Several Texas & Louisiana Natives Finalists For MLB Awards

The Major League Baseball season is officially over and we've moved into the new league year. Free agency is heating up. And so is Award Season. And, this year, the MLB Awards have a lot of Southern Flair.

Texas native Colton Cowser is nominated for Rookie of the Year in the American League. Another Texas native, Bobby Witt Jr., is a finalist for the Most Valuable Player Award.

However, for us in Louisiana, there's a couple of names we're VERY familiar with up for some major awards - Bossier City Native Seth Lugo & former LSU Superstar Paul Skenes.

Bossier City, Louisiana Native Seth Lugo Finalist for AL Cy Young

I've said this since Seth signed a multi-year deal with the Kansas City Royals last off-season - This may be the most underrated free agent signing of the year. And not to gloat, but boy am I happy I was right. Seth, in his second year as a full-time starter, looked absolutely fantastic.

This season he made his first All-Star team. He ended up with a very respectable 16-9 record and 3.00 ERA. He led the league in starts with 33. In a very solid rotation, he was arguably the most important member of the Kansas City Royals. And outside of a couple rough starts coming down the home stretch, he was dominant all season long.

All of this is fantastic and worth celebrating. However, not to rain on Seth's parade, there's absolutely zero chance he wins. Look, I hate saying that. But, the other two guys he's facing off against were just better. Tarik Skubal was the single most dominant starter in the American League. Emmanuel Clase was absolutely lights out for the Cleveland Guardians as a closer. That's not to take anything away from Seth Lugo, being a finalist is still a big darn deal. I just don't want anyone to get disappointed when he doesn't bring home the hardware.

Former LSU Tiger Paul Skenes Finalist for Multiple NL Awards

On the flipside, in the National League, there was one man who was the talk of Major League Baseball all season long: Former Louisiana State University standout Paul Skenes. And rightfully so. He's the most hyped and anticipated pitching prospect since Stephen Strasburg. And he lived up to the hype.

In 23 starts, he went 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA and 170 strikeouts. Which is pretty darn impressive. He made the All-Star team in his rookie year. Basically the kid was lights out for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Which is why he's a finalist for the National League Rookie of the Year and the National League Cy Young.

And, unlike Seth, Paul has a real shot at winning at least one of these awards. Jackson Chourio and Jackson Merrill both had fantastic rookie years. But, neither had the hype or media attention that Skenes did. So, there's a good chance that voters will give him the edge over the others.

As far as the Cy Young goes, I don't think Paul wins this one. Chris Sale was absolutely dominant for the Atlanta Braves and I think he has the edge. But, again, the people that vote on these awards tend to favor those who deliver on pre-season hype. And Skenes definitely did that. I think this race may be closer than some experts anticipate, but still believe Sale wins.

When Will We Find Out if Any Of Our Texas or Louisiana Stars Win MLB Awards?

NOVEMBER 14

• All-MLB Teams
• Hank Aaron Awards
• Reliever of Year Awards
• Designated Hitter Awards
• Comeback Player of the Year Awards

November 18 - BBWAA Rookie of the Year Awards

November 19 - BBWAA Manger of the Year Awards

November 20 - BBWAA Cy Young Awards

November 21 - BBWAA MVP Awards