Jays slugger in conversation for 2017 MVP honours
MLB sensation Trout heads the list, but there’s plenty of star power raring to go
Elite offensive production, solid work with the leather, and a taste of the post-season.
Unless you’re leaps and bounds better than the field, like Mike Trout was for the 74-88, fourthplace Los Angeles Angels last year, it’s the usual recipe for MVP candidacy.
There’s a large group of players with talent to write the necessary resume this year.
Here are 10 of them heading into the 2017 season:
10. Manny Machado (3B), Baltimore Orioles, You could’ve slid any number of names into the final spot — Arizona Diamondbacks 1B Paul Goldschmidt and Colorado Rockies 3B Nolan Arenado were the final cuts in this exercise — but most MVP candidates not named Mike Trout or Alex Rodriguez have had their teams in contention, something that doesn’t seem realistic for the majority of the candidates in the tier below. Machado’s brilliance is represented by a .294/.343/.533 slash line with 37 home runs and elite level defence, but the O’s will have to win enough games and make the playoffs for the 24-yearold to be in the conversation.
9. Jose Altuve (2B), Houston Astros Despite not getting one firstplace vote last year — Trout got 19, Mookie Betts secured nine—Altuve made a good case to be the MVP in 2016, winning the AL batting title with a .338 average, while also hitting 24 homers and stealing 30 bags. At 5-foot-7, Altuve is a legit star on a team that’s expected to be a playoff contender for the next few years.
8. Carlos Correa (SS), Houston Astros The only team with two players on this list, the Astros are a trendy World Series sleeper pick thanks to a boatload of young talent in the lineup, headlined by Altuve and this 22-year-old shortstop who’s already put up seasons of 3.4 and 4.9 wins above replacement to start his career. Funny thing is, even more was expected of Correa last season, but somehow a .274/.361/.451 slash line with 20 homers and 96 RBI wasn’t good enough.
7. Bryce Harper (OF), Washington Nationals What a year 2016 was for Harper, and not in a good way. After destroying National League pitching on his way to winning the NL MVP in 2015, Harper took an odd step back last year, falling from a .330/.460/.649 slash line to .243/.373/.441 in 2016. The slide was mostly fuelled by his batting average on balls in play, which was well below league average at .264, but the usual light-tower Harper power wasn’t there, either, as he socked just 24 homers, compared to 42 in 2015. It’d be smart to bet on a big bounce back this summer.
6. Francisco Lindor (SS), Cleveland Indians We thought the golden era for shortstops happened last decade when A-Rod, Nomar Garciaparra, Derek Jeter and Miguel Tejada were all putting up video-game numbers at the same time, but this group might be just as good. Unlike some of the other six-spotters, Lindor isn’t going to overwhelm you with numbers, but his .301/.358/.435 slash line with 15 homers and 19 steals is the type of well-rounded production teams crave. Add Gold Glove defence into the mix and you realize Lindor is a player without a weakness.
5. Mookie Betts (OF), Boston Red Sox His teammate, shortstop Xander Bogaerts, will likely garner some MVP love in the coming years, as well, but Betts is the cornerstone of a Boston lineup that should once again be one of the best in baseball this season. The 24-yearold Betts finished second to Trout for the AL MVP, slashing a gaudy .318/.363/.534 and almost going 30/30 with 31 home runs and 26 stolen bases. He also had 122 RBI. The 5-foot-9, 156-pounder’s prime years should be exciting to watch.
4. Josh Donaldson (3B), Toronto Blue Jays Just as shortstop Franklin Barreto, the prospect that helped pry Donaldson out of Oakland, is on the verge of reaching the big leagues, this third baseman is working on his third straight season of MVP-type numbers, as he’s coming off a 37-homer year and 122 RBI in 2016. Like most of the top candidates, if Donaldson has his team in the playoffs, his name will deservedly be in the MVP mix. Imagine the dollars a two-time MVP would command on the open market in the winter of 2018.
3. Corey Seager (SS), Los Angeles Dodgers Later next month, Seager will turn 23. Twenty-three! In his first full big-league season, he out-homered his age, swatting 26 home runs on his way to a 7.5 WAR season in Hollywood. That elite shortstop group? Seager headlines it, leading all shortstops in WAR, wRC+, batting average, slugging and doubles last season, while finishing second in home runs and third in on-base percentage. The Dodgers are the favourites in the NL West, giving Seager everything he needs to be a MVP favourite in 2017.
2. Kris Bryant (3B), Chicago Cubs In case you hadn’t heard, the Cubs are absolutely loaded with talent, and Bryant is the cream of that crop. After putting up a monster rookie season slash line of .275/.369/.488 for 6.6 WAR in 2015, Bryant shot to superstardom last year by winning the NL MVP and slashing .292/.385/.554 with 39 homers and 102 RBI. If teammate Anthony Rizzo doesn’t steal the award, Bryant will without a doubt have a good case for the back-to-back by the time this season wraps up.
1. Mike Trout (OF), L.A. Angels Trout is 25 years old. Trout has played five seasons in the Majors. Trout’s WAR for each of those five campaigns is as follows: 10.3, 10.5, 7.9, 9.0 and 9.4. If you don’t understand wins above replacement, it’s pretty simple: 2-3 WAR is considered a solid starter, while the 4-6 range makes you an all-star and one of the best players in the game. But nine? That’s a different stratosphere, one Trout can claim all to himself. With two AL MVP awards on his resume already, Trout is the best player in baseball right now and it’s not even an argument.