Decision day for powerhouse Jay

Donaldson vs. Trout for AL MVP honour too close to call . . . suspense ends today

The chants started early in the season and by June it was a full chorus. As the familiar strains of Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight” streamed through the Rogers Centre’s public address system and Josh Donaldson stepped to the plate, the call rang out: “MVP! MVP! MVP!”

By Thursday evening we will learn whether those cheers were in vain as Major League Baseball concludes its awards week by announcing the most coveted individual prize. Donaldson, the Jays’ dynamic third baseman who put together arguably the greatest season by a position player in club history, is hoping to join George Bell — the franchise’s only other MVP winner.

Although the choice may be clear to partisan fans, the contest figures to be a close one between Donaldson and Mike Trout, the L.A. Angels’ generational talent who won last season and has yet to finish worse than runner-up since making his big-league debut in 2012.

The award is decided by 30 members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (two from each of the league’s cities), who fill out a 10-player ballot. A first-place vote is worth 14 points, while second through 10th count for nine points to one. Voters are not provided with a definition of “most valuable,” but the rules are the same as they were in1931 when the award was first handed out. Voters are to consider:

1. The actual value of a player to his team, that is, strength of offence and defence. 2. The number of games played. And most controversially: 3. His general character, disposition, loyalty and effort.

All players, including pitchers, are eligible, and the candidate’s team need not have made the playoffs.

Here’s a look at the respective cases for this year’s frontrunners.