The results of the awards for the 2015 MLB season were revealed this past Thursday, November 19^th on the MLB Network. As expected, Bryce Harper earned the honors of MVP for the National League, while Josh Donaldson received this honor for the American League division. Harper won his award by a unanimous decision, and became the youngest player ever to do so in the process, Donaldson took a different approach as he has worked long and hard in the league to get to the level of play he is at now.

The Cubs achieved something very different in the awards ceremony; in fact, something that has not taken place since 1991. This of course is the result of having 3 BBWAA (Baseball Writer’s Association of America) award winners in the same season. The Cubs star pitcher Jake Arrieta – who had an incredible season, in which he had a stint of 34 straight scoreless innings at one point. He also may have had arguably the best second half of baseball for a pitcher in history; he had 12 wins and just one loss in 15 games, he also posted a 0.75 ERA and a 0.73 WHIP in that time frame. Arrieta became the 5^th Chicago Cub to win this award and joined other Cub greats including Greg Maddux who received the award in his 1992 season.

The Cubs second BBWAA award winner was all-star rookie, Kris Bryant, who claimed this year’s National League Rookie of the Year crown. On a stellar team full of young bats and arms, Bryant was still able to find a way to stand out across not only this year’s Cubs playoff team but, also across the entire National League. Bryant was a unanimous winner as well in which he received all 30 of the votes. After being called up very early into the 2015 campaign, Bryant made an immediate impact on the team. In 151 games, Bryant finished with a .275 batting average to go along with 26 homers, 99 RBIs and 13 stolen bases. He led all National League rookies in doubles, homers, RBIs, on base percentage, and runs scored. He was simply dominant in his Rookie year and has no implications of slowing down heading into his second season.

Finally, completing the trifecta of BBWAA awards was Cubbies manager Joe Maddon winning NL Manager of the Year. In his first season with the club Maddon was able to win 97 games, which was 24 more wins than the previous season; a major turn around for this Cubs team that hadn’t made the playoffs in 7 seasons. Maddon achieved something that had never been done in Cubs history this year as well; clinch a playoff game at Wrigley Field, which they achieved against the St. Louis Cardinals in the Division League round. Shocking to believe that this had never happened for the Cubs since Wrigley opened its doors in 1914, nonetheless quite the accomplishment for the club and Maddon this season.

The young Cubs team looks to bounce back in the 2016 season, after an early exit in the National League Championship series to the New York Mets, as they fell just short of achieving the ultimate goal: winning the World Series. With Arrieta becoming a free agent, and following his Cy Young award winning season, it is safe to say he will be asking for a pretty penny from the Chicago Cubs, regardless the Cubs will look for better results this season on the back of Kris Bryant and Joe Maddon controlling the reigns for the ball club.