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MLB: 5 Leading Candidates for World Series MVP

By Brad Rowland

General view of the MLB Postseason logo in the dugout prior to the 2014 American League Wild Card playoff baseball game between the Kansas City Royals and the Oakland Athletics at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
General view of the MLB Postseason logo in the dugout prior to the 2014 American League Wild Card playoff baseball game between the Kansas City Royals and the Oakland Athletics at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports /
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San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner (right, center) is awarded the NLCS MVP award after game five of the 2014 NLCS playoff against the St. Louis Cardinals at AT&T Park. The Giants won 6-3. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner (right, center) is awarded the NLCS MVP award after game five of the 2014 NLCS playoff against the St. Louis Cardinals at AT&T Park. The Giants won 6-3. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

Madison Bumgarner

If I were to pick a candidate to win the World Series MVP, it is probably Bumgarner, simply based on opportunity and recent performance. San Francisco’s left-handed ace took home the NLCS MVP award after accumulating a 1.72 ERA over two starts and 15.2 innings, and he’ll have every chance to jump-start the Giants when he takes the mound in Game 1 on Tuesday night.

We have seen several instances of dominant starting pitching carrying the way to a World Series win for a particular team, as evidenced by some of the playoff “heroes” of the recent past, and Bumgarner certainly has the talent to make it go. Bovada, a leading online oddsmaker has installed the 25-year-old at 9-to-1 to take home World Series MVP honors, but if he merely performs in a similar way to the remainder of the 2014 playoffs (i.e. with a 1.42 ERA in four starts and more than 30 innings), that number will seem incredibly high.

Madison Bumgarner is the best starting pitcher on either team, and in this age of pitching dominance, that brings immediate credence with regard to the MVP discussion.

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