nationally televised games. Let’s all enjoy how great this kid is about to be before MLB media shoves the Derek Jeter comparisons down our throats.

AL Cy Young: Shohei Ohtani

Jacob deGrom is one of the greatest pitchers ever to throw a baseball and I personally think he will have a season deserving of the Cy Young. You will never see my pick against him as long as he continues to play in the Majors. Yes, he’s 34 and refuses to stay healthy, but I assume everyone will play every game. I don’t pretend to know which players will be injured before they play a single game.

But again, I think MLB writers will want to reward Shohei Ohtani for his ability to both hit and pitch at a high level and they’ll want to give him as many awards as possible so history remembers his greatness. Whether or not Ohtani actually has the best statistical season is irrelevant. He’s winning the Cy Young.

Also, shout out Gerrit Cole. Not much to say about him but I think he’s going to have a strong 20-win year and lose to Ohtani.

AL MVP: Shohei Ohtani

Aaron Judge isn’t going to break his single-season home run record. He just had the greatest contract year and was compensated properly. History tells us Judge won’t be anywhere near what he was last season now that he’s no longer making minimum wage.

Again, Ohtani is going to win every award possible. He is the face of Major League Baseball and will be treated like royalty. *whispers* Ohtani probably should’ve won the MVP last season if we’re being honest.

Also, keep an eye on Vladimir Guerrero Jr having a bounce-back year. With Toronto expected to be a force this season, Vladdy will have the opportunity to steal attention away from Shohei. People have been wanting Guerrero to be one of the bigger stars in the league since day one. This is the year he could do it.

NL Rookie of the Year: Jordan Walker

Jordan Walker isn’t old enough to drink yet and he’s about to be the starting outfield for the St. Louis Cardinals. Walker is going to hit BOMBS this season and have incredible outfield highlights on ESPN every night.

Jordan Walker is UNREAL. 😱 pic.twitter.com/w8jtpxNl8f

— MLB (@MLB) March 4, 2023

Myyyyyyyyyyyyyyy nigga.

Quick tip of the cap to Corbin Carroll of the Diamondbacks who played 32 games last season and recorded a .830 OPS in 115 plate appearances. Unfortunately I am an extremely biased writer and Jordan Walker is my guy.

NL Cy Young: Julio Urias

I feel like I have to acknowledge Justin Verlander in the National League now because every time I think he’s going to show up washed, he walks away with a Cy Young award and wins a World Series.

Sandy Alcantara is the best pitcher in the NL but I don’t think writers will let him win back-to-back Cy Young awards on a team that seems completely uninterested in winning baseball games.

But the entire success of the Dodgers will be on Urias’s back. It’s 2023. Clayton Kershaw and Noah Syndergaard being important staples in your 5-man rotation is a disaster waiting to happen. Urias will be solely responsible for whatever good things happen to the Dodgers.

NL MVP: Manny Machado

I think the NL MVP is coming from the San Diego Padres. You can put all of their stars names in a hat and whoever you pull out could be the MVP. I happened to pick Machado but it wouldn’t be at all surprising if Juan Soto, Xander Bogaerts or Fernando Tatis Jr.

Or Ronald Acuna will win the MVP and nothing I just said is remotely true. It’s a coinflip.

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