Bryce Harper, Mike Trout, Josh Donaldson headline 2015 BBWAA award finalists

The Baseball Writers Association of America announced the finalists in each league for their four major awards on Tuesday night, with expected honorees like Bryce Harper, Josh Donaldson, Mike Trout, Zack Greinke, Jake Arrieta and Dallas Keuchel among the top three in their respective awards.

Donaldson was one of the best players in baseball in 2013 and 2014 in relative obscurity in Oakland, but traded to the Toronto Blue Jays was a welcome addition to the best offense in baseball in 2015, hitting .297/.371/.568 with 41 home runs, and led the AL in both runs scored (122) and RBI (123), all while providing excellent defense at third base.

He is in a battle for AL MVP with Mike Trout, who was no slouch himself, hitting .299/.402/.590 with 41 home runs for the Angels. Trout won the MVP in 2014 after finishing second in both 2011 and 2012. This is Trout's fourth full season.

Harper was a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing Washington Nationals season, hitting .330/.460/.649 with 42 home runs, 38 doubles, 118 runs scored, 99 RBI and 124 walks in his age-22 season.

There is fierce competition for the NL Cy Young Award, between Greinke of the Los Angeles Dodgers, MLB leader in ERA (1.66) and WHIP (0.844) with a 45⅔-inning scoreless streak during the season; Arrieta of the Chicago Cubs, MLB leader in wins (22), author of a no-hitter (Aug. 30 in Los Angeles) and the strongest of finishes (seven runs allowed in final 12 starts); and Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers, the three-time Cy Young winner whose off season included a 2.13 ERA, an MLB-best 1.99 FIP, and a whopping 301 strikeouts.

The AL Cy Young Award figures to be between Houston Astros ace Keuchel, who was 20-8 with a 2.48 ERA in 33 starts, leading the AL in wins and innings (232) while helping Houston to its first playoff appearance in 10 seasons; and David Price, who was 18-5 with an AL-best 2.45 ERA with the Tigers and Blue Jays, including 9-1 with a 2.30 ERA in 11 starts after getting acquired by the AL East champion Jays.

Shortstop in the American League figures to be a hotly contested position for the next decade or so, thanks to the emergence of stars Carlos Correa of the Astros and Francisco Lindor of the Cleveland Indians, two of the three finalists for American League Rookie of the Year.

National League: Paul Goldschmidt, Diamondbacks; Bryce Harper, Nationals; Joey Votto, Reds

National League: Jake Arrieta, Cubs; Zack Greinke, Dodgers; Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers

National League: Joe Maddon, Cubs; Mike Matheny, Cardinals, Terry Collins, Mets

National League: Kris Bryant, Cubs; Matt Duffy, Giants; Jung Ho Kang, Pirates