Total points on a 7-4-3-2-1 basisPlayer1st2nd3rd4th5thTotShane Bieber, Indians30----210Kenta Maeda, Twins-1842492Hyun-Jin Ryu, Blue Jays-475451Gerrit Cole, Yankees-2610450Dallas Keuchel, White Sox-545446Lance Lynn, Rangers-134122Lucas Giolito, White Sox--32518Chris Bassitt, Athletics--21210Dylan Bundy, Angels--1-25Liam Hendriks, Athletics---135Framber Valdez, Astros----11

Cleveland Indians ace Shane Bieber was the unanimous winner of the AL Cy Young Award on Wednesday night, capping an impressive rise by the right-hander to one of the game’s best pitchers. Using a versatile repertoire that includes a looping curveball and a wipeout slider, Bieber went 8-1 with a 1.63 ERA and 122 strikeouts in 77 1/3 innings during the pandemic-shortened season, leading the majors in ERA and strikeouts and tying Yu Darvish for the most wins. Bieber became the second player in franchise history to win the pitching AL Triple Crown, joining Hall of Famer Bob Feller in 1940. He also was the first pitcher to lead the majors in all three categories since Johan Santana for Minnesota in 2006. Minnesota Twins right-hander Kenta Maeda finished second in balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, followed by Toronto Blue Jays left-hander Hyun Jin Ryu. It was the 10th time that an AL pitcher was a unanimous choice for the award. Bieber is the first unanimous winner in... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Cleveland Indians ace Shane Bieber wins AL Cy Young Award.

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts could become the second player to win the MVP award in each league, and New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom is in the running for his third consecutive NL Cy Young Award. The competition, of course, is tough. Betts, Freddie Freeman and Manny Machado are the top finishers for NL MVP in balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. DeGrom, Trevor Bauer and Yu Darvish are the finalists in the NL Cy Young race. The three highest vote-getters for each BBWAA award were revealed on Monday. The winners will be announced next week. Betts, who won the 2018 AL MVP award with Boston, helped the Dodgers win the World Series last week for the first time since 1988. Frank Robinson is the only player to win the MVP award in both leagues, accomplishing the feat in 1961 with Cincinnati and 1966 for Baltimore. DeGrom could join Randy Johnson and Greg Maddux as the only pitchers to win at least three consecutive Cy Young Awards. But Bauer had an NL-best 1.73... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Finalists for the 2020 Baseball Writers' Association of America awards, with date of announcement of winners (announcements during hour following 6 p.m. EST): Monday, Nov. 9AL Rookie of the Year: Cristian Javier (Houston), Kyle Lewis (Seattle), Luis Robert (Chicago) NL Rookie of the Year: Alec Bohm (Philadelphia), Jake Cronenworth (San Diego), Devin Williams (Milwaukee) Tuesday, Nov. 10AL Manager of the Year: Kevin Cash (Tampa Bay), Charlie Montoyo (Toronto), Rick Renteria (Chicago) NL Manager of the Year: Don Mattingly (Miami), David Ross (Chicago), Jayce Tingler (San Diego) Wednesday, Nov. 11AL Cy Young Award: Shane Bieber (Cleveland), Kenta Maeda (Minnesota), Hyun Jin Ryu (Toronto) NL Cy Young Award: Trevor Bauer (Cincinnati), Yu Darvish (Chicago), Jacob deGrom (New York) Thursday, Nov. 12AL Most Valuable Player: José Abreu (Chicago), DJ LeMahieu (New York), José Ramírez (Cleveland) NL Most Valuable Player: Mookie Betts (Los Angeles), Freddie Freeman (Atlanta), Manny Machado (San Diego)

New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom is going for his third consecutive NL Cy Young Award, and Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts could become the second player to win the MVP award in each league. The competition, of course, is tough. DeGrom, Trevor Bauer and Yu Darvish are the top finishers for the NL Cy Young Award in balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Betts, Freddie Freeman and Manny Machado are the finalists for NL MVP. The top three finishers for each BBWAA award were revealed on Monday. The winners will be announced next week. DeGrom could join Randy Johnson and Greg Maddux as the only pitchers to win at least three consecutive Cy Young Awards. But Bauer had an NL-best 1.73 ERA in 11 starts for Cincinnati, and Darvish went 8-3 with a 2.01 ERA in 12 starts for the Chicago Cubs, matching Cleveland Indians ace Shane Bieber for the major league lead in wins. Betts, who won the 2018 AL MVP award with Boston, helped the Dodgers win the World Series for the first... [More]

New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom is going for his third consecutive NL Cy Young Award, and Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts could become the second player to win the MVP award in each league. The competition, of course, is tough. DeGrom, Trevor Bauer and Yu Darvish are the top finishers for the NL Cy Young Award in balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Betts, Freddie Freeman and Manny Machado are the finalists for NL MVP. The top three finishers for each BBWAA award were revealed on Monday. The winners will be announced next week. DeGrom could join Randy Johnson and Greg Maddux as the only pitchers to win at least three consecutive Cy Young Awards. But Bauer had an NL-best 1.73 ERA in 11 starts for Cincinnati, and Darvish went 8-3 with a 2.01 ERA in 12 starts for the Chicago Cubs, matching Cleveland Indians ace Shane Bieber for the major league lead in wins. Betts, who won the 2018 AL MVP award with Boston, helped the Dodgers win the World Series for the first... [More]

Cleveland Indians ace Shane Bieber moved one step closer to winning the AL Cy Young Award when he was announced Monday as one of the top three finishers in balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Bieber joined Minnesota Twins right-hander Kenta Maeda and Toronto Blue Jays left-hander Hyun Jin Ryu on the list of finalists. But Bieber is considered the favorite after the 25-year-old right-hander went 8-1 with a 1.63 ERA and 122 strikeouts in 77 1/3 innings, leading the major leagues in wins, ERA and strikeouts. The winner of each BBWAA award will be announced next week. The top finishers in voting for AL Manager of the Year are Tampa Bay's Kevin Cash, Toronto's Charlie Montoyo and Rick Renteria, who was let go by the Chicago White Sox after the team made the playoffs for the first time since 2008. Cash was roundly criticized for pulling ace left-hander Blake Snell in the sixth inning of the decisive Game 6 of the World Series against the champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Balloting... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Minnesota Twins designated hitter Nelson Cruz was voted Marvin Miller Man of the Year and Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman was picked as Player of the Year in annual Players Choice award voting by the Major League Baseball Players Association. Cruz hit .303 with 16 homers and 33 RBIs in the pandemic-shortened season. The Marvin Miller Award goes to the player whose his peers “most respect based on his leadership on the field and in the community.” Freeman batted .341 with 13 homers and 53 RBIs. Freeman was voted the NL’s outstanding player, Cincinnati’s Trevor Bauer outstanding pitcher, San Diego infielder Jake Cronenworth outstanding rookie and Colorado pitcher Daniel Bard comeback player, the union said Thursday. Chicago White Sox first baseman José Abreu was voted the AL’s Outstanding Player, Cleveland’s Shane Bieber outstanding pitcher, Seattle outfielder Kyle Lewis outstanding rookie and Cleveland pitcher Carlos Carrasco comeback player. Hall of Famer Andre... [More]

NEW YOIRK (AP) — Minnesota Twins designated hitter Nelson Cruz was voted Marvin Miller Man of the Year and Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman was picked as Player of the Year in annual Players Choice award voting by the Major League Baseball Players Association. Cruz hit .303 with 16 homers and 33 RBIs in the pandemic-shortened season. The Marvin Miller Award goes to the player whose his peers “most respect based on his leadership on the field and in the community.” Freeman batted .341 with 13 homers and 53 RBIs. Freeman was voted the NL’s outstanding player, Cincinnati’s Trevor Bauer outstanding pitcher, San Diego infielder Jake Cronenworth outstanding rookie and Colorado pitcher Daniel Bard comeback player, the union said Thursday. Chicago White Sox first baseman José Abreu was voted the AL’s Outstanding Player, Cleveland’s Shane Bieber outstanding pitcher, Seattle outfielder Kyle Lewis outstanding rookie and Cleveland pitcher Carlos Carrasco comeback player. Hall of Famer Andre... [More]

NEW YOIRK (AP) — Minnesota Twins designated hitter Nelson Cruz was voted Marvin Miller Man of the Year and Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman was picked as Player of the Year in annual Players Choice award voting by the Major League Baseball Players Association. Cruz hit .303 with 16 homers and 33 RBIs in the pandemic-shortened season. The Marvin Miller Award goes to the player whose his peers “most respect based on his leadership on the field and in the community.” Freeman batted .341 with 13 homers and 53 RBIs. Freeman was voted the NL’s outstanding player, Cincinnati’s Trevor Bauer outstanding pitcher, San Diego infielder Jake Cronenworth outstanding rookie and Colorado pitcher Daniel Bard comeback player, the union said Thursday. Chicago White Sox first baseman José Abreu was voted the AL’s Outstanding Player, Cleveland’s Shane Bieber outstanding pitcher, Seattle outfielder Kyle Lewis outstanding rookie and Cleveland pitcher Carlos Carrasco comeback player. Hall of Famer Andre... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Blake Snell couldn't get the Yankees to swing at his breaking balls, and the Tampa Bay Rays missed a chance to take an early advantage in the AL Division Series. Tampa Bay's ace was tagged for three homers during five inconsistent innings in a 9-3 loss to New York on Monday night in the series opener at Petco Park. The Rays weren't blown out until New York's five-run ninth, but the AL's best regular season team was unable to capitalize on its ace's first start — often a bad omen in any short series. Game 2 in the best-of-five set is Tuesday night. Although Snell had much of his usual dip and movement, he managed to generate only five swing-and-misses — just four on his vaunted breaking pitches — on 84 pitches to the Yankees. New York made contact on 31 of its 36 swings (86.11%), the third highest rate by a team facing Snell during his career, according to MLB.com. “He didn’t get away with any mistakes tonight,” Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. “Pitching against that lineup,... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Atlanta first baseman Freddie Freeman was voted Major League Player of the Year by Baseball Digest on Monday, and Cleveland’s Shane Bieber was a unanimous pick as Major League Pitcher of the Year. Freeman received eight of 17 first-place votes and 34 points after hitting .341 with 13 homers and 53 RBIs in the pandemic-shortened season. Chicago White Sox first baseman José Abreu was second with four firsts and 26 points. Bieber was 8-1 with a 1.63 ERA and 122 strikeouts in 77 1/3 innings, leading the major leagues in wins, ERA and strikeouts. He received all 17 first-place votes and 51 points. Cincinnati’s Trevor Bauer was second with 28 points. Milwaukee’s Devin Williams was voted relief pitcher of the year. He had a 0.33 ERA and struck out 53 in 27 innings. Williams received 12 first-place votes and 39 points. Oakland’s Liam Hendricks was second with four firsts and 32 points. Voters included writers and broadcasters. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CHICAGO (AP) — Manager David Ross had few words for his team after the Chicago Cubs got swept out of the playoffs. There really wasn't much to say, other than this. “Just remember how this feels when you’re working in the offseason,” the rookie skipper said. “This is a terrible feeling. I’m proud of them. I’m very proud of this group. This is a season like no other. As a mamager, I’m very proud of this group.” The Cubs won the NL Central at 34-26 in Ross' first year and returned to the playoffs after missing out last year. Yu Darvish built on a strong second half last year and thrust himself into the Cy Young Award conversation. But the Cubs stalled after winning 13 of their first 16 games in the pandemic-shortened season. They got swept at home by Miami in their wild-card series, managing just one run in two games. They haven't advanced in the postseason since reaching the 2017 NL Championship Series. And they're facing some big decisions about a core that in 2016 helped bring the long-suffering... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today: ___ TRY AGAIN The Cubs and Marlins resume their series a day after poor weather caused a postponement at Wrigley Field. Miami leads the best-of-three 1-0 but may be without outfielder Starling Marte, who was hit by a fastball during Wednesday’s 5-1 victory and has a nondisplaced fracture of the bone running between his left pinky and wrist. He wasn’t in the starting lineup for Thursday’s postponed game, but manager Don Mattingly had not ruled out using him. Chicago is counting on Yu Darvish to avoid a playoff sweep. The ace right-hander was a steady presence for the Cubs throughout the pandemic-shortened season, joining the NL Cy Young Award conversation. A four-time All-Star with Texas, he tied Cleveland’s Shane Bieber for the major league lead with eight wins and was second in the NL to Cincinnati’s Trevor Bauer with a 2.01 ERA. The Marlins will counter with 22-year-old Sixto Sánchez, who debuted Aug. 22 and posted a 3.46 ERA in seven... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Friday: ___ TRY AGAIN The Cubs and Marlins resume their series a day after poor weather caused a postponement at Wrigley Field. Miami leads the best-of-three 1-0 but may be without outfielder Starling Marte, who was hit by a fastball during Wednesday’s 5-1 victory and has a nondisplaced fracture of the bone running between his left pinky and wrist. He wasn’t in the starting lineup for Thursday’s postponed game, but manager Don Mattingly had not ruled out using him. Chicago is counting on Yu Darvish to avoid a playoff sweep. The ace right-hander was a steady presence for the Cubs throughout the pandemic-shortened season, joining the NL Cy Young Award conversation. A four-time All-Star with Texas, he tied Cleveland’s Shane Bieber for the major league lead with eight wins and was second in the NL to Cincinnati’s Trevor Bauer with a 2.01 ERA. The Marlins will counter with 22-year-old Sixto Sánchez, who debuted Aug. 22 and posted a 3.46 ERA in seven... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — As Francisco Lindor played in the longest nine-inning game in history, a nearly five-hour endurance test that ended in an empty stadium on October's first morning, he considered it may have been his last game with Cleveland. “It crossed my mind,” he said. He wasn't alone. And it may have also been the team's final game with the Indians name, which it's used for more than a century. A strange, shortened regular season filled with face coverings, coronavirus protocols and adversity was followed by a swift playoff exit — again. Lindor and the Indians are finished in 2020, but any lingering pain from the club's eighth straight postseason loss or failure to end a World Series title drought dating to 1948, quickly shifted to Lindor's unsettled future on Thursday. The four-time All-Star shortstop is under contractual control for next season, but the Indians can't afford to pay him $300 million and it's expected they'll trade the 26-year-old this winter before he walks as a free... [More]

It was not a good start to the Major League Baseball postseason for those who don’t believe in curses. The Minnesota Twins and Oakland Athletics extended their string of postseason futility on Tuesday with losses in the openers of their respective best-of-three, wild-card series. If they don't win Game 2 on Tuesday, it's another quick trip home for two franchises that have been consistently great in the regular season, only to fall apart when the postseason arrives. Count the Cleveland Indians, too. Losers of seven straight playoff games, they're hoping to fight off elimination against the New York Yankees. Also up: The Atlanta Braves, who have lost in 10 straight postseason rounds dating to 2001. They'll host their opener against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday. Braves manager Brian Snitker turned to humor when discussing fall futility. “I’d love to win this series," he said. "I’m not going to sacrifice a child to get it done, but I guess it just depends on what you want to make of it.”... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today: ___ CRAZY EIGHT How’s this for wild: MLB is set to stage eight postseason games on the same day for the first time. National League clubs will open their best-of-three wild-card series, while four American League teams are already facing elimination after starting Tuesday. The Reds and Braves open things with a dynamite pitching matchup between Trevor Bauer and Max Fried at noon ET, and baseball will be on TV until the Brewers and Dodgers wrap their 10 p.m. ET tilt. With the expansion of the first round from a pair of wild-card games to eight best-of-three series, there are a maximum 65 possible postseason games this year. In the 1960s, there were 66 postseason games in the entire decade, with league championship series starting in 1969. The day starts with a showdown between NL Cy Young Award contenders. Bauer (5-4, 1.73 ERA) was at his best down the stretch for Cincinnati, including a 12-strikeout performance against Milwaukee in his... [More]

A capsule look at the best-of-three playoff series between the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians in Cleveland beginning Tuesday night: ___ NEW YORK YANKEES Record: 33-27. Playoff Entry: second place, AL East. Playoff Seed: No. 5. Manager: Aaron Boone (third season). Projected Rotation: RHP Gerrit Cole (7-3, 2.84 ERA, 94 Ks), RHP Masahiro Tanaka (3-3, 3.56, 44 Ks), LHP J.A. Happ (2-2, 3.47, 42 Ks). Top Hitters: 1B Luke Voit (.277, major league-leading 22 HRs, 52 RBIs), 2B DJ LeMahieu (major league-leading .364, 10, 27, 41 runs, 10 doubles, 1.011 OPS). Top Relievers: LHP Aroldis Chapman (1-1, 3.09 ERA, 3 saves), LHP Zack Britton (1-2, 1.89, 8 saves). Series Summary: The Yankees are in the playoffs for the fourth straight year but still looking for their first pennant since winning the 2009 World Series. ... Favored to win the AL East, the Yankees alternated hot and cold spurts: a 16-6 start following by a 5-15 slide, a 10-game winning streak and six losses in their last eight games.... [More]