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MLB Awards Watch: Hello, Corey Kluber

By Brad Rowland

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Corey Kluber (28) is congratulated in the dugout after leaving the game during the eighth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Corey Kluber (28) is congratulated in the dugout after leaving the game during the eighth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /
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Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout (27) high fives teammates in the dugout after scoring a run against the Oakland Athletics during the first inning at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout (27) high fives teammates in the dugout after scoring a run against the Oakland Athletics during the first inning at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

Most Valuable Player National League

  1. Clayton Kershaw, SP Los Angeles Dodgers – In order to win an MVP award, a starting pitcher has to be incredible while simultaneously encountering a climate without a super-elite season from a position player. That formula has been executed perfectly by Clayton Kershaw. The left-hander leads the NL in both forms of WAR (7.2 fWAR, 8.1 bWAR), and even when he has only appeared in 27 contests, a 1.77 ERA with standout ratios are enough to vault him over the rest of the competition in the National League.
  2. Andrew McCutchen, OF Pittsburgh Pirates – A loss of nearly 20 games due to injury and the lack of defensive excellence are what keep McCutchen from seriously challenging Kershaw in my eyes. On a per at-bat basis, McCutchen has been lights-out at the plate, with 25 home runs, 18 stolen bases and a sparkling .314/.409/.545 slash line that ties him with Mike Trout for MLB’s best wRC+ of 168. Still, he has been a negative player by any defensive measure this season and without the extra counting stats from the lost time, he falls behind Kershaw’s historic performance.
  3. Giancarlo Stanton, OF Miami Marlins – Did you know that Giancarlo Stanton has still appeared in more games than Andrew McCutchen? Many wrote off Stanton as even a candidate after his early exit due to injury, but Miami’s slugger still leads the NL in home runs (37) and slugging percentage (.555) while finishing in the top-3 among position players in WAR. It was a fantastic year for Stanton, and barring a major change, he deserves to be on the ballot.

American League

  1. Mike Trout, OF Los Angeles Angels – This award has been Mike Trout’s from the beginning, and with only three days in the left season, it appears that he will be a near-unanimous winner. Many pundits are screaming about a “down” year from Trout on the basis of a dip in speed (16 stolen bases) and defensive metrics, but even with his lowest WAR in three seasons (currently 8.0 by both FanGraphs and Baseball-Reference), he is superhuman. Trout has also produced his career high in home runs with 35 and RBI with 110, and even if he is closer to being a mere mortal, he is the best baseball player on the planet.
  2. Michael Brantley, OF Cleveland Indians – No one is talking about Michael Brantley, but his 2014 performance has been special. Cleveland’s outfielder came from virtually nowhere to post a 20-20 season (20 HR, 23 SB), but more than that, he has a wildly impressive .329/.387/.510 slash line (157 wRC+) that helps to support his case. Brantley will certainly fall short of gaining the favor he deserves based on a relative lack of team success and no “wow” numbers, but he has been very, very good.
  3. Corey Kluber, SP Cleveland Indians – Two Cleveland Indians? Two Cleveland Indians! Yes, the Indians are 83-76 and on the outside looking in at a playoff spot, but this isn’t a team award, and the current leader for the AL Cy Young award has a resume that stands up against the competition. Kluber leads all non-Trout players in the AL in fWAR while falling in the top-5 on Baseball-Reference, and his overall profile is impressive enough to land on the ballot. Outside of Trout, there are a ton of “very good” performances in the American League this season, but an objective evaluation supports Kluber’s case for inclusion.

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