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The only place the heated rivalry between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox will play out this fall is in voting for the American League's Most Valuable Player, with Derek Jeter and David Ortiz among the leading candidates for the award.

Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin Morneau of New Westminster, B.C., and Chicago White Sox outfielder Jermaine Dye are also in the mix, with no clear-cut choice in the season's final week.

In fact, most of the major awards seem to be wide open as the 2006 season wraps up. Here's a quick look at the races and how they shape up (all stats before Monday's play):

American League

MVP

Candidates: Dye, White Sox (.316, 43 HR, 119 RBI); Jeter, Yankees (.339, 14, 96); Morneau, Twins (.323, 33, 126); Ortiz, Boston (.286, 53, 134).

The lowdown: Ortiz cares so much about his team that he had heart palpitations from all the stress he was under in Boston. Morneau has been driving the Twins offence and Dye has put up monster numbers. But Jeter has been the man in a trying season for the Yanks, serving as a steadying force for the game's most expensive club.

Prediction: Jeter beats out Morneau in a close vote.

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Cy Young

Candidates: Roy Halladay, Blue Jays (16-5, 3.19 ERA); Johan Santana, Twins (18-6, 2.79); Chien-Ming Wang, Yankees (18-6, 3.57).

The lowdown: The award was Halladay's up until mid-August when a six-game winless skid began that made this a one-horse race. Santana has been dominating in the second half and has driven the Twins during their surge. He also leads all the categories that count.

Prediction: Santana, in a near unanimous vote.

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Rookie

Candidates: Melky Cabrera, Yankees (.282, 7, 50); Francisco Liriano, Twins (12-3, 2.16); Jonathan Papelbon, Red Sox (4-2, 0.92, 35 saves); Justin Verlander, Tigers (17-9, 3.63).

The lowdown: Liriano might have walked away with the prize had arm troubles not shut him down early. Papelbon, Cabrera and Verlander have been lifesavers for their teams but the pressures of closing in Boston might make the difference.

Prediction: Papelbon, narrowly over Verlander.

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Manager

Candidates: Ron Gardenhire, Twins; Jim Leyland, Tigers; Ken Macha, Athletics; Joe Torre, Yankees.

The lowdown: This was hands down Leyland's award for his transformation of the Tigers until Gardenhire's Twins made a race of it in the AL Central. Macha has done a fine job steering the Athletics through the AL West while Torre has again kept the Bronx Zoo in check, but neither had as much work to do as Leyland and Gardenhire.

Prediction: Leyland, with Gardenhire close behind.

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National League

MVP

Candidates: Carlos Beltran, Mets (.277, 40, 114); Ryan Howard, Phillies (.314, 58, 143); Albert Pujols, Cardinals (.329, 46, 129).

The lowdown: With the end of Barry Bonds' reign as MVP last year, the stage seemed set for Pujols to take over as the NL's most dominant player. Enter Howard, whose monster year could carry the Phillies to the post-season and should lift him past Pujols and Beltran.

Prediction: Howard, handily over Pujols.

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Cy Young

Candidates: Chris Carpenter, Cardinals (15-7, 2.93); Brandon Webb, Diamondbacks (16-7, 2.95); Carlos Zambrano, Cubs (16-6, 3.43).

The lowdown: With no one standing out, it looks like a choice between Carpenter and Webb, whose numbers are virtually identical. Pitching in a playoff race may give Carpenter the edge, while Zambrano suffers from the Cubs' ineptitude.

Prediction: Carpenter repeats in a close decision over Webb.

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Rookie

Candidates: Matt Cain, Giants (13-11, 4.09); Prince Fielder, Brewers (.274, 26, 78); Russell Martin, Dodgers (.282, 10, 60); Hanley Ramirez, Marlins (.289, 15, 57); Dan Uggla, Marlins (.282, 26, 89); Ryan Zimmerman, Nationals (.284, 19, 101).

The lowdown: These six lead an outstanding group of NL rookies, with very little separating them. Uggla and Fielder have the homers, Zimmerman the RBIs, Ramirez and Martin the all-around strong game while Cain has impressed on the mound.

Prediction: In the toughest race to call, Uggla wins over Zimmerman and Ramirez.

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Manager

Candidates: Bruce Bochy, San Diego; Joe Girardi, Marlins; Grady Little, Dodgers; Charlie Manuel, Phillies; Willy Randolph, Mets.

The lowdown: Girardi picked up the pieces after yet another fire sale and kept a group barely out of the minors competitive enough to flirt with the wild card. Bochy and Little are battling it out for NL West title while Manuel helped rouse his team from the dead into wild-card contention. Randolph managed the Mets' rebirth well.

Prediction: Girardi wins handily.

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LONG-TERM LYLE: Lyle Overbay has impressed in his first season with the Toronto Blue Jays and the team would like to sign him to a long-term deal this fall even though the first baseman has two years of arbitration left.

The Blue Jays like his steady approach at the plate, consistency and defence at first, convincing them that it's worth locking him up.

Any potential deal would have to include at least one or two of the 29-year-old's free agent years, something Overbay, who made $2.525 million (U.S.) in his first year of arbitration, is interested in.

"I'm in a spot that it would be nice for me," he says. "I've never experienced that kind of guaranteed deal. It just kind of shows you that they want you and it's nice to be wanted since I've changed teams here the last few years."

Overbay started his career with the Arizona Diamondbacks and was later traded to Milwaukee as part of the Richie Sexson deal. The Brewers dealt him and prospect Ty Taubenheim to Toronto last winter for Dave Bush, Gabe Gross and prospect Zach Jackson.

The native of Centralia, Wash., and his family have taken to Toronto in their first summer north of the border.

"They're always here, we've bought a place now, we feel comfortable and every time you come back it's a little bit easier because you start figuring things out," he says. "It's typical new-city stuff, you have to figure out the ins and outs, where to go and what to do. I love it here, this is one of the best clubhouses I've been in, I like the lineup I'm in, the spots I'm in and the opportunities I get. The guys in front of me do all the hard work, it's fun to be a part of that."

Talks have yet to begin and are unlikely to start until the Blue Jays find out what kind of payroll increase they'll get from ownership.

The Blue Jays have five other players eligible for arbitration (Reed Johnson, John McDonald, Scott Downs, Jason Frasor, Jason Phillips) and five more headed for free agency (Ted Lilly, Justin Speier, Frank Catalanotto, Gregg Zaun, Bengie Molina).

Many tough decisions lie ahead.

"It all comes down to the situation and if the contract is worth it," says Overbay. "I'd like to be able to get something done."