Altuve, Stanton headline MLB Most Valuable Player Finalists
The Baseball Writers Association of America announced its finalists for Most Valuable Player on Monday. Major League Baseball home run leader and Miami Marlins’ outfielder Giancarlo Stanton, Arizona Diamondbacks’ star Paul Goldschmidt and Cincinnati Reds’ first baseman Joey Votto were nominated in the National League.
Major League Baseball’s Most Valuable Player nominees were announced earlier tonight with some marquee names headlining both the American and National League. Let’s begin with the candidates in the NL:
Giancarlo Stanton led the MLB in home runs (59) and RBIs (132) while setting a new career-high in hits (168) this season. The California native’s highest finish in MVP voting was second in 2014 — a year he also led the league in home runs. Stanton’s 298 votes is the highest finish by a Marlins’ player in MVP voting. Hanley Ramirez’s 233 votes in 2009 is second best.
A two-time second-place finisher for MVP, Paul Goldschmidt is now a finalist for the third time in his career. The Diamondbacks’ slugger tied a personal high in home runs (36) to complement 120 RBIs and a .297 batting average in 2017. The Texas State University product has been outvoted for the award by Pittsburgh’s Andrew McCutchen and Washington’s Bryce Harper. Similar to Stanton, Goldschmidt owns the best finish in Arizona’s franchise history.
Joey Votto, unlike the other nominees, has been named MVP in his career. The face of the Reds edged Albert Pujols in 2010, becoming Cincinnati’s first winner of the award since Barry Larkin in 1995. For an abysmal Reds’ team, the Canadian played 162 games and walked a league-high 134 times. Additionally, Votto batted .320 on the season, hit 36 home runs and drove in 100 RBIs.
After leading the Houston Astros to its first World Series championship, Jose Altuve was nominated as a finalist for American League Most Valuable Player. The winner will be revealed on MLB Network on November 16 at 6 p.m.
The Baseball Writers Association of America announced its finalists for American League Most Valuable Player on Monday. World Series champion and Houston Astros’ second baseman Jose Altuve, New York Yankees’ slugger Aaron Judge and Cleveland Indians’ infielder Jose Ramirez were nominated for the award.
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Altuve, a five-time MLB All-Star, led the AL in batting average (.346) and hits (204) while tying a career-high in home runs (24) this season. The native of Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, finished third in MVP voting last season, a year in which Houston failed to make the postseason. Altuve has led the AL in batting average three of the past four years. In 1994, when Houston was a member of the National League, Jeff Bagwell won the award and is currently the last Astros’ player to do so.
Nominated twice on the night, Judge is a finalist for AL Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player. Judge led Major League Baseball in home runs (52), runs (128) and walks (127) in 2017. The Fresno State product, if victorious for both awards, would become the first player to win ROY and MVP since Seattle’s Ichiro Suzuki in 2001. Only Suzuki and Fred Lynn have won the awards in the same year.
Leading the Indians to a 102-60 record, Ramirez was named to his first All-Star Game earlier this year. The 24-year old from the Dominican Republic finished the campaign with a .318 batting average, 29 home runs, and 83 RBIs — all personal career-highs. If Ramirez is to win, he would be Cleveland’s first MVP since Al Rosen in 1953.
Next: BBWAA announce Rookie of the Year finalists
MLB Network will reveal the 2017 AL Most Valuable Player, along with the National League, on November 16 at 6 p.m. EST.