Several years ago the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) graciously invited me to join their illustrious group, one of many humbling moments I have had since creating NatsGM.  One of the perks of this organization is each year at the end of the season they contact each of their members to help select winners for the various major baseball awards.

While the overall vote totals should be released shortly, I thought I should share my ballot, along with a brief explanation for my choices.  Without further ado, here is my 2016 IBWAA Baseball Award selections.

AL MVP :              1) Mike Trout  2) Jose Altuve  3) David Ortiz  4) Josh Donaldson 5) Mookie Betts

For me, Trout is the clear winner and the best player in baseball.  The next four players could have gone in any order, but being a middle infielder gave 2^nd place to Altuve and sentimentality forced me to choose Ortiz third.

AL CY :                  1) Corey Kluber 2) Justin Verlander 3) Rick Porcello

Again, Kluber seemed like the obvious choice for me as the CY Young in the American League.  The decision between Verlander and Porcello was a coin flip, but the slight nod goes to Verlander for the larger strikeout total and importance to his team.

AL ROY :               1) Gary Sanchez  2) Michael Fulmer  3) Edwin Diaz

This was a difficult decision, as Fulmer pitched well this season before getting shut down.  I gave my vote to Sanchez because of the his outstanding offensive numbers compared to his peers, along with carrying the Yankees to a respectable record this season.

{* Editors Note – Fulmer was NOT shut down, he has failed to reach the 162 innings requirement for the ERA title.  I/We did not explain ourselves properly.  H/T to Dave Hogg @Stareagle for identifying our error.}

AL Manager  :    1) Terry Francona  2) Joe Girardi  3) Jeff Banister

Easy choice here, as Cleveland dealt with plenty of injuries and still ran away with the American League Central.  Francona did a fantastic job getting 94 wins from this roster.  Girardi takes 2^nd as his front office sold at the deadline and he still got 84 wins from his aging club.  Finally, Jeff Banister gets 3^rd as he quietly got 95 wins and a division title from a team several predicted to finish in 3^rd place before the season.

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AL Reliever  :      1) Zach Britton    2) Andrew Miller  3) Dellin Betances

All three pitchers were outstanding this season, but Britton’s complete dominance gives him my vote, with Miller’s numbers giving him the nod over Betances.

NL MVP :             1) Kris Bryant  2) Anthony Rizzo 3) Daniel Murphy  4) Nolan Arenado  5) Corey Seager

If this ballot was cast on September 15^th, I would have chosen Murphy 1^st, but missing the last two weeks of the season has him fall to third.  Bryant is the best player on the best team, making him my choice, with Rizzo a close 2^nd.  If Arenado’s team had been better this year, he might have merited more consideration, but 4^th feels about right, with Seager’s magnificent rookie season capturing 5^th.

NL CY  :                 1) Max Scherzer  2) Jon Lester  3) Kyle Hendricks

I know wins should not matter, but 20 victories, plus all the innings and strikeouts made Scherzer my sentimental choice for this award.  Lester’s advantage in wins, innings and strikeouts gives him 2^nd over his teammate Kyle Hendricks.

NL ROY  :              1) Corey Seager  2) Trea Turner  3) Trevor Story

Another slam-dunk choice, as Seager’s .308/105/26/72 stat line from a shortstop is one of the best rookie seasons in recent memory.  Turner’s energy and impact for the Nationals barely gives him 2^nd place over Story’s 27 home runs this year.

NL Manager  :   1) Terry Collins  2) Joe Maddon  3T) Dave Roberts and Dusty Baker

Considering all the injuries the Mets suffered through this season, it is miraculous they won 87 games and have home field advantage in the NL Wild Card game.  Even fully acknowledging recency bias, Terry Collins job this season is one of the best I can ever remember.

Joe Maddon’s ability to manage expectations and the hype placed on the Cubs gives him 2^nd place.  We should not overlook Dave Roberts’ effort with the Dodgers, who suffered through injuries and a mediocre bullpen to win the NL West.  Finally I had to include Dusty Baker, who reunited a divided clubhouse and helped the Nationals achieve 95 wins this year.

NL Reliever  :      1) Kenley Jansen  2) Seung Hwan Oh 3) Mark Melancon

One of the best relievers in baseball, Jansen had a tremendous season for the Dodgers in spite of a lackluster relief corps in front of him.  I wanted to include Oh in the rookie of the year award, as he has stabilized St. Louis’s bullpen and replaced the suddenly mediocre Trevor Rosenthal.  I guess he will have to “settle” for 2nd place in the reliever category. Finally Melancon quietly had another fantastic season, posting 47 saves and resolving Washington’s major hole at closer this summer.

* Any issues with my choices?  Post your thoughts in the comment’s section!