As August gets cooking, the races for the 2019 awards are heating up, with most of the MVP, Cy Young and Rookie of the Year hardware still there for the taking. ESPN's David Schoenfield and Bradford Doolittle use Doolittle's Awards Index formula and their own observations to break down where things stand as we get ready for the season's homestretch.

Jump to ... MVP races | Cy Young battles | Top rookies

National League MVP

Awards Index leaders

1. Cody Bellinger

2. Christian Yelich

3. Max Muncy

4. Freddie Freeman

5. Ronald Acuna Jr.

Hypothetical odds: Bellinger -135, Yelich +125, Anthony Rendon +1,800, Ketel Marte +2,000, Freeman +2,500, Javier Baez +2,500, Acuna +2,500, Jeff McNeil +3,000, Pete Alonso +3,500, Trevor Story +7,500, Muncy +7,500, Fernando Tatis Jr. +10,000

How close is this race? At the moment, it could hardly be closer. Bellinger's NL-best Awards Index figure is 4.80; Yelich is at 4.73. These figures represent the number of standard deviations a player's performance is above (or below) average, so it's a virtual dead heat. But the last time we ran the leaders, Bellinger had a full standard deviation lead. Thus, it's shaping up as a tortoise-and-hare race, with the steady Yelich closing the gap with another consistently epic season. Yelich leads the majors in win probability added, so his contextualized performance has been stellar, as well. But the thing with a season shaped like the one Bellinger is having is that one more sustained hot streak could put him over the top. It's a great race. -- Bradford Doolittle

Why the numbers favor ... In addition to the WPA edge, Yelich also paces the NL in championship probability added, according to thebaseballgauge.com. If the Brewers get back to the postseason, it most likely will be on the strength of another big stretch run from Yelich, and that will propel the CPA figure even higher. Put in a narrative context: Yelich's excellence can put the Brewers over the top; the Dodgers are going to finish on top no matter what Bellinger does. In a race in which bottom-line performance is so close, these narrative aspects are important, as Dave is about to point out. -- Doolittle

But the narrative belongs to ... Brad mentioned Yelich's edge in win probability, but I'll mention that Bellinger holds a significant edge in Baseball-Reference WAR (7.3 to 6.1), as his defensive runs saved numbers are off the chart (plus-16 in the outfield and plus-4 at first base). Yelich does have that one clear advantage, however: Since the Dodgers have such a big lead in the NL West, the Brewers' games down the stretch will "matter" more, in the context that Yelich has a chance to have big hits in big games that could help send the Brewers into the playoffs. In what otherwise is a coin flip of a race, that could help Yelich win the narrative, similar to Chipper Jones in 1999, Vlad Guerrero in 2004 or Josh Donaldson in 2015. -- David Schoenfield

A dark horse to watch: As has been the case all season, there really isn't one -- unless Bellinger and Yelich both decide to suddenly retire and become professional yoga instructors. Acuna will go 30-30 -- that's 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases -- and 40-40 isn't out of the question. Acuna might lead the league in runs scored. His overall batting line doesn't compare to that of Bellinger and Yelich, but he has some flashy numbers that could impress voters. -- Schoenfield

The bottom line: To me, Yelich is just the better and more consistent all-around player. Unless the Brewers collapse -- a possibility given their issues on the pitching side -- it's Yeli's race to lose. -- Doolittle

I'm giving the very, very slight edge to Bellinger. I think his defense has been a difference-maker -- plus, Yelich has missed more games. It's not Bellinger's fault he has better teammates and thus fewer opportunities in close games. -- Schoenfield

American League MVP

Awards Index leaders

1. Mike Trout

2. Alex Bregman

3. Xander Bogaerts

4. DJ LeMahieu

5. Mookie Betts

Hypothetical odds: Trout -1,000, Field +650

How close is this race? It's not close at all. It wasn't when we ran the Awards Watch in June, and since then, only five players have improved their Awards Index more than Trout. Which hardly seems possible. Trout is on a different tier -- even above Bellinger and Yelich -- that he has all to himself. -- Doolittle

Why the numbers favor ... Trout is on his way to perhaps his best end-of-season numbers, and the only way anyone is going to close the gap is if he gets hurt. And that injury would have to happen pretty soon. You kind of hate to even suggest it. But if it happened, Bregman would be ready to step into the void. -- Doolittle

But the narrative belongs to ... If there's a non-Trout narrative, I guess it belongs to LeMahieu, who has left Coors Field and had the best season of his career. He has an OPS+ of 142 -- after finishing above 100 just once in his career. Combined with all the injuries, LeMahieu has received credit for being the one constant in the Yankees' lineup. That's nice, but LeMahieu's season pales in comparison to Trout's. -- Schoenfield

A dark horse to watch: Again, one doesn't really exist. Bogaerts has better offensive numbers than LeMahieu and plays shortstop, but his defensive metrics once again are well below average (minus-17 DRS). Otherwise, Bogaerts would be the clear No. 2 guy behind Trout. -- Schoenfield

The bottom line: The race is Trout's to lose, a conclusion that really hasn't changed since spring training. -- Doolittle

I'll be surprised if Trout isn't the unanimous winner. He's that good. -- Schoenfield

NL Cy Young

Awards Index leaders

1. Hyun-Jin Ryu

2. Max Scherzer

3. Jacob deGrom

4. Aaron Nola

5. Sonny Gray

Note: Zack Greinke would have ranked third had he not be traded to the AL.

Hypothetical odds: Scherzer -140; Ryu +140; deGrom +900; Luis Castillo +1,500; Clayton Kershaw +2,000; Stephen Strasburg +2,200; Mike Soroka +2,500; Walker Buehler +2,500

How close is this race? This has become a wide-open race thanks to Scherzer's back trouble. In the Index, Gray somewhat shockingly nudged past Strasburg for the No. 5 spot. Since the last rankings, only four players in all of baseball have improved their Awards Index more than Gray. One of them, however, is Nola, who stands alone in terms of Watch-over-Watch improvement. Thus, the top five has taken on a 2018 look, with deGrom and Nola rejoining Scherzer in the chase. Ryu is probably the current favorite, as the Index suggests, with no other clear front-runner. And after all, his 1.53 ERA is nearly a run better than second-ranked Scherzer (2.41). But watch out for a Nola-deGrom duel down the stretch, as each could be making some big starts for teams angling for playoff slots. -- Doolittle

Why the numbers favor ... Assuming Ryu returns from his "injury" in peak form, it seems like he can actually win this thing. He hasn't had a month with an ERA over 3, and in July, he gave up two earned runs in 32⅔ innings. If the Dodgers don't suppress his innings too severely, he can still end up with 190 or so frames, 15 wins and that minuscule ERA. The higher metrics might not anoint Ryu, but this is the path Blake Snell took to last season's AL Cy Young. -- Doolittle

But the narrative belongs to ... As long as that ERA remains a run better than everyone else, it's still Ryu. He had that one bad start in Colorado, where he allowed seven runs, but then reeled off a 0.55 ERA over his next five starts. -- Schoenfield

A dark horse to watch: As Brad points out, deGrom is surging up the list, with a 1.35 ERA over his past six starts. He has seven double-digit strikeout games, as compared to one for Ryu, and has passed him in innings. If you factor in that Ryu has a very good defense behind him and deGrom has a poor one, maybe this race tightens up down the stretch. -- Schoenfield

The bottom line: Ryu is well-positioned, but it's far too early to call this race. That's especially true when you have recognized sharks such as Scherzer, deGrom, Nola and Strasburg still circling in the water. -- Doolittle

I'm with Brad. Ryu's injury is really just a breather, but there's no need to push him down the stretch. All it takes is a couple of bad outings and that ERA rises to where the others have a chance to catch him. But he remains the favorite right now. -- Schoenfield

AL Cy Young

Awards Index leaders

1. Charlie Morton

2. Justin Verlander

3. Lance Lynn

4. Mike Minor

5. Gerrit Cole

Hypothetical odds: Verlander +150; Cole +150; Morton +600; Shane Bieber +900; Lynn +1,800; Lucas Giolito +2,000; Minor +2,500; Jose Berrios +2,500; Jake Odorizzi +4,000; Domingo German +6,000

How close is this race? If we counted Zack Greinke as an American Leaguer, Houston would have the Nos. 2, 3, 6 and 14 pitchers in the league. And one overlooked aspect of the newly supercharged Astros rotation is that they let Morton go as a free agent! If you plugged him in for Aaron Sanchez, it would be even more ridiculous. But the Cy Young race is close, with eight pitchers (all starters) between 2.2 and 2.8 in Awards Index. It's a gap that any of them can close between now and the end of the season. In addition to the Index leaders listed above, Lucas Giolito, Shane Bieber and Jose Berrios are part of that group. -- Doolittle

Why the numbers favor ... Taking the opposite tack, let's knock some contenders out. There is a huge discrepancy between the fWAR and bWAR figures for Minor, so even the leading metrics don't know how to measure him. That bleeds over to Lynn, to some degree, even though the metrics agree on him. Both pitchers suffer from ballpark and defensive-support murkiness, and the Rangers aren't enough of a factor for most analysts/voters to pry into the real story. Verlander is on a strikeout spree, but Cole has been on one all season and his Index has improved more than the other starters mentioned here. So, he gets a trajectory boost over his more famous teammate. With big finishes, win- and championship-probability indicators could swing things to Morton or Bieber, who are both pitching for prime wild-card contenders in a tight race. Beyond that, however, if the picture doesn't become clearer, the perceived best-at-the-moment hurler would get the nod, and that's almost certainly Verlander. -- Doolittle

But the narrative belongs to ... Verlander. At age 36, he leads the league in wins, ERA, innings and strikeout-to-walk ratio. Also home runs allowed, but he has had so few other baserunners that he still is having a dominant season. -- Schoenfield

A dark horse to watch: Bieber is red hot, with a 2.50 ERA over his past 10 starts, a stretch in which he has allowed just three home runs in 72 innings, with an opponents' batting line of .191/.233/.285. If he can keep that going, he is going to slip into the conversation. -- Schoenfield

The bottom line: As close as the metrics view this race, Verlander has a chance at the pitching Triple Crown. If he gets that, forget about it. -- Doolittle

The Astros have a cakewalk schedule down the stretch, so even while AJ Hinch might back off Verlander and Cole a little bit, they're going to continue to rack up the wins and strikeouts. I think it comes down to those two in the end. -- Schoenfield

NL Rookie of the Year

Awards Index leaders

1. Fernando Tatis Jr.

2. Pete Alonso

3. Bryan Reynolds

4. Alex Verdugo

5. Christian Walker

Hypothetical odds: Mike Soroka +200, Tatis, +200, Alonso +250, Reynolds +700

How close is this race? It's a good race between Tatis and Alonso. The last time we ran the Awards Watch, Tatis' numbers were tamped down by his early injury, so you had to have some sample-size skepticism. No more. The kid is for real. Still, if the Mets continue their current run and Alonso contributes to a wild-card push while mashing 50 homers, it's going to be an awfully tough choice. -- Doolittle

The bottom line: Christian Walker! OK, not really. But he deserves a mention because he is 28 years old and playing in his fifth big league season yet, somehow, has retained rookie status. No, this is a duel between Alonso and Tatis, and it's a great one, much better than the race in the AL. -- Doolittle

Where's Mike Soroka? He is 10-2 with a 2.45 ERA in 20 starts, so I view this as a three-way race. Look, it's going to be difficult to beat Alonso if he hits 50 home runs and drives in 120-something runs. But in terms of value, it's basically a dead heat right now with Tatis and Soroka. -- Schoenfield

AL Rookie of the Year

Awards Index leaders

1. Yordan Alvarez

2. Brandon Lowe

3. John Means

4. Zach Plesac

5. Luis Arraez

Hypothetical odds: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. +160, Lowe +160, Means +500, Michael Chavis +900, Eloy Jimenez +1,200

How close is this race? With the rookie voting, quantity often is as important as quality, which works against Plesac, Arraez and Alvarez, and for Lowe (if he can get healthy) and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Vlady Jr.'s Awards Index ranking has improved from 328th to 248th since our last edition, but his pace is quickening. Alvarez's candidacy is fascinating. He didn't debut in the majors until June 9. Since that time, he has a 1.119 OPS and has driven in more runs (43) than all but six players in the majors. Can he get those season-end numbers to a level where voters will overlook his late start? -- Doolittle

The bottom line: Before an 0-for-5 outing on Aug. 5, Guerrero had a scorching nine-game stretch with a .463/.488/.878 batting line with five homers and 18 RBIs. Despite his preseason-favorite status, he'll have to post a couple of more of those stretches to get back in the race. If he doesn't do something like that and Alvarez's quantities aren't high enough to convince the voters and if Lowe can get back soon, then if feels like the Rays' infielder is a slight favorite. But there are a lot of ways this race could go. -- Doolittle

No doubt Alvarez has the momentum and shows no signs of slowing down. He has so much raw power and enough discipline (league-average strikeout rate) that he is putting balls in play, which is why the batting average and extra-base hit rates are so high. You would think some regression is in order (projections are along the lines of .270/.340/.510 the rest of the way), but maybe he's really this good. -- Schoenfield

CRANDALL, Texas – Wheeling the Ray Williams/City Vending No. 22x Friday night, Oklahoma’s Steven Shebester added his name to the record books with this first victory with the ASCS Elite Non-Wing Series presented by Abilene Powder Coating at RPM Speedway.

Fifth the first in the opening Heat Race, Shebester drew the right of the third row for the feature.

Up to third before a caution, and eventually a red working Lap 2, the No. 22x threaded the needle for the runner-up spot as Jason Howell shot by Stephen Smith for the lead. Trying the lower groove briefly the following lap, Shebester returned to the cushion with the pass for the point on through turns one and two with five laps complete.

Keeping pace through the remainder of the feature, Shebester was chased to the line by Raven Culp, who worked to the runner-up spot from eighth. Jason Howell slipped back to third with Paul White fourth and Stephen Smith fifth.

The finish:

1. 22X-Steven Shebester, [6]; 2. 3-Raven Culp, [8]; 3. 44-Jason Howell, [4]; 4. 1-Paul White, [5]; 5. 3S-Stephen Smith, [3]; 6. 118-Scott Evans, [7]; 7. 1X-Justin Zimmerman, [2]; 8. 49-Justin Fifield, [11]; 9. 57-Chase Parson, [9]; 10. 48-Gary Floyd, [19]; 11. 98J-Jarrod Jennings, [12]; 12. 15-Johnny Miller, [16]; 13. 21-Michelle Melton, [1]; 14. 45-Martin Edwards, [13]; 15. 12.5-James Griffin, [20]; 16. 54-David Sherry, [21]; 17. 2-Michael Day, [10]; 18. 48N-Jason Ingalls, [17]; 19. 52-J.D. Fry, [14]; 20. 13M-Chance McCrary, [18]; 21. 33-Mike Merrell, [15]

BROOKLYN, Mich. – Ross Chastain’s mission to end the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series regular season on a high note continued Saturday morning during qualifying at Michigan Int’l Speedway.

Chastain took the pole for the LTi Printing 250 at the two-mile oval, turning a lap of 39.179 seconds (183.772 mph) with his No. 45 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado.

The pole marked the third of Chastain’s Gander Trucks career, his first at Michigan and first since 2013, when the Alva, Fla., native was still with Brad Keselowski Racing.

Chastain will chase his fourth win of the season during the regular-season finale Saturday afternoon.

“I said this morning that I had a lot of confidence, and this team is rolling down the hill like a watermelon rolls down a hill; we’re only gaining momentum,” quipped Chastain. “I’m super proud of all these Niece boys and girls. Al Niece gives us all the tools we need to be successful, even though it’s not always easy. This morning, I was just the guy that got to hold the wheel.

“It scared me a little bit, because I think the throttle did get hung a little bit, but there’s raw speed in the race truck and we got the pole by that much … so that’s all that matters.”

New York teenager Christian Eckes will join Chastain on the front row after touring the two-mile Michigan oval in 39.187 seconds (183.734 mph) with his No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota Tundra.

Playoff driver Tyler Ankrum rolls off third alongside playoff hopeful Todd Gilliland, with a third KBM driver in Harrison Burton following that duo in the fifth position.

Austin Hill, Ben Rhodes, Brett Moffitt, Grant Enfinger and Joe Nemechek completed the top 10.

The LTi Printing 250 takes the green flag at 1 p.m. ET, with live coverage on FOX Sports 1, the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.

STARTING LINEUP: NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series; Michigan Int’l Speedway; Aug. 10, 2019

1. #45 – Ross Chastain, 39.179 seconds (183.772 mph)
2. #51 – Christian Eckes, 39.187 seconds (183.734 mph)
3. #17 – Tyler Ankrum, 39.251 seconds (183.435 mph)
4. #4 – Todd Gilliland, 39.287 seconds (183.267 mph)
5. #18 – Harrison Burton, 39.299 seconds (183.211 mph)
6. #16 – Austin Hill, 39.324 seconds (183.094 mph)
7. #99 – Ben Rhodes, 39.332 seconds (183.057 mph)
8. #24 – Brett Moffitt, 39.345 seconds (182.997 mph)
9. #98 – Grant Enfinger, 39.378 seconds (182.843 mph)
10. #8 – Joe Nemechek, 39.380 seconds (182.834 mph)
11. #44 – Bayley Currey, 39.438 seconds (182.565 mph)
12. #88 – Matt Crafton, 39.459 seconds (182.468 mph)
13. #3 – Jordan Anderson, 39.493 seconds (182.311 mph)
14. #13 – Johnny Sauter, 39.523 seconds (182.172 mph)
15. #04 – Cory Roper, 39.558 seconds (182.011 mph)
16. #54 – Natalie Decker, 39.578 seconds (181.919 mph)
17. #02 – Tyler Dippel, 39.597 seconds (181.832 mph)
18. #2 – Sheldon Creed, 39.601 seconds (181.814 mph)
19. #15 – Anthony Alfredo, 39.620 seconds (181.726 mph)
20. #52 – Stewart Friesen, 39.622 seconds (181.717 mph)
21. #9 – Codie Rohrbaugh, 39.706 seconds (181.333 mph)
22. #12 – Gus Dean, 39.754 seconds (181.114 mph)
23. #22 – Austin Wayne Self, 39.801 seconds (180.900 mph)
24. #14 – Trey Hutchens III, 39.947 seconds (180.239 mph)
25. #87 – Camden Murphy, 40.068 seconds (179.695 mph)
26. #38 – T.J. Bell, 40.324 seconds (178.554 mph)
27. #20 – Spencer Boyd, 40.400 seconds (178.218 mph)
28. #34 – Jesse Iwuji, 40.844 seconds (176.280 mph)
29. #33 – Josh Reaume, 40.987 seconds (175.665 mph)
30. #49 – Ray Ciccarelli, 41.163 seconds (174.914 mph)
31. #10 – Jennifer Jo Cobb, 43.238 seconds (166.520 mph)
32. #6 – Norm Benning, NT (0.000 mph)

DNQ: #0 – Daniel Sasnett.

LIVE from the Knoxville Nationals
Presented by Mobil 1 Truck & SUV Oil
Paul McMahan Interview

Veteran sprint car ace Paul McMahan will start his 20th Knoxville Nationals main event tonight. As he prepares for tonight’s big race, he took a few minutes to catch up with Tony Bokhoven.

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This year marks the 59th running of the NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals at Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway. SPEED SPORT, one of the few motorsports properties with a longer history than the Nationals, has covered every one of them.

From Roy Robbins in 1961 to Steve Kinser’s 12 victories, to Donny Schatz’s 10 triumphs and finally to Brad Sweet’s dramatic victory last August, we’ve been there for them all.

As SPEED SPORT celebrates its 85th anniversary, we felt it appropriate to look back at the Knoxville Nationals through the SPEED SPORT archives:

1961: Roy Robbins earned $1,000 for winning the first Super Modified National Championship. Robbins’ car carried an “air scoop,” which was similar to the wings we are familiar with today. The following week, wings were banned.

1962: Jerry Richert romped from 14th on the grid to pocket the $1,200 top prize.

1963: Greg Weld outran his older brother, Jerry, and earned $1,500 for the victory.

1964: Eighteen-year-old Kenny Weld led a one-two finish for the family, as Greg Weld came home second.

1965: Kenny Weld became the first two-time Nationals winner, while his father Taylor Weld was the winning car owner for the third straight year.

1966: Jay Woodside won the rain-plagued event and took home the $2,500 winner’s check.

1967: Thad Dasher held off Bob Williams to win the seventh annual Knoxville Nationals.

1968: Ray Lee Goodwin led every lap to top the first $3,000-to-win Nationals feature.

1969: Kenny Gritz passed Jan Opperman to secure one of the biggest upsets in Nationals history. Gritz was killed two weeks later at the Nebraska State Fairgrounds.

1970: The 10th running of the event saw Joe Saldana lead all 30 laps.

1971: Opperman led every lap to redeem a heartbreaking loss in 1969.

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SPIELBURG, Austria – Marc Marquez rocketed to the pole in MotoGP qualifying on Saturday at the Red Bull Ring.

Marquez had a significant advantage over the field, with his track record lap of 1:23.027 putting him nearly half a second ahead of his closest competition during qualifying.

“It was a really good lap but I was looking for the 1:22,” Marquez said after his 59th MotoGP pole. “But I did a mistake in the last sector and I went too wide in turn 10. Apart from that we did a great job and during FP4 we had a great rhythm, which is the most important thing. Today was a great day, everything and everyone in the team was working so well. We just need to understand the best tyre for tomorrow and let’s do it. We will try to fight until the end and see what happens.”

Petronas Yamaha SRT’s Fabio Quartararo qualified second, .434 seconds behind Marquez at the conclusion of qualifying. Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso qualified third to complete the front row.

Yamaha’s Maverick Vinales will start fourth, followed by Francesco Bagnaia for Pramac Racing and Takaaki Nakagami for LCR Honda. Alex Rins, Jack Miller, Cal Crutchlow and Valentino Rossi completed the top-10.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has said the use of the video assistant referee (VAR) changes the "dynamic" of games after his side's 5-0 victory over West Ham on Saturday, where striker Gabriel Jesus became the first player in Premier League history to have a goal retrospectively disallowed.

Already 2-0 ahead, Jesus thought he'd scored a third for City -- only for Mike Dean to disallow the goal for offside following a consultation with VAR.

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This is the first season the technology has been used in the Premier League and VAR came into play again later on in the match, when Sergio Aguero's saved penalty had to be retaken due to encroachment.

"You have to be mentally strong when VAR is not on our side," Guardiola told BT Sport. "You think at 3-0 the game is almost over but at 2-0, the game is completely different.

"You have to be calm and be strong. It is going to change the dynamic not just for the team but for the spectators. It will be a good lesson for our future."

VAR played a part in City's exit from last season's Champions League, with the decision system disallowing a last-minute Sterling winner in their quarterfinal defeat to Tottenham.

"After what happened against Tottenham in the Champions League -- the passion, now we can control that emotion," Guardiola said. "It's good mentally, you have to be strong, have to learn to control our emotions."

However, despite seeing his side fall to a heavy defeat, West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini said the use of VAR was beneficial to Saturday's game.

"I think it is fair for both teams in the way we use it," he said.

"This was a goal that was offside and for the penalty they decide it must be taken again. It will improve the fairer result of games."

ANN ARBOR -- Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong has no doubt Donny van de Beek is good enough to improve Real Madrid but joked he would prefer his ex-teammate to stay at Ajax.

Van de Beek, 22, has confirmed Madrid are in talks with Ajax as they look to bolster their midfield before the transfer window closes.

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De Jong played alongside Van de Beek last season as the Dutch club won a domestic double and upset Madrid and Juventus on their way to a Champions League semifinal, where they were eventually beaten by Tottenham Hostpur.

"I would prefer him to stay at Ajax because I wouldn't have him as an opponent and Ajax would stay strong," De Jong told ESPN FC when asked if he would like to see Van de Beek join Barca's Clasico rivals.

"But, no, of course, when it's all settled, and if he moves to Madrid, I am really happy for him. I think he deserves it. He's a great player. Then I will go see him in Spain!"

Van de Beek would be competing for a place in Zinedine Zidane's side with Ballon d'Or winner Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Casemiro, among others.

However, De Jong said he believes his compatriot has the quality to become the latest in a string of young players to leave Ajax and make their name at the very top level.

"I am pretty sure he has the ability," he said. "I think he showed it last season in the Champions League, especially in the knockout rounds.

"I think he has shown to the world and everyone in Europe he has the ability to play at that level."

Van de Beek would become the third big-name player to leave Ajax this summer. De Jong joined Barcelona in a deal worth €75 million and defender Matthijs de Ligt signed for Juventus in a similar deal.

De Jong said it is sad to see such a successful, young team slowly broken up but has no regrets about his move to Camp Nou.

"I am really proud of the season we had and I am proud to see guys making big movements -- I think they all deserve it," he said.

"But of course I feel a bit sad -- not that I regret it because I am really proud and happy to be [at Barcelona] -- but of course it's a bit sad that the team is breaking up.

"But you know that those things are going to happen when you have a season like that at a club like Ajax. It's just the way it is."

Asked if he can envisage a future where Ajax are able to hang on to their best young players and build, he added: "I think it depends a lot on the competition. The competition needs to grow a lot.

"The Eredivisie is, for me, a great competition to play in and it was a great time but the Eredivisie nowadays cannot compare to La Liga, Premier League and all those competitions. It has a lot to do with the competition."