Predicting each MLB award heading into 2016

The 2016 Major League Baseball season is on the verge of starting. With it comes a sense of hope for the sport's 30 teams.

This new season will also give us some young stars ready to make their names known around the baseball world. Who will be the top rookie in each league? Can mainstays of the MVP conversation keep their names atop that list? And will there be new pitchers prepared to compete for the Cy Young award?

Here are our predictions for each major award around the baseball world heading into the 2016 regular season.

American League Rookie of the Year: Joey Gallo, Texas Rangers

The power is definitely here from this 22-year-old top prospect. He hit six homers in 108 at-bats for the Rangers last season. The issue here was that Gallo, a first-round pick of Texas back in 2012, struck out over half the time he stepped to the plate during that small cup of tea in the Majors.

This hasn't been anywhere near the same during spring training. While we don't want to look at stats too often during baseball's exhibition slate, it's important to note that Gallo has been much more disciplined at the plate.

If that's the case during the regular season, there's very little reason to believe Gallo won't be able to put up some huge numbers in his first full year with the Rangers.

After all, we are talking about a power hitter who has nailed 127 homers in 383 career minor league games. Those numbers won't necessarily translate to the Majors, but continued bat discipline will make him a huge threat this season.

National League Rookie of the Year: Corey Seager, Los Angeles Dodgers

Seager downright raked it as a September call-up for the Dodgers last season, posting a .337 batting average with a .425 on-base percentage. He also posted a strikeout rate of just 19.4 percent. Compare that to the team's most productive hitter Adrian Gonzalez (18.7 percent), and it tells us a story of a young man ready to make a huge impact at the plate moving forward.

Likely set to hit second for Dave Roberts' squad, there has to be an expectation here that Seager is going to be an important cog in the team's lineup in 2016. A sprained knee he's dealing with during the spring may limit what this 21-year-old former first-round pick does early, but it's not going to hold him back too much.

With a career .307 batting average in the minors and based on what we saw last September, I would be surprised if Seager isn't a constant in the Rookie of the Year conversation throughout the season. He's a natural at the plate, does a tremendous job playing the gaps and possesses 20-plus homer pop.

American League Manager of the Year: Bob Melvin, Oakland Athletics

This could be as much to do with what Billy Beane did to improve the A's during the offseason, but look for this team to surprise the masses in 2016. It has strengthened the back end of a bullpen that was historically bad last season.

It also heads into the regular season with extra oomph at the plate after the acquisition of Khris Davis from the Milwaukee Brewers just prior to spring training. With Davis joining the likes of Josh Reddick, Stephen Vogt, Danny Valencia and Billy Butler in the lineup, there are five players with 20-plus homer potential here.

With all that said, Oakland's strength has to be its rotation. Sonny Gray is a legitimate Cy Young candidate heading into the season. Meanwhile, the likes of Jesse Hahn, Henderson Alvarez and Rich Hill pack a solid punch filling out the rotation.

When looking at the A's potential to surprise in what promises to be an ultra-competitive American League West, one must not forget about two-time Manager of the Year Bob Melvin, who led the team to the playoffs in each of his first three seasons as its manager before injuries and a fire sale caught up to the A's last year.

All said, Melvin has put up 90-plus wins in four of his nine fulls seasons as a manager in the Majors. If someone is going to get the most of this surprisingly talented squad, it is going to be him.

National League Manager of the Year: Mike Matheny, St. Louis Cardinals

With 88-plus wins in each of his first four seasons as the St. Louis manager, Matheny has proved himself to already be one of the best managers in the game of baseball. Some will point to the Cardinals' talent level and the run of success he inherited from Tony La Russa as two of the primary reasons for how well the team has done under him. That's fine and dandy.

However, Matheny's ability to get the most out of young players has been the key here. From Randal Grichuk and Stephen Piscotty last season to Lance Lynn and Kolten Wong before, this has been a continuing theme for the Cards under Matheny.

It's not going to be easy this year. The Chicago Cubs are the odds-on favorites in the National League. Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Pirates have been a pesky bunch over the past several seasons.

Now take into account injury concerns regarding Yadier Molina, Carlos Martinez and Jhonny Peralta, and the Cardinals may face an uphill battle this season.

However, if the team is able to continue its recent string of success, Matheny will be an obvious choice for Manager of the Year. He has a strong foundation atop the rotation with Adam Wainwright and Michael Wacha. Add in a still darn good lineup, and the Cardinals could very well challenge Chicago for the top spot in the Central.

American League Cy Young: Chris Archer, Tampa Bay Rays

Just look at the upward trajectory here for a second. Archer went from striking out 173 batters during a solid 2014 campaign to fanning a ridiculous 252 hitters last year. His strikeouts per nine innings total increased from 8.0 to 10.7. Equally as important, his WHIP decreased to an astounding 1.14 this past season.

Everything is pointing to Archer putting up an even better season in 2016. He's performed well in limited action this spring, still shows plus-level stuff from the mound and boasts a strikeout pitch that rivals any other pitcher in the American League.

The only real issue here is whether the Rays can score enough for Archer to better his 12-13 mark from a season ago. In short, Tampa Bay must step up at the plate with Archer pitching in order for the dominating 27-year-old to earn the necessary wins to compete for this award.

National League Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers

As long as Kershaw is in his prime, the Los Angeles pitcher is going to be near the top of the baseball world. He's posted a sub-2.20 ERA in four of the past five seasons, winning the ERA title in the National League four times during that span.

This past season alone, Kershaw led the league in innings pitched (232.2) and strikeouts (301). He also posted a 0.88 WHIP with 11.6 strikeouts per nine innings.

The amazing thing here is that this statistical line represented the worst season from Kershaw since 2012. Just think about that for a second when considering any other pitcher for this top honor.

American League Most Valuable Player: Carlos Correa, Houston Astros

Mike Trout is the sexy pick this season. And in reality, there's no reason to believe the five-tool Los Angeles Angels outfielder won't be right there in the mix. He's a generational talent and one of the best players of our time.

Instead of going with conventional wisdom, how about we pick this under-the-radar MVP candidate? Making his Major League debut last season, the then 20-year-old Correa jumped on to the scene big time. He blasted 22 homers, drove in 68 runs, stole 14 bases and totaled 45 extra-base hits in just 99 games.

Those are some eye-opening numbers right there. More than just basic stats, Correa's impact on the Astros was felt immediately as he took to the Majors. After losing in his first three starts, Houston won seven of the next eight games with Correa at short. He then followed that up by hitting .292 with two homers and four RBIs in seven postseason games.

Proving that no stage is too big, this star infielder is primed for a huge 2016 campaign. And it could potentially come in the form of a surprise MVP performance.

National League Most Valuable Player: Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks

It is the opinion of this one scribe that in order to even be considered for the MVP, a player must exist on a winning team.

Even after leading the National League in homers, RBIs, slugging percentage, OPS and total bases in 2013, Goldschmidt finished just second in the MVP ballot. The primary reason for this was Arizona's .500 record.

With an improved all-around team after the additions of ace pitchers Zack Greinke and Shelby Miller, the Diamondbacks are primed to earn a postseason spot this year. If so, Goldy would definitely be under consideration for the MVP award.

Here's a player who's posted a .309 average while twice tallying 30-plus homers and 110-plus RBIs over the past three seasons. He's an elite-level fielding first baseman, as evidenced by the two Gold Gloves he's won over the past three years. He can also get on base with the best of them, posting a .435 on-base percentage last season.

If Arizona somehow finds a way to a division title or wild card appearance in 2016, there's little doubt Goldschmidt will be one of the primary reasons why. If so, he automatically becomes the MVP favorite.