#MLB first-half awards: Fernando Tatis Jr. winning heated NL MVP race

The National League MVP race is terrific. Oh yeah, the MVP race. Look, if MLB is going to have division champs and an actual champ in a shortened, bizarre season, then there will be awards as well.

And perhaps you noticed, we are at the regular season halfway mark. One-third of the teams reached 30 games Monday and 50 percent of the league was going to be there by the end of play Tuesday.

Normally, one month is an appetizer to a schedule; though through April last year the MVPs were probably Cody Bellinger and Mike Trout — who actually went on to win the MVPs in the 162-game season.

The NL this year features a three-player race between of course (Mookie Betts), already (Fernando Tatis Jr.) and are you kidding? (Mike Yastrzemski). Betts has been everything the Dodgers could have hoped when obtaining him from Boston and then extending him for $365 million. Betts defines a winning player because he is good at everything you can be good at on a baseball field — he might be the best baserunner in the sport, for example — but also is a committed, accountable teammate.

Betts was the Red Sox’s best outfielder since Carl Yastrzemski, whose grandson, Mike, marinated in the Oriole organization for six years, made his debut at nearly 29 for the Giants last year and was their Gio Urshela — a success story out of nowhere. Now, he is flat-out one of the best all-around players in the game.

But as terrific as Betts and Yastrzemski have been, Tatis Jr. is the first-half NL MVP. Six months ago I would have wagered that the baton pass from Trout as the best player in the game would go through Ronald Acuna Jr. or Juan Soto — and I would still buy stock in them, especially Soto. But I think Tatis Jr. might be the best player in the game right now. And the Padres shortstop is 21.

Trout in his first 114 career games: .317/.375/.541, 20 homers/35 steals. Tatis Jr. in his first 114 career games: .316/.396/.678, 34 homers/22 steals.

Here are my first-half award winners:

NL MVP — Fernando Tatis Jr.

2. Betts. 3. Yastrzemski. 4. Trevor Story, Rockies. 5. Bryce Harper, Phillies.

AL MVP — Brandon Lowe, Rays

He was an All-Star and third in the AL Rookie of the Year balloting last year. But who anticipated this? The superbly run Rays clearly saw something, giving Lowe a six-year contract before last season began. He is hitting, hitting for power and helping the ever-flexible Rays by playing multiple positions.

2. Jose Abreu, White Sox. 3. Anthony Rendon, Angels. 4. Nelson Cruz, Twins. 5. Kyle Lewis, Mariners.

Anti-NL MVP — Joey Votto, Eugenio Suarez, Reds

Cincinnati bulked up its starting pitching and its rotation has been among the majors’ best. But the offense has been abysmal, hitting a collective .205. The Reds’ corner infielders Votto and Suarez had combined to hit .176 through Monday.

2. Daniel Murphy, Rockies. 3. Andrew McCutchen, Phillies. 4. Kris Bryant, Cubs. 5. Amed Rosario, Mets.

Anti-AL MVP — Gleyber Torres, Yankees

There have been worse AL players this year — but none as disappointing. The expectation was a full blossoming to one of the majors’ best players this year. Instead, his regression on both sides of the ball was stark before he went on the IL (is he in the best shape possible?).

2. Jose Altuve, Astros. 3. Andrew Benintendi, Red Sox. 4. Justin Upton, Angels. 5. Miguel Cabrera, Tigers.

NL Cy Young — Trevor Bauer, Reds

He leads the NL in strikeout percentage and batting average against, and is second in ERA-plus. The iconoclastic righty has said in the past he wants to go one year at a time as a free agent. That will make his case this offseason even more fascinating.

2. Yu Darvish, Cubs. 3. Max Fried, Braves. 4. Jacob deGrom, Mets. 5. Sonny Gray, Reds.

AL Cy Young — Shane Bieber, Indians

His ERA trend line the past three years: 4.55, 3.28 (fourth for the Cy), 1.11 this year. He was striking out 43.3 percent of hitters this year. Gerrit Cole and Lucas Giolito were next in the AL at 31.7. He had six walks in six starts. The best starter in the majors this year. Period.

2. Kenta Maeda, Twins. 3. Lance Lynn, Rangers. 4. Dylan Bundy, Angels. 5. Cole, Yankees.

Anti-NL Cy Young — Steven Matz, Mets

The Mets have never needed him more (Zack Wheeler gone, Noah Syndegaard hurt, Marcus Stroman opted out) and received less from him (the worst ERA-plus in the majors through Monday, minimum 20 innings). The Mets are desperate for starters and don’t want to start him. Is he traded in the next week to a team that thinks it can fix a talented lefty? Is he non-tendered this offseason? Does he become a full-time reliever?

2. Madison Bumgarner, Diamondbacks. 3. Robbie Ray, Diamondbacks. 4. Wade Davis, Rockies. 5. Trevor Gott, Giants.

Anti-AL Cy Young — Shohei Ohtani, Angels

He made only two starts, but lasted just 1 2-3 innings and walked eight. This is a vote for disappointment that more and more it does not look as if he will stay healthy enough (this time it is a strained flexor pronator) to be a two-way player or even just the ace the Angels so badly need. Plus, he was hitting just .172.

2. Matt Boyd, Tigers. 3. Mike Minor, Rangers. 4. Julio Teheran, Angels. 5. Michael Fulmer, Tigers.

NL Rookie of the Year — Jake Cronenworth, Padres

He was the less heralded player coming with Tommy Pham from Tampa Bay to San Diego last winter for Hunter Renfroe. But Cronenworth was hitting .347 with a 1.036 OPS. A hat tip to the stacked Dodgers for now and later since rookie pitchers Tony Gonsolin, Brusdar Graterol and Dustin May have combined for a 2.15 ERA — heck, the Dodgers are so deep that Gonsolin was at their alternate site despite having thrown 14 2-3 shutout innings this year.

2. May. 3. Logan Webb, Giants. 4. David Peterson, Mets. 5. Gonsolin.

AL Rookie of the Year — Kyle Lewis, Mariners

A future outfield of Lewis, Jarred Kelenic and Julio Rodriguez feels like a place to start as Seattle tries to end (since 2001) the longest playoff drought in the four major team sports.

2. Luis Robert, White Sox. 3. Randy Dobnak, Twins. 4. James Karichnak, Indians. 5. Jesus Luzardo, A’s.