Call to the pen
Fansided

The American League MVP Race is Far From Over

By Sarah Maninger

BOSTON - JULY 4: Boston Red Sox center fielder Mookie Betts (50) makes a leaping running catch of a fly to center by Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (27) for the first out in the top of the first inning. The Boston Red Sox take on the Houston Astros in Game 2 of a three game series at Fenway Park in Boston on Jul. 4, 2015. (Photo by Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
BOSTON - JULY 4: Boston Red Sox center fielder Mookie Betts (50) makes a leaping running catch of a fly to center by Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (27) for the first out in the top of the first inning. The Boston Red Sox take on the Houston Astros in Game 2 of a three game series at Fenway Park in Boston on Jul. 4, 2015. (Photo by Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) /
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American League
LOS ANGELES, CA – JULY 14: Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout sprints to first base during a MLB game between the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 14, 2018 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Mike Trout-OF-Los Angeles Angels

For nearly a decade, we’ve heard rumblings about this guy named Mike Trout. We’ve heard he’s great; that he can hit like The Mick and can field the ball better than anyone.

It wasn’t until a few years ago, when he won his first MVP in ’14, that we heard his name in conjunction with the phrase “the best player in baseball.”

That’s a lot to live up, too. “The best player in baseball” is a saying connected to players like Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. It signifies that you, yes you, may just be on the road to the Hall of Fame.

That’s still a ways off for Trout, but the 2018 MVP award may not be.

This season, he leads the league in walks with 84, 17 of which have been intentional. Still, 67 walks show patience at the plate, something that can often lead to runs, and to wins.

Mike Trout is an MVP, not just this season, but throughout his entire career. The question, however, is this; is there somebody in the American League that, this season, is better?

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