CINCINNATI - Reds first baseman Joey Votto may not be considered the favorite for the National League Most Valuable Player award, but he’s one of the three finalists.
Baseball revealed Monday that Votto, the 2010 winner, was one of the top votegetters along with Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton and Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. The winner has already been selected by the Baseball Writers Association of America but won’t be announced until Nov. 16.
"It’s very exciting, and I’m honored to have been amongst the finalists," Votto said. "These are two guys I have a great deal of respect for … so just being in that conversation is meaningful to me."
FAY: Votto’s numbers say he’s as worthy as anyone
Now that the World Series is over, Baseball’s awards season come next, and the teasing started Monday night with the BBWAA Finalists Show on MLB Network. The one-hour special revealed the finalists for the four baseball writers awards -- MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year and Manager of the Year -- for each league.
Red Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi from Madeira High is a finalist for AL Rookie of the Year.
A look at the schedule of awards to be released next week, along with the top 3 for each. https://t.co/lESryCDYIB
— BBWAA (@officialBBWAA) November 6, 2017
The voting is done by two BBWAA members in each of the 30 major league cities, with different writers voting in different categories. The voting took place before the postseason.
Those winners - and winners of the Gold Glove, Silver Slugger and Esurance MLB Awards – will be announced over the next two weeks.
Here is the schedule:
Tuesday, Nov. 7: Rawlings Gold Glove Awards (9 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Votto won a Gold Glove, the oldest and most prestigious annual defensive award, in 2011. The Reds have four finalists: Votto, center fielder Billy Hamilton, left fielder Adam Duvall and catcher Tucker Barnhart. The winners are determined by statistical analysis plus input from MLB managers and coaches.
Wednesday Nov. 8: Players Choice Awards (8 p.m. ET, MLB Network)
Major league players voted in September, selecting Stanton, Astros second baseman Jose Altuve and Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado as finalists for Player of the Year. In addition, there are multiple awards for both leagues, plus the Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award.
Thursday, Nov. 9: Louisville Silver Slugger Awards (6 p.m. ET, MLB Network)
The Silver Sluggers go to the best offensive player at every position as chosen by managers and coaches. Jay Bruce was the last Red to win a Silver Slugger in 2012.
Friday, Nov. 10: Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Awards (6 p.m. ET, MLB Network)
The Wilsons, started in 2012, use a formula that combines sabermetric analysis along with basic fielding statistics and input from scouts. There are also team awards.
Monday, Nov. 13: Rookie of the Year Awards (6 p.m. ET, MLB Network)
Any other year, Benintendi would be a good bet to win AL honors. But Yankees slugger Aaron Judge is expected to win going away. Likewise, Cody Bellinger of the Dodgers in the NL.
Tuesday, Nov. 14,: BBWAA Manager of the Year Awards (6 p.m. ET, MLB Network)
A.J. Hinch of the Astros and Dave Roberts of the Dodgers were the favorites even before they led their teams into the World Series.
Wednesday, Nov. 15: BBWAA Cy Young Awards (6 p.m. ET, MLB Network)
It looks like a two-man race in the AL between Red Sox left-hander Chris Sale and Indians right-hander Corey Kluber in the AL. In the NL, give Dodgers lefty Clayton Kershaw the edge over two Nationals right-handers, two-time winner Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg.
Thursday, Nov. 16: BBWAA Most Valuable Player Awards (6 p.m. ET, MLB Network)
Some voters won't pick a player from a last-place team for MVP, so that hurts Votto's chances. In the NL, most observers think Stanton's 59 homers will carry the day, while Altuve and Judge figure to be a close 1-2 in the AL.
Friday, Nov. 17: Esurance MLB Awards (8 p.m. ET, MLB Network)
Talk about equal representation. The Esurance MLB Awards include five voting groups, each of which accounts for 20 percent of the overall vote: media, front-office personnel, retired players, fans at MLB.com and Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) members.
The MLB Awards honor the top players and performances over both leagues from Opening Day through the World Series. Awards go to the Best Major Leaguer, Hitter, Pitcher, Defensive Player, Rookie, Manager, Executive, Personality, Postseason Moment and Postseason Performer.
One winner in each category will also be recognized for the year's best offensive play, defensive play, single-game performance, fan catch, broadcast call and player-fan Interaction.
Fan voting is open until 2 p.m. ET on Monday, Nov. 13.
