Seager, Semien are MVP finalists

Texas Rangers infielders Corey Seager and Marcus Semien are finalists for the 2023 American League MVP Award, it was announced today. In addition, manager Bruce Bochy is a finalist for the 2023 American League Manager of the Year Award.

Seager had a dominant season despite having a pair of trips to the injured list. The Rangers shortstop slashed .327/.390/.623 in 119 games, leading the American League in doubles and being named a Gold Glove finalist. His 6.9 bWAR was good for fourth in the American League, and his 6.1 fWAR was third in the American League. Seager finished third in the National League MVP voting in 2016.

Semien’s 2023 season was quieter than his double play partner’s, but arguably even better. Semien slashed .276/.348/.478 in a major league leading 162 games, was a Gold Glove finalist at second base, and led the majors in plate appearances and the American League in runs and hits. He was second in the A.L. in fWAR, at 6.3, and third in bWAR, at 7.4. Semien finished third in the American League MVP voting in both 2019 and 2021.

Shohei Ohtani, the other AL MVP finalist, is seen as being the favorite for the award, having slashed .304/.412/.654 in 599 plate appearances at DH this year, leading the American League in home runs and OBP and the majors and slugging and OPS, while also starting 23 games on the mound, putting up a 3.14 ERA and a 4.00 FIP. He is first in the American League in bWAR, with 10.0 — Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole was second, at 7.5.

Bochy joins Kevin Cash of the Tampa Bay Rays and Brandon Hyde of the Baltimore Orioles as a finalist for the American League Manager of the Year Award.

Josh Jung was considered a serious contender for the American League Rookie of the Year Award before a broken bone in his hand sidelined him for around a month. He was not one of the three finalists for the 2023 A.L. Rookie of the Year Award. Tristan Cases of the Boston Red Sox, Tanner Bibee of the Cleveland Guardians, and Gunnar Henderson of the Baltimore Orioles were the finalists, with Henderson the prohibitive favorite.

The other finalists are as follows:

American League Cy Young Award

Gerrit Cole

Kevin Gausman

Sonny Gray

National League MVP Award

Ronald Acuna, Jr.

Mookie Betts

Freddie Freeman

National League Rookie of the Year Award

Corbin Carroll

James Outman

Kodai Senga

National League Cy Young Award

Zac Gallen

Blake Snell

Logan Webb

National League Manager of the Year Award

Craig Counsell

Skip Schumaker

Brian Snitker