As the American League Pennant Race begins to heat up, so does the race for the league’s MVP Award.
The American League is wild. As a lifelong fan of the Dodgers, I never paid too much attention to the AL. Until I was 13 or 14, it felt like a totally different world. It was a world where the Yankees always seemed to be dominating, and where pitchers didn’t get to hit. Like a lot of fans, my knowledge extended to the reaches of my own league and then, for the most part, it ended. Then, I began to notice things. By things, I mean players and their immense talent. Mike Trout burst on to the scene and suddenly, the Angels were back in the postseason conversation. He’s done great things for that club and will continue to do so.
He’s an MVP, but the question still stands; is he this year’s most valuable player? This is by no means a discussion of who is the best player in the American League because in that discussion, there is no argument. Trout is the best player in the American League, in the National League, and is making a run at the best player that any of us will see in our lifetimes. However, when you break down the meaning of the award to the term “valuable”, you start to add in some different options that could end up pulling off the win, especially if Trout’s Angels fall out of American League playoff contention.
Every season, the early favorite is often times last year’s winner. In this case, it’s Jose Altuve. Now, don’t get me wrong, Altuve is great. He is far and away the most deserving player to hoist that 2017 MVP Award.
But, like Trout, is he this year’s MVP? Or, is it somebody else? Is it someone from Boston, or Cleveland or New York?
Let’s talk about it.