Welcome to Glass Slipper! Can’t wait to watch Seth Davis fill out his bracket in nine seconds tonight; please enjoy the show.

- Jacob Rhee

**NOTICE: Glass Slipper will arrive on Sunday and Thursday this week.

AL MVP

1. Gunnar Henderson (Orioles)

2. Rafael Devers (Red Sox)

3. Mike Trout (Angels)

4. Aaron Judge (Yankees)

5. Jose Ramirez (Guardians)

I know Gunnar is younger than me, but he’s going to win this thing at some point. Why not now? He barely beats out Devers, who I believe will head into the All-Star break on Triple Crown watch. Meanwhile, the late-career resurgence begins for Mike Trout. This dude was rightfully entering GOAT conversations after his first decade; all I want is for him to stay healthy, and I think those poor Halos supporters agree.

Judge slides back because of New York’s lineup issues. One of the best young hitters ever was in front of him last season, and now it’s… Austin Wells? Our friend Aaron will be up with the bases empty quite often. The incredible Jose Ramirez logs his eighth top-10 finish in the last nine years.

NL MVP

1. Mookie Betts (Dodgers)

2. Shohei Ohtani (Dodgers)

3. Juan Soto (Mets)

4. Elly De La Cruz (Reds)

5. Ketel Marte (Diamondbacks)

It’s been universally decided that LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant are the three pillars of this generation in the NBA. Ohtani, Trout, and Betts is the MLB version of that. I think Mookie - who is about to morph into an elite defensive shortstop - grabs bragging rights over his teammate, and becomes the first player ever to claim an MVP and a World Series in both leagues.

Soto is his usual dominant self, and my sweet prince Elly De La Cruz slots in right behind him. The kid finished with 5.2 WAR in 2024, while being relatively clueless at the plate; there’s a lot of fun in Cincinnati’s future. Marte - still criminally underrated - turns in yet another fantastic campaign.

AL Cy Young

1. Jacob deGrom (Rangers)

2. Shane McClanahan (Rays)

3. Garrett Crochet (Red Sox)

4. Tarik Skubal (Tigers)

5. Cade Smith (Guardians)

I’ve personally never witnessed a pitcher better than a healthy Jacob deGrom. Please stay on the field, sir. The baseball world needs you.

A trio of southpaws will chase him; McClanahan makes a triumphant return from Tommy John, Red Sox fans instantly fall in love with their new ace, and the best starter in the sport keeps on delivering in Detroit.

If the Guardians take a lead into the seventh inning, the contest is basically over. Emmanuel Clase gets a lot of the credit, but it’ll be his set-up man that steals the show this time.

NL Cy Young

1. Paul Skenes (Pirates)

2. Hunter Greene (Reds)

3. Roki Sasaki (Dodgers)

4. Edwin Diaz (Mets)

5. Zac Gallen (Diamondbacks)

We have three of the most hyped pitchers of the last decade leading the way. This feels like a Skenes-versus-the-field situation, though. I’m so happy that Greene has found his groove, and I think Sasaki will quickly emerge as the Dodgers’ No. 1 guy.

Everybody should be pulling for Edwin Diaz to regain his old form, just to see that rejuvenated Citi Field crowd lose its mind during his iconic entrance. Gallen has somehow only made one All-Star appearance; that’s about the change.

AL Rookie of the Year

1. Jasson Dominguez (Yankees)

2. Kristian Campbell (Red Sox)

3. Christian Moore (Angels)

Dominguez will jog out as New York’s Opening Day left fielder, and the only person coming for his spot is Trent Grisham. In other words, the kid is going to play the whole season. Kristian Campbell is the most gifted of Boston’s awesome Big Three of prospects, and Moore was the best dude on the 2024 Tennessee squad that won the national title.

NL Rookie of the Year

1. Roki Sasaki (Dodgers)

2. Dylan Crews (Nationals)

3. Hyeseong Kim (Dodgers)

Roki might be unanimous here, quite frankly.

Crews is a future star in his own right, with legitimate five-tool potential. That first matchup against his LSU buddy Skenes should be pretty entertaining.

The Dodgers signed Kim to take over Chris Taylor’s role as their utility man; I could absolutely see him becoming a fan favorite with his glove and baserunning alone.

World Series

The pick: Dodgers OVER Red Sox in 5.

World Series MVP: Shohei Ohtani

I just don’t see any other possible outcome. Los Angeles is too gifted, too deep, and too tight-knit to be toppled. Ohtani eviscerates Boston from both the mound and the plate, and the dynastic Dodgers win their third ring in six years.

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