MLB All-Star break: Midseason awards feature Ohtani and Acuna

Is it me, or did the All-Star break get here quicker this year?

Technically, that’s true. The Midsummer Classic is taking place a full week earlier than a year ago, returning to Seattle for the first time since Safeco (now T-Mobile) Field opened in 2001.

But I’m referring more to the speedy nature of the games themselves, thanks to the introduction of the pitch clock, which has reduced the average time of a nine-inning game to 2 hours, 38 minutes, down from 3:03 last season. Frankly, the new rule has been the biggest All-Star of the first half, launching to rave reviews among players, managers and fans.

That’s not the only new rule, however, that will have Rob Manfred smiling in Seattle. The clock restrictions on pitchers, along with the slightly bigger bases, have boosted the running game, with teams averaging 0.72 stolen bases a game, a sizable jump from 0.51 in 2022.

Throw in the shift ban, and the commissioner is getting the offensive spark he so desperately craves, with the first half’s .249 batting average reversing the three-year downward trend that bottomed out at .243 a year ago. The .731 OPS is the highest since it was .740 at the end of the pandemic-shortened (60-game) season. But the one nagging problem that still sticks to Manfred like a wad of Bazooka on his loafers is strikeouts — they’re up to 8.59 per team per game, as compared to 8.40 in 2022.

But enough about the rules. There were plenty of interesting story lines brewing in the first half, and at the top of that list is Shohei Ohtani, who has a chance to set the AL home run record only a year after Aaron Judge’s historic march to 62 took down Roger Maris. The $377 million Mets made a furious push during the final week to distance themselves from the hugely disappointing Padres and Cardinals. But on the flip side, the resurgent Reds — powered by the electric Elly De La Cruz — along with the unanticipated rise of the Rangers and Diamondbacks are threatening to renovate the October landscape this year.

With all that as the backdrop, here’s a look at my midseason award-winners (statistics through Friday). And in the interest of full transparency, I’ve included my preseason picks from April.

AMERICAN LEAGUE  

MVP: SHOHEI OHTANI,  ANGELS

There will be no rematch, no sequel to last year’s MVP debate between the sport’s only two-way star and arguably its most dangerous offensive force. Judge already has missed five weeks (and will be out longer) with a torn ligament in his right big toe. Based on the Yankees’ pitiful performance without Judge, you could say it only enhances his title of 2022 MVP, but Ohtani is running away with what should be his second MVP in three years. Hitting 31 homers with a 1.031 OPS and going 7-4 with a 3.32 ERA every fifth day? Just insane, truly.

Preseason pick: Ohtani

CY YOUNG: FRAMBER VALDEZ, ASTROS

With this award looking like a toss-up between a half-dozen candidates (it’s still only mid-July after all), my inclination typically would be to lean toward those doing combat in the AL East cauldron, namely the Blue Jays’ Kevin Gausman, the Yankees’ Gerrit Cole or the Rays’ Shane McClanahan. Heck, Ohtani is pitching himself into consideration. But at this stage, Valdez gets the slight edge based on his strength in the blue-chip categories of ERA (2.49, first), innings per start (6.56, first) and WHIP (1.05, fifth) in a much-improved AL West this season.

Preseason pick: Jacob deGrom, Rangers

MANAGER OF THE YEAR: BRUCE BOCHY, RANGERS

Raise your hand if you had the Rangers sitting atop the AL West at the break with a two-game lead over the defending World Series champs and baseball’s best run differential (plus-153). And for the few who did, surely it was before deGrom was lost for the season because of Tommy John surgery. The Rangers retooled the rotation in the offseason, but Bochy figured to be one of the biggest free-agent signings, and the experienced hand who guided the Giants to three titles is working his magic again in Texas.

Preseason pick: Bochy

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: JOSH JUNG, RANGERS

Another close race, but Jung — also known as the AL’s starting third baseman in Tuesday’s All-Star Game — gets the nod here for leading the AL rookie class in homers (17), runs scored (60) and RBIs (51). His 85 games are second only to Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (88), who could climb into consideration for this award by season’s end. But for now, he’s behind the Orioles’ Gunnar Henderson, the Rays’ Luke Raley and the Red Sox’s Masataka Yoshida.

Preseason pick: Gunnar Henderson, Orioles

NATIONAL LEAGUE

MVP: RONALD ACUNA JR., ATLANTA

Just call Acuna the remarkable engine of Atlanta’s stunning dash to baseball’s best record at the break. It’s not possible without the rightfielder, who already has made this award practically a no-brainer. He leads the NL with 41 stolen bases, a .587 slugging percentage and a .997 OPS and is No. 1 in the majors with 78 runs scored. Also, his 21 homers are tied for seventh in the NL. For more scientific evidence, FanGraphs has Acuna with a 4.8 WAR, the highest batting score in baseball — even well ahead of Ohtani (4.0). That’s a staggering gap, too.

Preseason pick: Manny Machado, Padres

CY YOUNG: CLAYTON KERSHAW, DODGERS

Kershaw gets the call here not only for a stellar first half but the fact that he might not be able to finish the job by season’s end because of a shoulder injury that landed him on the injured list last week. Like the AL Cy Young Award, this is an extremely close race, and the 35-year-old Kershaw is second in the NL with a 1.05 WHIP and 2.55 ERA. He’s a little light on innings and isn’t likely to pick up the pace in the second half, which probably is going to clear the way for a group consisting of Zac Gallen, former Patchogue-Medford star Marcus Stroman, Zack Wheeler, Justin Steele and Bryce Elder.

Preseason pick: Justin Verlander, Mets

MANAGER OF THE YEAR: SKIP  SCHUMAKER,  MARLINS

The Marlins are one of the first half’s biggest surprises, currently in firm grasp of the NL’s top wild card, and Schumaker has them there in his first year as a major-league manager. Whatever Schumaker learned about the Cardinal Way during his time in St. Louis, he apparently is doing it better now in Miami, which was 12 games over .500 despite a minus-11 run differential. The Reds are the only other team currently holding a playoff spot in the negative (minus-11).

Preseason pick: Rob Thomson, Phillies

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: CORBIN CARROLL,  DIAMONDBACKS

You could say Carroll is playing as advertised this season, but no rookie is expected to be quite this good. The 22-year-old outfielder led all rookies with 18 homers, 61 runs scored and 24 stolen bases through 83 games before suffering a shoulder injury this past week. He also was second with a .924 OPS. Carroll has plenty of very talented company in this crowd, with Elly De La Cruz and maybe even Francisco Alvarez primed to make a second-half run at the award, especially if the D-backs phenom has trouble returning from his shoulder issue.

Preseason pick: Carroll

By David Lennon

dave.lennon@newsday.comDPLennon

David Lennon is an award-winning columnist, a voter for baseball's Hall of Fame and has covered six no-hitters, including two perfect games.