Predicting the AL & NL Relief Pitcher Award Winners

The Mariano Rivera Award for the American League and the Trevor Hoffman Award for the National League go out to the best relief pitchers from each league every single season. Last year it was one of the Yankees winning the award in Andrew Miller, could it be either Miller, Dellin Betances or Aroldis Chapman again this season or will we see a new American League arm grab the award? And with Craig Kimbrel out of the National League who will step up and grab the horse by the reigns for the National League Award? I have no concrete idea but I do have a prediction anyway. 

Andrew Miller is the reigning Mariano Rivera Award winner but I can’t see him winning the award once again in 2016. Aroldis Chapman will get the bulk of the saves opportunities in the Bronx once he returns from suspension keeping Miller more in the 7^th and 8^th innings then in the 9^th in New York. It may finally be Wade Davis’s time to shine. The Royals will likely have one of the best teams in the American League this year and Davis may get the most opportunities for saves than any other. Kelvin Herrera will likely pitch the 8^th and is little-to-no competition for Davis and I believe the award is his for the taking barring any sort of injury.

In the National League I’m going to go with another former New York Yankee that never should have been traded away, Mark Melancon of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Melancon will have one of the best outfield defense’s behind him, a great catcher in Francisco Cervelli and an offense that should net him a ton of leads and save opportunities. All he has to do is keep the ball down, cut down on the walks and steal those saves from the other team. Simple as that.