New York Yankees fading star Alex Rodriguez might be in his final week as a major league ballplayer, but he won't be getting much of a chance to say goodbye on the field.

Unlike in the other major professional sports, there is no instant return for MLB clubs with their draft picks. Teams have to wait for their amateur selections to work their way through the minor league ranks before showing what they can do against big league competition.

Roughly three-quarters of the way through the 2016 Major League Baseball season, plenty of things are coming into focus. That includes awards season, so let's take a fresh look at who's in line for hardware.

Ahead lie our latest predictions for the five major awards in the American League and National League: Comeback Player of the Year, Manager of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Cy Young and Most Valuable Player.

There weren’t many who thought Dylan Bundy could substantially contribute to the Baltimore Orioles this season. And that list of people included the organization and Bundy himself.

It can be dangerous to buy into the hype whenever a top baseball prospect begins his major league journey. There's a long list of examples to vouch for how potential doesn't always pan out.

And then there are guys like Corey Seager.

The San Francisco Giants outlasted the Miami Marlins in a 14-inning marathon Monday, 8-7, and shortstop Brandon Crawford made headlines in the win.

Now that we've had some time to digest what went down at the MLB trade deadline and have seen how teams are faring with their new roster additions, it's time for another look at how all 30 teams stack up.

The Texas Rangers briefly climbed into the No. 1 spot in these rankings thanks to their flurry of deadline activity, but their stay at the top was short-lived. We have a new top team once again this week.

So this is why everyone preaches patience when drafting closers.

"Don't draft a relief pitcher early" has become fantasy baseball's slightly less stern version of "Never take a kicker until the final round." They're at the mercy of a manager's ideologies and his team producing save opportunities. 

Also, closers change all the time.

In Saturday's 7-1 loss to the San Francisco Giants, Washington Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper struck out three times and exited after the sixth inning with a stiff neck, per Chelsea Janes of the

Eventually, something is going to tip the scales in the American League East—the most hotly contested and intriguing division in baseball.

Manny Machado might be that something.