Another thrilling postseason is in the books, and while the MLB offseason has begun, so has Awards season, when we honor the greatest players and performances of 2022. Before the hardware gets handed out, here’s a breakdown of important dates on the calendar.
Monday, Nov. 7: Executive of the Year Award
This honor will be announced during the GM Meetings, which will take place in Las Vegas from Nov. 7-10. As with other awards, voting is completed prior to the start of the postseason, which means results from the playoffs aren’t taken into account. Last year’s winner was Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi after San Francisco won a franchise-record 107 games in the regular season.
Monday, Nov. 7: BBWAA Awards finalists announced
6 pm ET on MLB Network
The Baseball Writers’ Association of America will reveal the finalists for its awards — Rookie of the Year, Manager of the Year, Cy Young and MVP — one week before announcing the winners. The top three vote-getters for each AL and NL award become finalists.
Wednesday, Nov. 9: Hank Aaron Awards
6 pm ET on MLB Network
Awarded to the best overall offensive player in each league as determined by a combination of a fan vote and the selections of a panel consisting of Hall of Fame players, the Hank Aaron Awards have honored the best offensive performers each season since 1999. Eight finalists from each league were announced on Oct. 17, and the list includes past winners Freddie Freeman (2020), Mike Trout (’19, ’14), Jose Altuve (’17) and Paul Goldschmidt (’13). The AL field includes Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who set a league record by launching 62 homers in the regular season, as well as Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani. Among the NL nominees are star third basemen Nolan Arenado and Manny Machado.
Thursday, Nov. 10: Silver Slugger Awards
6 pm ET on MLB Network
Each year since 1980, the best offensive player at each position in each league has been honored with a Silver Slugger Award based on voting from MLB managers and coaches. This year, for the first time, there will be a new award category for utility players, given the increasing prevalence of players who are defensively versatile. This will also be the second time there will be no award for the pitcher position, and with the universal implementation of the designated hitter, the Braves’ Max Fried was the final recipient of the Silver Slugger Award for a pitcher in 2021.
Monday, Nov. 14: BBWAA Rookie of the Year Awards
6 pm ET on MLB Network
The Baseball Writers’ Association of America opens its major awards week by honoring the top rookies of 2022. It’s an honor with a strong legacy, bearing the name of Jackie Robinson, the first winner back in 1947. While not every Rookie of the Year Award winner goes on to stardom, past winners include legends such as Willie Mays, Frank Robinson, Tom Seaver, Johnny Bench, Cal Ripken Jr., Ichiro Suzuki and Albert Pujols. Randy Arozarena of the Rays and Jonathan India of the Reds won the honor in 2021, and while the Mariners’ Julio Rodríguez seems to be the man to beat in the AL this year, the NL race could be very close, with Braves teammates Michael Harris II and Spencer Strider each having tremendous seasons.
Tuesday, Nov. 15: BBWAA Manager of the Year Awards
6 pm ET on MLB Network
Which manager from each league was the best at guiding his team to success in 2022? Will it be one who helped his club meet high expectations or one whose squad exceeded expectations? Last year, Rays manager Kevin Cash won the honor for a second consecutive year after he led Tampa Bay to a third consecutive postseason berth, and Giants manager Gabe Kapler won the NL award after leading San Francisco to a surprising 107-win campaign. This year, it’s the Dodgers who set a franchise record with 111 wins under Dave Roberts — will he be the NL winner? Or might it be the Braves’ Brian Snitker, whose club made a dramatic turnaround in June that fueled a run to a fifth straight NL East crown? In the AL, Terry Francona led Cleveland’s surprising surge to a Central Division title with the youngest team in baseball. Meanwhile, Scott Servais helmed the Mariners to their first postseason appearance in 21 years, and Brandon Hyde led the Orioles to an eye-opening 83-win season.
Wednesday, Nov. 16: BBWAA Cy Young Awards
6 pm ET on MLB Network
The Cy Young Award has been bestowed upon the best pitcher in each league as selected by BBWAA voters since 1967, and the award had been presented to one pitcher in all of MLB for 11 years prior to that. Last year, Blue Jays (now Mariners) left-hander Robbie Ray won the AL Cy Young Award, while Brewers right-hander Corbin Burnes won the NL honor. In 2022, it appears Astros right-hander Justin Verlander is the man to beat in the AL with his 1.75 ERA, and in the NL, it could once again be a much closer race — the Marlins’ Sandy Alcantara, the Braves’ Max Fried, the Dodgers’ Julio Urías and the Giants’ Carlos Rodón are among the favorites.
Thursday, Nov. 17: BBWAA Most Valuable Player Awards
6 pm ET on MLB Network
The debate rages on: What does “most valuable” mean? In 2022, the question took on new meaning in the AL with Judge and Ohtani each having a strong argument for the honor. Judge hit 62 homers and Ohtani continued to have amazing success both at the plate and on the mound. In fact, Ohtani performed better on the mound this year than he did in 2021, when he won the AL MVP Award unanimously. In the NL, the Cardinals’ Paul Goldschmidt was an MVP favorite for much of the year, but the gap closed dramatically late in the season, with a pair of third basemen – teammate Nolan Arenado and the Padres’ Manny Machado – as well as Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman making strong cases of their own.
Friday, Nov. 18: Heart & Hustle Awards
9 am ET on MLB Network (during Hot Stove)
This award is presented by the MLB Players Alumni Association and is voted on by alumni as well as active players. It goes to the active player “who demonstrates a passion for the game of baseball and best embodies the values, spirit and traditions of the game.” Each of the 30 teams has one nominee, and a winner will be selected from that group.
Friday, Nov. 18: All-MLB finalists announced
6 pm ET on MLB Network
The All-MLB Team was introduced in 2019 to honor players’ full-season contributions, given that All-Star selections are based on first-half performance. Once finalists are announced, fans will be able to vote at MLB.com to help choose first- and second-team selections at each position (including three outfielders, a DH, five starting pitchers and two relievers).
Tuesday, Nov. 22: MLB Comeback Player of the Year Awards
6 pm ET on MLB Network (during MLB Tonight)
The Comeback Player of the Year Awards honor one player from each league who has overcome adversity to return to a high level of performance in the Major Leagues. Last year, Trey Mancini won the honor in the AL for returning to the diamond following a battle with colon cancer. In the NL, the award was presented to Giants catcher Buster Posey, who had a tremendous season after returning from hip surgery. Posey became only the second player to retire in the same offseason as winning the Comeback Player of the Year Award (also Mariano Rivera in 2013).
Monday, Nov. 28: Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award
6 pm ET on MLB Network (during MLB Tonight)
The Outstanding DH Award has been handed out since the designated hitter was first adopted by the AL in 1973, and it was renamed in honor of five-time winner and Hall of Famer Edgar Martinez in 2004. In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, the NL had its first winner of the honor, the Braves’ Marcell Ozuna. But pitchers returned to hitting in ’21 before the NL permanently adopted the DH beginning this year. It’s going to be tough to beat Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez in the AL — he’s also a legitimate MVP candidate. In the NL, it’s not as clear-cut, but it could come down to a fascinating choice between reigning NL MVP Bryce Harper and the ageless wonder Albert Pujols, who surprised us all with his rejuvenation in the power department, hitting 24 homers and eclipsing the 700-career-homer milestone in his final season.
Monday, Dec. 5: All-MLB Team announced
7 pm ET on MLB Network
See previous entry on All-MLB Team finalists.
Tuesday, Dec. 6: Rivera/Hoffman Relievers of the Year Awards
9 am ET on MLB Network
Named for Hall of Fame closers Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman when the awards were established in 2014, these honors go to the best reliever in each league. Last year, White Sox closer Liam Hendriks won his second straight Rivera Reliever of the Year Award in the AL, while the Brewers’ Josh Hader (now with the Padres) was selected as the winner of the Hoffman Award in the NL. Hader has won three of the last four Hoffman Awards, and a Brewer has won it in each of the last four years (Devin Williams won in 2020). Hader is unlikely to win again this year after posting a 5.22 ERA in 56 appearances for Milwaukee and San Diego. The Mets’ Edwin Díaz was simply overpowering and will be tough to beat in the NL, while the Guardians’ Emmanuel Clase had a breakout season that could earn him the honor in the AL.
Rawlings Gold Glove Awards
The Gold Glove Award nominees at each position were announced on Oct. 20, and the winners were revealed on Nov. 1. There were a record 14 first-time winners this year, including a record three rookies. Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado tied Ichiro Suzuki for most consecutive Gold Glove Awards to begin a Major League career, and the Astros’ Jeremy Peña became the first rookie shortstop to win a Gold Glove Award. The Guardians had four winners in the same year for the first time in franchise history.
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