3 Dodgers Recognized As BBWAA Award Finalists
The 2017 Los Angeles Dodgers will go down as one of the most talented rosters in franchise history due to the fascinating amount of talent that is comprised within that clubhouse.
The Boys in Blue were represented well this year, and the Baseball Writers’ Association of America have recognized three individuals from the organization as finalists for the annual awards. All winners will be eventually be announced on MLB Network over the course of a week, but there’s a good chance that the Dodger faithful will be able to bring home three honors.
Cody Bellinger, Paul DeJong, and Josh Bell were nominated for NL Rookie of the Year, after taking home the honor from Sporting News in October. Corey Seager (2016 winner), and Kenta Maeda, were finalists for the same exact award last year, meaning that the Dodgers front office has done a great job of putting these young players in the right situations to succeed. He’s looking to become the 18th Dodger to win the award.
Bellinger posted some astonishing numbers during the regular season (.267 average, .581 slugging percentage, 97 RBIs, 128 hits), and made big plays during the postseason to help his team make it to the World Series. He finished 2nd in the National League for home runs (39), and played in the All-Star game as a 22 year old. Not bad, especially for a player that played in Triple-A Oklahoma City on Opening Day. Be sure to tune in to MLB Network on November 13th at 6:00 p.m. ET to find out the winner!
Dave Roberts is looking to take home an NL Manager of the Year award for the second straight year. It’s funny, but people tend to forget that this guy is only 45 years old. The player-turned-skipper has a great feel for the game, understands what his roster goes through during grueling seasons, and isn’t afraid to do what’s in the best interest of the team.
All of those qualities are a big factor in the clubhouse, and reasons why he has an overall record of 195-130 (.600 winning percentage) after a memorable 104-win campaign in 2017. Roberts is going up against Bud Black and Torey Lovullo, so be sure to tune in to MLB Network on November 14th and 6:00 p.m. ET to find out the winner!
Clayton Kershaw is seeking another Cy Young award, and it won’t be an easy decision for the voters. Kershaw has already won three Cy Young awards thus far, and 2017 makes this his seventh straight top-5 finish for the honor. He will certainly make a strong case against the other exceptional ace’s that are a part of the Washington Nationals 1-2 punch, Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg.
He came close to winning his first World Series ring during 2017, but it was still a phenomenal year for one of the greatest pitchers that has ever played the game. Kershaw battled through a lower-back injury after the All-Star break, but he still finished the regular season as the No. 1 pitcher in the National League on ESPN’s Pitching Stats Index. Kershaw lead the National League in wins (18), earned-run average (2.31), and also struck out 202 batters. Be sure to tune in to MLB Network on November 15th at 6:00 p.m. ET to find out the winner!
The Dodgers are represented well amongst baseball’s elite once again, and they’ll look to solidify these milestones as they head into the off-season. The Rookie of the Year award will be announced first (Nov. 13), followed by the Manager of the Year (Nov. 14), and the Cy Young award (Nov. 15).