Altuve, Stanton headline MLB Most Valuable Player Finalists
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.