The American League Most Valuable Player Award goes to the person who was most valuable to their team during the season. The first time the modern version of the award was given out was in 1931, to Philadelphia Athletics pitcher Lefty Grove. Last season, the award was given to Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson after a stellar season and the Jays having their best season in over 20 years. This year's race has no true definitive winner, well at least that's the way it seems.
This season, there are three very good candidates in the American League. The first one being Mike Trout, outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He is the best player in Major League Baseball. But was he the MVP this season? My answer is no. Mr. Trout played for a horrendous Angels team that finished the season with a record of 74-88 despite having the seventh highest payroll in the league. Although he did bat .315 with 29 home runs, 100 runs batted in and 30 stolen bases, that still doesn't beat the other candidates who also were on teams that (almost) met or exceeded expectations. The Angels did no such thing this season.
The next candidate I had in mind was Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve. He had a monster season with a .338 batting average (which snagged him his third batting title in three years), 24 home runs (nine more than his previous career high), 96 runs batted in and 30 stolen bases. That's the best year Altuve has had in his career. On paper he is the MVP. The Astros finished a respectable 84-78. The problem is, they missed the playoffs. The Astros made the playoffs last season and took the eventual World Series Champion Kansas City Royals to the maximum five games of the American League Division Series, just coming up a bit short. The Astros had high hopes this season, but did not live up to them. While that is not Altuve's fault, I still feel there was a candidate that bested him this season.
That player is Boston Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts. Betts mashed this season with a stellar .318 average, 31 home runs, 116 runs batted and 26 stolen bases. Those stats seem pretty similar to the other two. One thing that helps Betts is his age. Betts is only 23 years old compared to Trout (25) and Altuve (26). Betts also plays in one of the hardest markets in baseball, Boston. The Angels aren't even the most popular baseball team in the Los Angeles area and Houston is just happy the Astros aren't terrible anymore. Betts has had a lot of pressure to perform and he succeeded. He also helped improve a Red Sox team that finished in last place the last two seasons (last year finishing with a 78-84 record) to an American League East Division title with a 93-69 record. The Red Sox improved and made the playoffs and you can point to the stellar play of Mookie Betts as a difference maker.
Overall, you may think I am biased as a Red Sox fan. I get it. Let's look at a stats comparison for a moment.
Mike Trout: .315 Average, 29 Home Runs, 100 RBIs, 30 Stolen Bases
Jose Altuve: .338 Average, 24 Home Runs, 96 RBIs, 30 Stolen Bases
Mookie Betts: .318 Average, 31 Home Runs, 116 RBIs, 26 Stolen Bases
Side by side they all look comparable. You can even add runs scored in there and they will still match up side by side (Trout, 123, Altuve, 108, Betts, 122). Dive into the deeper stats like Wins Above Replacement, On Base Percentage, Slugging Percentage and On Base Plus Slugging and you still have similar resumes. That is why I bring it down to Mookie Betts. Sure Betts has stars around him. Heck, they may even have arguments for themselves in this conversation. But Betts still shines above them because he was the difference maker. His defense is incredible, his love of the game and positive attitude has helped lift the clubhouse, and he has made such an impact on a first place team and storied franchise at the ripe age of 23 years old.
The stats may look close, but what Mookie Betts does for the Red Sox is more than what the other two have been able to do for their teams this season. Betts has become a breakout superstar and has given hope for a bright future in Boston. He has shown he is a long term asset for years to come and took the league by storm, just as Mike Trout did in 2014 (the year he won the AL MVP). Bias does not come into play with my thoughts on Betts winning the MVP. It is my love of the game that does. With a bright smile, leadership, hustle and exciting play Betts has helped a team improve in the win column by 15 wins and has helped lead them to the playoffs in the toughest division in baseball (the two wild card playoff teams also came out of the AL East). The other two candidates finished 3rd and 4th in their division. The Red Sox finished on top in their division over two other playoff teams. That is the tie breaker in what seems to be a tight American League Most Valuable Player race. The value of Mookie Betts goes beyond personal stats. He is showing he can help improve an entire team.
