2019 rewind: Division champs, leaders, awards for truncated MLB seasons

50 games

Playoff participants:

• Division champs: Astros, Twins, Yankees, Dodgers, Cubs, and Phillies
• Wild cards: Rays, Red Sox, Braves, and Brewers

The World Series champion Nationals represent the most notable omission from the playoff field, as they were only 19-31 through 50 games before kicking into gear. Four of the six division winners are the same, but the Cubs and Phillies didn’t make the playoffs in real life. In total, 40 percent of the playoff teams would have been different. FanGraphs’ Jay Jaffe explored 50-game standings in further detail.

Statistical leaders: 

• Batting average: Jorge Polanco (Twins, .339) and Cody Bellinger (Dodgers,  .394)
• Home runs: George Springer (Astros, 17) and Christian Yelich (Brewers, 20)
• ERA: Justin Verlander (Astros, 2.24) and Hyun-Jin Ryu (Dodgers, 1.52)
• Strikeouts: Gerrit Cole (Astros, 100) and Max Scherzer (Nationals, 96)

The big story is Bellinger’s chase for .400. Tony Gwynn’s .394 in the strike-shortened 1994 season is the closest anyone has come since Ted Williams hit .406 in 1941. Bellinger would match Gwynn's mark at 50 games. He cooled down to .305 in real life but still won the MVP. Ryu’s 1.52 ERA is noteworthy as well. It would be the best by any hurler since Bob Gibson’s 1.12 in 1968. Springer’s home run lead wouldn’t last long. He was injured right around this point and missed the next month.

Award winners:

• MVP: Mike Trout (Angels) and Cody Bellinger (Dodgers)
• Cy Young:  Justin Verlander (Astros) and Mike Soroka (Braves)
• Rookie of the Year:  John Means (Orioles) and Mike Soroka (Braves)

No change with the MVPs; Trout was easily the most superior player in the AL at this point, while Bellinger’s incredible batting average maintains his hold on the award. Even though he was a few innings shy of qualifying for the ERA title, Soroka’s 1.01 ERA at this point was outstanding enough to earn two awards. Real-life AL Rookie of the Year Yordan Álvarez had not yet made his major league debut. The honor goes to Means, who compiled a 2.60 ERA through 65 ⅓ innings. Didn’t expect the Orioles to be represented in the awards, did you?

70 games

Playoff participants:

• Division champs: Astros, Twins, Yankees, Dodgers, Cubs, and Braves
• Wild cards: Rays, Red Sox, Brewers, and Phillies

This playoff picture is nearly identical to the 50-game version. The only difference is that the Braves now lead the NL East while the Phillies settle for a wild-card spot. It’s worth noting that the Yankees held just a one-game advantage over the Rays. This is the last point in time in which the AL East was remotely close.

Statistical leaders: 

• Batting average: Jorge Polanco (Twins, .332)  and Cody Bellinger (Dodgers, .360)
• Home runs: Edwin Encarnación (Mariners/Yankees) 21 and Christian Yelich (Brewers, 26)
• ERA: Lucas Giolito (White Sox, 2.22) and Hyun-Jin Ryu (Dodgers, 1.36)
• Strikeouts: Gerrit Cole (Astros, 140) and Max Scherzer (Nationals, 136)

Bellinger hit just .278 from games 51-70, dropping his average 34 points, but he still paced the NL. Encarnación was the AL home run leader when he was traded from the Mariners to the Yankees on June 15, but he hit just 13 more the rest of the way. Giolito’s 2.22 ERA barely edged the Twins' Jake Odorizzi (2.24), while Ryu managed to somehow get even better. Cole’s consistency with strikeouts is impressive. He was on pace for 324; he would finish with 326.

Award winners:

• MVP: Mike Trout (Angels) and Cody Bellinger (Dodgers)
• Cy Young: Justin Verlander (Astros) and Hyun-Jin Ryu (Dodgers)
• Rookie of the Year: John Means (Orioles) and Mike Soroka (Braves)

Bellinger and Yelich battled neck-and-neck for the MVP all year long until Yelich broke his kneecap in September. Verlander trailed Giolito and Odorizzi a little in ERA, as well as Cole in strikeouts, but he was among the leaders in just about every category while having thrown about 30% more innings than the ERA leaders. Soroka’s ERA jumped to 1.92, which would have cost him the Cy Young but not the Rookie of the Year.

82 games

Playoff participants:

• Division champs: Astros, Twins, Yankees, Dodgers, Cubs, and Braves
• Wild cards: Rays, Red Sox OR Indians, Brewers, and Phillies

A dozen games after our last check-in, we'd have a tie for the final AL wild-card spot. The Rays received one bid with a 46-36 record, but the Red Sox and Indians were tied at 44-38. Otherwise, there are no changes.

Statistical leaders: 

• Batting average: D. J. LeMahieu (Yankees, .345) and Cody Bellinger (Dodgers, .356)
• Home runs: Edwin Encarnación (Mariners/Yankees, 24) and Christian Yelich (Brewers, 29)
• ERA: Mike Minor (Rangers, 2.40) and Hyun-Jin Ryu (Dodgers, 1.27)
• Strikeouts: Gerrit Cole (Astros, 151) and Max Scherzer (Nationals,  156)

LeMahieu had overtaken the AL batting title for the time being. His newest teammate, Encarnación, had walked the parrot three more times since the trade. Minor is a new name in the AL ERA lead. Chris Sale of the Red Sox was right on Cole’s heels with 148 strikeouts.

Award winners: 

• MVP: Mike Trout (Angels) and Cody Bellinger (Dodgers)
• Cy Young: Justin Verlander (Astros) and Hyun-Jin Ryu (Dodgers)
• Rookie of the Year: John Means (Orioles) and Fernando Tatís, Jr. (Padres)

As was the case all year, you could flip a coin between Bellinger and Yelich for MVP. The former had the advantage in batting average (so far), while the latter hit more home runs. Bellinger’s defense was superior, but Yelich was 17-of-18 stealing bases. Verlander’s all-around dominance and high workload would keep him in the driver’s seat for the Cy Young. Have you noticed there’s been no mention of Jacob deGrom? He was among the top five pitchers in the NL at this point but had not yet separated himself from the field. Meanwhile, Tatís was lighting the world on fire. Despite the brilliance of Pete Alonso and Mike Soroka, he was clearly the best rookie in baseball at the halfway mark. He missed the whole month of May, which is why he couldn't be named Rookie of the Year at the 50- and 70-game points.

114 games

Playoff participants: 

• Division champs: Astros, Twins, Yankees, Dodgers, Cubs, and Braves
• Wild cards: Indians, Rays, Nationals, and Cardinals OR Phillies

The wild-card races had become red hot. In the AL, it appeared the Rays and Indians were running away with it, while the Red Sox skidded. The A’s would eventually supplant the Indians, but they had just begun to take on helium. The NL is a complete mess. The Nationals had finally ascended into the playoff picture and wouldn’t look back. The Cardinals and Phillies were tied at 59-55. Neither would end up in a wild-card spot; St. Louis won the division and the Phillies finished 81-81 and out of the playoffs. The Mets and Brewers were in the mix as well. The Cubs would relinquish the division, followed by the playoffs altogether, by going 22-26 from this point on.

Statistical leaders: 

• Batting average: D. J. LeMahieu (Yankees, .335) and Jeff McNeil (Mets, .337)
• Home runs: Mike Trout (Angels, 37) and Christian Yelich (Brewers, 39)
• ERA: Justin Verlander (Astros, 2.68) and Hyun-Jin Ryu (Dodgers, 1.53)
• Strikeouts: Gerrit Cole (Astros, 216) and Max Scherzer (Nationals, 189)

McNeil was holding off Yelich for the batting title by just a point. Yelich would eventually win it by less than a full point over Ketel Marte of the Diamondbacks. It’s depressing that three of the best players all season, Trout, Yelich, and Scherzer, would suffer injuries toward the end. 

Award winners: 

• MVP: Mike Trout (Angels) and Christian Yelich (Brewers)
• Cy Young: Justin Verlander (Astros) and Hyun-Jin Ryu (Dodgers)
• Rookie of the Year: Yordan Álvarez (Astros) and Fernando Tatís, Jr. (Padres)

Yelich nips Bellinger for the MVP because, well, why not? Ryu would fade down the stretch, and with Scherzer’s injuries, the door would crack open for deGrom to take the Cy Young for the second straight year. Álvarez had only played 42 games to this point, but he was slugging a Ruthian .701. Tatís would land on the IL once again in mid-August, and Alonso’s home run surge carried him through a strong NL rookie field.