It was pretty much a given that Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager would be among the three finalists for the 2016 National League Rookie of the Year title, but on Monday afternoon it was revealed that the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) had also named him as one of the three finalists for the 2016 NL MVP award as well.

As our good friend Eric Stephen over at True Blue LA points out, Seager is the first Dodger rookie to be included in the top three since Joe Black finished third in the NL MVP voting in 1952. Should the 22-year-old Charlotte, North Carolina native win the award – which will be announced on Thursday, November 17 at 3 pm PT on MLB Network – he would become the first Dodger rookie to ever do so and would join Fred Lynn (1975) and Ichiro Suzuki (2001) as the only players in MLB history to win both awards in their rookie season.

Although a long-shot to win the 2016 NL MVP title, Seager is the favorite to win the 2016 NL Rookie of the Year award. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

To be perfectly honest and as Eric Stephen noted, the MVP award will probably go to Cubs superstar third baseman Kris Bryant. Bryant, as you may recall, was named the NL Rookie of the Year last season. The third finalist for the 2016 NL MVP award is Washington Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy, who Dodger fans are all too familiar with.

Joining Seager as finalists for the 2016 NL Rookie of the Year award are Washington Nationals center fielder Trea Turner and (wait for it) Dodgers right-hander Kenta Maeda, which caught many Dodger fans completely by surprise.

Nearly everyone expected Corey Seager to be a finalist for 2016 NL Rookie of the Year but it’s safe to say that no one expected Kenta Maeda to be there. (Photo credit – Gary A. Vasquez)

The Rookie of the Year award did not begin until 1947 and only one award was given for both leagues, with Dodgers Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson winning the inaugural award. It was changed to one from each league in 1949.

There is another Dodger in line for some postseason hardware. First-year Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is among the three finalists for 2016 NL Manager of the Year award along with Cubs manager Joe Maddon and Nationals manager Dusty Baker. Although many believe that ‘Doc’ is a shoo-in for the award – especially by those west of the Mississippi – this one is simply too close to call; this in spite of the fact that Roberts led his team to their fourth consecutive NL West title while having to deal with a never-ending flood of injuries throughout the entire season. The MOY award winner will be announced on MLB Network on November 15, also at 3 pm PT.

The 2016 NL Manager of the Year race is too close to call between Dave Roberts, Joe Madden and Dusty Baker. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Noticeably missing for this year’s award nominations is Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw. Although the 28-year-old Dallas, Texas native finished the season with the lowest ERA in all of baseball (again) at 1.69, he was ineligible for Cy Young award consideration because he did not meet the minimum innings requirement due to spending six weeks on the disabled list for a mild disk herniation in his back. He still posted an very impressive 12-4 record in his 21 starts and finished the season with an MLB-best three shutouts and three complete games (fifth-most).

Here is a complete list of all of the 2016 BBWAA awards finalists.