Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels
Stat line: 10.0 WAR (2nd in AL), .313 AVG (4th in AL), .462 OBP (1st in AL), 1.090 OPS (1st in AL), 38 HR (T-4th in AL), 77 RBI, 121 BB (1st in AL), 199 OPS+ (1st in AL)
C’mon. Were you really surprised to see his name be called out as a contender for the MVP award? The man is just that good in baseball. What else is there to say about Mike Trout? He can hit. He can field. He can run. He can throw. He just has it all. Not only that, he can hit for power and be patient on the plate. The 2-time former AL MVP is looking to add a 3rd to his endless trophy cabinet after putting up another great season with the Angels. As of September 28, he has accumulated 64.1 WAR for his career. Most players would dream of having that much in their careers, but no. Trout is just on another level compared to the average joe. What’s more, if you include this year, Trout now has 3 seasons with more than 10.0 WAR in each. Also, and this is the scary part, he’s only 27, which means he can continue to produce such stats as he pleases. For the first 5 editions of the MLB.com Writers’ Poll, Trout was selected as the frontrunner of the MVP race by beating out names such as Mookie Betts, Didi Gregorius, and J.D. Martinez. Now he’s behind Betts, but only time will time if he ultimately collects his 3rd award in his career.
