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| IBWAA 2018 MLB awards ballot time |
Back in 2009 the IBWAA (Internet Baseball Writers Association of America) was originally, and perhaps fittingly, founded on Independence Day “to organize and promote the growing online baseball media, and to serve as a digital alternative to the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA)” per the organization home site.
At the end of each regular season, each member in good standing receives an awards ballot and is tasked with voting for a top 10 for Most Valuable Player of the National and American Leagues.
We are also tasked with voting in each league for a top five in the Cy Young Award, as well as a top three in each of three further categories: top manager, top reliever, and Rookie of the Year.
This will be the fourth year that I’ve had a vote in the IBWAA annual awards balloting. As with each of the last three years, I’m now publicly releasing my ballot. As always, I’m sure that you would choose differently. I would love to hear your choices for each of the awards. Please feel free to leave a comment below this piece with your own selections.
The IBWAA is scheduled to begin announcing the winners of its awards in mid-November. Our editorial director here at Phillies Nation, Tim Kelly, released his own ballot just yesterday which included some of the reasoning behind his selections.
I’m not going to defend my choices, just simply presenting my ballot for your edification. However, I will let you in on this: I don’t vote for pitchers for Most Valuable Player. I’ve heard, appreciate, and respect all arguments to the contrary. I respectfully disagree with them all.
For me, a player who takes the field every single day to hit and field his position is always going to be more valuable than one who plays every five days. Also, there is a stand-alone award for the best pitcher that is not available to position players.
Also, my MVP votes are always going to be prejudiced towards players whose teams actually win something. Win your division, or at the very least capture a Wildcard playoff berth.
I don’t care if you hit 70 home runs for a last place team. They could have finished in last without your contribution. This is Most “Valuable”, not Most “Outstanding” Player. MLB gives out the Hank Aaron Award to the top hitter in each league. The MVP needs something more to win it on my ballot, and one thing they need is to have helped their team win.
So now it’s time to reveal my own ballot. I’ll first show my top choice to actually win the award, and then the entire ballot for each category.
First-year skipper Snitker guided the Braves to their first NL East crown in five years. (Photo: Bbqsauce13)
NL Manager of the Year: Brian Snitker, Atlanta Braves
- Snitker
- Bud Black
- Craig Counsell
AL Manager of the Year: Bob Melvin, Oakland Athletics
- Melvin
- Kevin Cash
- Joey Cora
NL Top Relief Pitcher: Josh Hader, Milwaukee Brewers
- Hader
- Wade Davis
- Kenley Jansen
Diaz (R) was baseball’s top reliever by a wide margin in the 2018 season. (Photo: Keith Allison)
AL Top Relief Pitcher: Edwin Diaz, Seattle Mariners
NL Rookie of the Year: Ronald Acuna, Atlanta Braves
- Acuna
- Juan Soto
- Jack Flaherty
AL Rookie of the Year: Miguel Andujar, New York Yankees
- Andujar
- Joey Wendle
- Shohei Ohtani
Nola is a worthy NL Cy Young Award candidate and received this vote.
NL Cy Young Award: Aaron Nola, Philadelphia Phillies
AL Cy Young Award: Blake Snell, Tampa Bay Rays
Bregman broke out to help the champion Astros remain a top contender. (Photo: Udeezy)
NL Most Valuable Player: Christian Yelich, OF, Milwaukee Brewers
- Yelich
- Javier Baez
- Freddie Freeman
- Matt Carpenter
- Lorenzo Cain
- Nolan Arenado
- Justin Turner
- Paul Goldschmidt
- Trevor Story
- Anthony Rendon
AL Most Valuable Player: Alex Bregman, 3B, Houston Astros
- Bregman
- Francisco Lindor
- Mookie Betts
- Matt Chapman
- Jose Ramirez
- J.D. Martinez
- Aaron Judge
- Mike Trout
- Whit Merrifield
- Didi Gregorius
Originally published by Phillies Nation as "Matt Veasey's 2018 IBWAA awards ballot"
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