MLB Writers Rank Dodgers No. 1, Spotlight Ohtani and 30 Team Award Races
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 2
MLB Writers Rank Dodgers No. 1, Spotlight Ohtani and 30 Team Award Races
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 2
Two months into the season, baseball writers kept the Dodgers atop the latest power rankings at 38-22 and used this week’s list to name an early awards contender for every team.
Shohei Ohtani headlined the exercise as the favorite for a fifth MVP, while the National League Cy Young race was framed as especially fierce with Chris Sale, Jacob Misiorowski and Cristopher Sánchez all drawing strong cases.
The American League picture looked more open, with Yankees right-hander Cam Schlittler emerging in a thinner Cy Young field and Rays manager Kevin Cash cited for guiding the AL’s best record at 36-21.
Writers also highlighted unusually deep rookie and manager races, including Cardinals infielder JJ Wetherholt for NL Rookie of the Year and Nationals manager Blake Butera for keeping Washington in contention at 31-30.
The rankings underscored how early-season surprises are reshaping both team hierarchies and the awards landscape, with several unexpected contenders forcing a rethink of preseason expectations.