Could Nats have contenders for awards in 2025?

It’s awards season around baseball as the offseason continues. Major League Baseball handed out several individual awards and named the All-MLB teams on Thursday. And the Baseball Writers' Association of America announced the finalists for its major awards this past week, with the winners to be announced over the next four days.

Unsurprisingly, the Nationals were shut out from bringing home any hardware. And it’s been a while since any has come Washington's way. But looking ahead, could the Nats have any contenders in 2025?

Note: This is only taking players currently in the organization under consideration. Of course, there could be other candidates added to the mix this offseason.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
Last finalist: Juan Soto (2021)
Last winner: Bryce Harper (2015)

The biggest award of the year is probably the biggest stretch for any Nationals player. The Nats as a team would have to take a big leap forward with one of their budding stars leading the way, or have one of those stars have an unbelievable season on his own.

Orioles could be busy during awards season

After the final out is recorded in the World Series, and before the start of the Winter Meetings in Nashville, important business is conducted that can be downplayed or ignored in some circles.

The four Baseball Writers’ Association of America awards in November. A much bigger deal for the Orioles after they regained their contender status and inflated the level of talent on the roster.

I remember when I could skip the MLB Network programs, which run longer than the Oscars, because the Orioles didn’t have anyone in the discussion. My work was done. Let the other beat writers craft their stories while I tuned into "Jeopardy" or whatever was streaming on Netflix. Those poor fools.

Those days are over.

Gunnar Henderson has become the leading contender for Rookie of the Year in the American League. I won’t say he’s a runaway winner, but the kid sits in the driver’s seat - looking young enough to carry a learner’s permit.

Big win total not necessary for Cy Young winners

Big win total not necessary for Cy Young winners
One thing that was somewhat noticeable this week when the Cy Young Award winners were announced was that neither pitcher that won had a lot of pitching wins for 2021. Wins for pitchers don't seem to have nearly the value they once did. The American League winner was Toronto's Robbie Ray. He went 13-7 with a 2.84 ERA that ranked first in the league over 193 1/3 innings with a 1.04 WHIP and .210 batting average against. The National League winner was Milwaukee's Corbin Burnes, who was 11-5...

Scherzer finishes third to Burnes, Wheeler in close Cy Young race

Scherzer finishes third to Burnes, Wheeler in close Cy Young race
Max Scherzer came up short in his quest to win the fourth Cy Young Award of his career, finishing third in a close three-way race for the 2021 National League honor, which went to the Brewers' Corbin Burnes. Burnes, with 12 first-place votes and 151 total points, narrowly beat out the Phillies' Zack Wheeler (12 first-place votes, 141 total points) and Scherzer (six first-place votes, 113 total points) in a down-to-the-wire race between three NL right-handers who each had compelling cases to...

How would we view another Cy Young for Scherzer?

How would we view another Cy Young for Scherzer?
We're used to paying attention to Cy Young Award announcements around here, because the Nationals have seemed to always have at least one serious contender for the honor each year, most notably the man who won it twice while pitching for Washington. Tonight, Max Scherzer will find himself in a familiar position, watching along with the rest of us as the 2021 National League Cy Young Award winner is named around 6:45 p.m. He's seeking to become only the fifth pitcher in history to win the...

Scherzer finishes third, Strasburg fifth in NL Cy Young vote

Scherzer finishes third, Strasburg fifth in NL Cy Young vote
Jacob deGrom won his second straight National League Cy Young Award this evening, the Mets ace honored again for a season that while short on wins was dominant in every other capacity. In receiving 29 of 30 first place votes and 202 total points, deGrom easily bested Dodgers left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu (one first-place vote, 88 points) and Nationals right-hander Max Scherzer (72 points). Scherzer's third place finish means he's been in the top five in Cy Young Award voting for the seventh...

Breaking down the players vying for postseason awards in the NL

Breaking down the players vying for postseason awards in the NL
A primer on the postseason awards that are voted on by the Baseball Writers' Association of America before the end of the season that will be announced this week: NL Manager of the Year: Yes, it was a bonehead admission by the voters not to have the Nationals' Davey Martinez among the final three, given that he led the team to a wild card postseason spot after starting 19-31. This award has vague standards, but the Cardinals' Mike Shildt is on because his team was an overachiever. Craig...

Handicapping the AL candidates for postseason awards

Handicapping the AL candidates for postseason awards
The Baseball Writers' Association of America this week announces its four major postseason awards. Votes have to in before the end of the regular season. Here's an American League primer: AL Rookie of the Year: Orioles lefty John Means wasn't one of the team's top pitching prospects in spring training and started the season in the bullpen. He made the AL All-Star team and was the Orioles' best pitcher, getting 12 of the team's 54 wins. He had 121 strikeouts in 155 innings. He made...

Rendon and Scherzer are finalists for postseason accolades

Rendon and Scherzer are finalists for postseason accolades
Right-hander Max Scherzer is a finalist for the National League Cy Young Award and third baseman Anthony Rendon is one of three finalists for NL Most Valuable Player, but the Nationals got as many snubs as finalists when the top three finishers for Baseball Writers' Association of America awards were announced live on MLB Network tonight. Manager Davey Martinez wasn't listed among the top three vote-getters for NL Manager of the Year and right-hander Stephen Strasburg was not among from the...

Scherzer finishes second to deGrom for Cy Young Award

Scherzer finishes second to deGrom for Cy Young Award
Max Scherzer's league-leading stats in most pitching categories weren't enough to retain the Cy Young Award against the guy who led the majors in the most important category: ERA. Jacob deGrom was revealed tonight as the National League's top pitcher in 2018 in a lopsided vote over Scherzer, who was trying to join elite company with his fourth career and third consecutive Cy Young Award. The Mets ace received 29 of 30 first-place votes and 207 total points to Scherzer's one first-place vote...

Previewing tonight's Cy Young Award announcement

Previewing tonight's Cy Young Award announcement
Max Scherzer tonight could become only the fifth pitcher in history to win his fourth Cy Young Award, only the third in history to win three in a row. But don't get your hopes up too much, because the odds are heavily stacked against the Nationals right-hander. Even though Scherzer arguably was better in 2018 than he was when he won the National League Cy Young Award in 2016 and 2017, Jacob deGrom was even better this season and is decidedly favored to be revealed as the winner during...

Looking at the AL Cy Young race and a new GM report

Looking at the AL Cy Young race and a new GM report
I was not among the writers assigned to vote for the American League Cy Young Award this year, but that doesn't keep me from having an opinion on who should win. First, a quick look at the three finalists. In alphabetical order they are Corey Kluber of Cleveland, Blake Snell of Tampa Bay and Justin Verlander of Houston. Kluber won the AL Cy Young in both 2014 and 2017 and was third in 2016. Verlander won in 2011, finished second in 2012 and 2016 and has been in the top five six times. Kluber...

Soto, Scherzer are finalists for Rookie of Year, Cy Young awards

Soto, Scherzer are finalists for Rookie of Year, Cy Young awards
We won't know for another week if either won, but now we do know both Max Scherzer and Juan Soto were among the top three vote-getters for the National League Cy Young and Rookie of the Year awards. Finalists for the four major Baseball Writers' Association of America awards (MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, Manager of the Year) were revealed this evening, setting the stage for the announcements of all the winners next week. Voting among active BBWAA members (two from each National League...

Busy day ahead as offseason gets going

Busy day ahead as offseason gets going
October was relatively quiet, at least for teams like the Nationals that didn't make the postseason and didn't make any managerial or coaching changes. The calendar shift to November, though, has already brought a few bits of news, and things will continue to ramp up this week. Today promises to be a newsy day in itself for the Nats, with at least three items on the agenda. First up, Trevor Rosenthal will be holding a conference call with reporters at 10 a.m. to discuss his signing with the...

Scherzer receives Cy Young, pair of Nats honored by Cavaliers

Scherzer receives Cy Young, pair of Nats honored by Cavaliers
It's been more than two months since he was named the National League's Cy Young Award winner, but on Sunday night, Max Scherzer officially was presented with the award itself. Scherzer was among several players honored at the annual New York Baseball Writers' Dinner, joined by fellow winners of the BBWAA's annual end-of-season awards along with the winners of awards given out specifically to New York players. It was Scherzer's second straight January trip to the Big Apple to receive a Cy...

Even with Cy Young showing, 2017 was a grind for Scherzer

Even with Cy Young showing, 2017 was a grind for Scherzer
It's easily forgotten now, because so much has transpired since, but Max Scherzer had a serious problem in spring training. He couldn't throw a fastball with his normal grip, the pressure of the side of the ball on the previously fractured knuckle on his right ring finger too painful. Things got so bad that Scherzer, who had to withdraw from the World Baseball Classic due to the injury, wound up changing his grip altogether. Instead of throwing fastballs with the traditional two fingers...

Max Scherzer wins third career Cy Young Award (updated)

Max Scherzer wins third career Cy Young Award (updated)
Max Scherzer just joined an awfully exclusive club featuring some of the greatest pitchers in baseball history: three-time Cy Young Award winner. And he's not exactly sure how to process it all just yet. "That's why I'm drinking a lot of champagne tonight," the right-hander said with a laugh, some 90 minutes after learning of his victory. "Look, anytime you win a Cy Young Award, it's a special feeling, a special moment. ... But this one is special." It's special in part because...

What a Cy Young Award would mean for Scherzer or Strasburg

What a Cy Young Award would mean for Scherzer or Strasburg
The results of this year's National League Cy Young Award vote, which will be announced at approximately 6:45 p.m. Eastern time, won't change Max Scherzer or Stephen Strasburg's career stats. No matter what happens tonight, Scherzer still owns a 141-75 record, 3.30 ERA and 2,149 strikeouts during an awfully impressive career. And regardless of tonight's winner, Strasburg remains 84-45 with a 3.07 ERA and 1,288 strikeouts during his notable career. And yet the result of this Cy Young vote...

Previewing BBWAA awards week

Previewing BBWAA awards week
It's awards week in baseball, with the big four - MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, Manager of the Year - set to be handed out over the next four nights by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Despite their success and deep roster of players who enjoyed impressive seasons, the Nationals have an opportunity to emerge with only one of these four awards. Both Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg are finalists for the National League Cy Young Award (along with Clayton Kershaw). Anthony...

Scherzer, Strasburg highlight finalists for NL Cy Young Award

Scherzer, Strasburg highlight finalists for NL Cy Young Award
The Nationals raced out to a big lead in the National League East and secured the division with outstanding starting pitching throughout the season. The leaders in the starting rotation for the Nats were Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg. The pair has been rewarded as finalists for the NL Cy Young Award, announced tonight by the Baseball Writers' Association of America on MLB Network. But Dusty Baker was left out of the top three for NL Manager of the Year. Scherzer won the Cy Young last...