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MLB: 5 players who could steal the MVP from Mike Trout

By Ed Carroll

Jul 15, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; American League outfielder Mike Trout (27) of the Los Angeles Angels holds up the MVP trophy after after the 2014 MLB All Star Game at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 15, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; American League outfielder Mike Trout (27) of the Los Angeles Angels holds up the MVP trophy after after the 2014 MLB All Star Game at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 21, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Corey Kluber (28) pitches in the second inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 21, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Corey Kluber (28) pitches in the second inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports /

5. Corey Kluber, Cleveland Indians

I have to admit a bias here; I really don’t like voting for starting pitchers as an MVP (and LOL at the idea of a reliever being an MVP, at least as they’re used today). It’s slightly illogical, as there is nothing prohibiting a starting pitcher from being an MVP (Detroit’s Justin Verlander took home the honors in 2011, and it’s possible Los Angeles’s Clayton Kershaw could take the NL MVP this year, with a lack of other compelling candidates), but given that pitchers already have an award (the Cy Young), and only pitch every five days or so, for a pitcher to receive MVP consideration from me, they have to be elite.

Corey Kluber has been elite. He’s pitching in Cleveland, where baseball is a distant third in the hearts of sports fans, so he’s been slightly ignored, and last season was his first full “good” season in the majors (2.8 fWAR). Many, myself included, expected Kluber to have another solid year as a useful middle-of-the-rotation starter. What the Indians got instead, is a bona-fide ace. He’s been worth 7.0 fWAR this year, but that’s part of the story. Kluber has pitched more innings than Kershaw with 227.2 (Kershaw has 198.1 after missing time on the DL earlier in the year) and his next closest AL competitor for the Cy Young, Felix Hernandez, has 230.2.

If you care about the pitching statistic of wins (you shouldn’t), Kluber has 17 with a chance for 18 before the end of the year. He’s struck out 253 batters, is ERA is 2.53,  and his Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) is 2.39. The FIP is particularly incredible, because the Indians have one of the worst defenses in baseball this season (not to mention Kluber doesn’t have the benefit of pitching in Safeco Field), and yet Kluber has still been dominant. Three complete games (one shutout) and he’s only walked 49 batters. He might not be the MVP this year, but Kluber has a case, and he should take the Cy Young as a nice consolation prize.

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