2017 MLB award favorites heading into the season

Trout has won the AL MVP in two of the last three seasons and finished top two in voting in each of the past five years. He's the overwhelming favorite to win the award again, averaging .310-33-96 with a .975 OPS over that time.

Bryant won NL Rookie of the Year in 2015 and followed up that performance by winning NL MVP last season. The Chicago lineup will remain strong and could be even better this season with Kyle Schwarber, a full year of Willson Contreras and the hope that Jason Heyward will rebound. That could mean even better counting stats than Bryant's 39 home runs and 102 RBI from last season.

Betts finished second in AL MVP voting last season and led the league in total bases. His athleticism jumps off the page, coming four stolen bases short of a 30/30 season and winning a Gold Glove for Boston.

Seager was everything Dodgers fans could have hoped for in his rookie season, winning Rookie of the Year and finishing third in the NL MVP voting. He hit .308-26-72 in his age 22 season, so it's scary thinking what his ceiling could be.

Lindor became a household name after his strong showing in the playoffs and finished ninth in AL MVP voting while winning a Gold Glove. He's the prototypical team leader at shortstop.

The Rockies have hopes of taking a playoff spot this season, and Arenado is a big reason why. He's now led the NL in home runs and RBI in consecutive seasons and produced a career-high .362 on-base percentage last season while winning his fourth straight Gold Glove. There's nothing he can't do.

Altuve has become a formidable power threat despite his lack of height, hitting 24 home runs last season. He's now led the AL in hits for three straight seasons, winning the batting title in two of those years. Altuve finished third in the AL MVP voting last season.

While Kershaw threw only 149 innings last season due to a back injury, he was incredible when healthy. The 2014 NL MVP had a 1.69 ERA and only 11 walks while fanning 172 batters. Better health could easily net him another MVP award.

Machado has become a star over the last two years, hitting 35-plus home runs in each of those seasons. He finished fifth in AL MVP voting last season after finishing fourth the previous year.

Harper was a major disappointment last season after winning the NL MVP in 2015, and a shoulder injury was likely much of the problem. He had trouble extending in his swing for much of the second half, but an offseason of rest should do him some good.

The pressure is on Sale after Boston gave up a mammoth prospect package for him in the offseason. The former White Sox ace has never won the Cy Young, but he's finished top six in voting in each of the last five seasons.

Kershaw is the obvious choice for NL Cy Young if he's able to stay healthy. He's won the award three times over the last six years and finished fifth in voting last season despite making only 21 starts.

Remarkably, Verlander has won only one Cy Young Award in what has been an awesome career, and some (like girlfriend Kate Upton) would argue that he should have won over Rick Porcello last season. The Detroit ace got back on track, leading the AL in strikeouts for the fourth time in his career.

Bumgarner has won three World Series, but he's yet to put a Cy Young on his mantle. He finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting last season after throwing a career-high 226.2 innings and 251 strikeouts.

Sanchez had a breakout year in 2016 with an AL-best 3.00 ERA and 15-2 record in 30 starts. His power sinker should allow continued success, though Sanchez needs to get over the 200-inning plateau to help his Cy Young prospects.

A world-class defense has really helped Lester since arriving to the Cubs in 2015, and he finished second to Max Scherzer in the Cy Young voting last season with a 2.44 ERA. His durability has been one of his biggest assets, so Lester is a safe choice to be in the running again.

Kluber got back on track last year after winning the AL Cy Young in 2014, finishing third in the voting with a 3.14 ERA and 18 wins. He's fanned more than one batter per inning in three consecutive seasons.

Scherzer is the defending NL Cy Young winner, his second time winning a Cy Young. His quest could be tougher this season due to a stress fracture in his finger that has already put him behind his teammates in spring training.

Paxton showed increased velocity last season and should be considered a major sleeper for the AL Cy Young as a result. He has ace-like peripherals, with nearly one strikeout per inning and a sub-2.0 walks per nine innings rate.

Syndergaard claims he can throw even harder this year, which is a scary thought. The Mets' ace already hit triple digits on the radar gun and had a 2.60 ERA with well over one strikeout per inning last season.

Rarely have we seen a hitting prospect with as much polish upon arrival as Benintendi. The seventh overall pick in the 2015 draft, Benintendi hit .295 in 34 games with Boston last season after hitting .312 between High-A and Double-A. He will start in left field for the Red Sox.

Glasnow has the early lead for the fifth starter job after a great first outing this spring. The elite pitching prospect had more than one strikeout per inning during his MLB debut last season in 23.1 innings.

Moncada probably needs a trade to break camp with Chicago, but it won't be long. The top prospect was included in the Chris Sale deal and showed his incredible athleticism with 15 home runs and 45 steals between High-A and Double-A in 2016.

Gsellman's ceiling could be limited, but he's already shown to be effective in his first time around the league last season. He had a 2.42 ERA in 44.2 innings and could win the fifth starter job if Zack Wheeler continues to have arm setbacks.

Seattle likes Haniger as much for his defense as his offense, and he's the front-runner for a job this spring. He came over from Arizona this offseason after hitting five home runs in 34 games last year during his MLB debut.

The first overall pick in the 2015 draft, Swanson held his own in his MLB debut last season with a .302 batting average in 129 at-bats. His full talent might not show on the box score yet, but Swanson has a chance to be a star.

Cotton is a safe bet to win a rotation spot after posting a 2.15 ERA in five starts during his MLB debut last season. He has excellent command and a plus change-up, which has allowed him to regularly show high strikeout rates in the minors.

A very polished hitter, Bell hit .273-3-19 in 128 at-bats during his MLB debut last season, also walking 21 times. He hit a career-high 17 home runs between Triple-A and the majors last season, showing that his power is finally arriving.

De Leon has a great chance to win Tampa Bay's fifth starter spot after being traded in the offseason for Logan Forsythe. He's posted ace-like strikeout rates in the minors, with 12 strikeouts per nine innings over his career.

A former first-round pick, Renfroe's power showed up last season with 34 home runs between Triple-A and the majors. His declining walk rate is a concern, but the rebuilding Padres don't have much to lose by giving him a long look this season.