Key MLB Awards Dates to Watch for Atlanta Braves Players

Plenty of major awards are left to be handed out and the Atlanta Braves have some potential winners and finalists

The Atlanta Braves have or are expected to have key players up for awards this month / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The major awards season is around the corner for Major League Baseball. While the Players Choice Awards and accolades from publications have been dropped, we await the biggest hardware of them all. 

Some Atlanta Braves players should be in the running for some of these awards - or at least be finalists for them. Let’s look at some key dates that are relevant to Braves who are up for or are expected to be up for awards in November. 

Nov. 14 - Hank Aaron Award, All-MLB, Reliever of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year, Outstanding Designated Hitter 

This is a very jam-packed day. Buckle up.

The first major award that will be up for grabs by a Braves player is the Hank Aaron Award. Named after the Braves legend, the award aims to recognize some of the top offensive performers from the season. 

Designated hitter Marcell Ozuna is the Braves rep who is up for the award. 

The All-MLB First and Second Teams will be announced. Five Braves players have a shot to be on either team. 

First Base: Matt Olson

DH: Marcell Ozuna

Starting Pitchers: Chris Sale and Reynaldo López

Relief Pitcher: Raisel Iglesias 

Then, there is Comeback Player of the Year. Chris Sale has already won it during the Players Choice Awards and for Sporting News. That could be a sign he’ll take it home a third time when the writers at MLB.com decide their winner. 

A reliever in each league will be named the Reliever of the Year - named for Trevor Hoffman in the NL and Mariano Rivera in the AL - be on the lookout for Raisel Iglesias who was stellar for the Braves this season. He had a 1.95 ERA and had a run of 30 games without giving up a run. 

Lastly, there is the Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award. There is one winner. It will likely be Shohei Ohtani, but it can’t hurt to look out for Ozuna. 

Nov. 17 - Silver Slugger

Like with the Gold Glove Awards, the Silver Slugger Award will be handed out to a player at each position. 

The lone Braves finalist this season is once again Ozuna. Now, he’s up against Shohei Ohtani. It might be some of the stiffest competition for an award that anyone has. 

But since he is a finalist nonetheless, we’ll be on the lookout. 

Nov. 18 - Rookie of the Year

The National League Rookie of the Year finalists have yet to be announced, so we mention this date. Starting pitcher Spencer Scwellenbach had a phenomenal rookie season, but he has stiff competition.

San Diego Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill has felt like a favorite for a bit as does Pittsburgh Pirates starter Paul Skenes. Shota Imanaga looked good in his first MLB season over in Chicago with the Cubs. The odds are stacked against him, but maybe he’ll be a surprise finalist. 

Nov. 19 - Manager of the Year

Brian Snitker is not likely to be named the National League Manager of the Year. But we don’t even know the finalists yet, so until then, we mark the date. 

Nov. 20 - Cy Young Award 

Chris Sale is without a doubt the clear Cy Young frontrunner in the National League. He took home the first NL Triple Crown since 2011 - 18 wins, 2.35 ERA and 225 strikeouts. 

Triple Crown winners win the award more often than not. He won Outstanding Pitcher of the Year at the Players Choice Awards. His peers like him. Now, it’s up to the writers to agree. 

Nov. 21 - Most Valuable Player

Again, maybe Ozuna is a finalist for the award. It looked certain at one point he would at least be one. But after going on a bit of a production slump down the stretch, it’s to be determined. 

If he is, he’ll likely get the honor of finishing third behind Shohei Ohtani and New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor.