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MLB Awards Watch: Can Kris Bryant catch Joc Pederson?

By Brad Rowland

Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant (17) signs an autograph prior to a game against the Miami Marlins at Wrigley Field. Miami won 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant (17) signs an autograph prior to a game against the Miami Marlins at Wrigley Field. Miami won 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /
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Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout (27) throws a ball to a fan during the game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. The Angels defeated the Rangers 12-6. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout (27) throws a ball to a fan during the game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. The Angels defeated the Rangers 12-6. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

AL MVP

  1. Mike Trout, OF Los Angeles Angels – The AL race isn’t nearly as clean cut as the NL version, but we continue to ride for Mike Trout in this space. Trout trails only the injured Miguel Cabrera in wRC+ (169) while landing in the top-5 in home runs (21), OBP (.393), slugging (.575) and fWAR (4.6). Trout’s defense continues to be underrated by defensive metrics, causing his WAR to slip a bit from previous levels, but he remains the best player in the AL and that is a nice tiebreaker against players with similar profiles.
  2. Manny Machado, 3B Baltimore Orioles – Did you realize that Manny Machado just turned 23 years old? Well, Baltimore’s young stud is still developing, but he has a legitimate chance to go 30-30 this season, and with his defense, look out. Machado currently has 18 home runs and 13 stolen bases in 358 plate appearances, and it isn’t just raw numbers, as he boasts a stellar .301/.360/.531 slash line (146 wRC+). Defensively, he is neck-and-neck with Josh Donaldson for “best in the business” at his position, and Machado is simply a rising star.
  3. Josh Donaldson, 3B Toronto Blue Jays – Donaldson and Machado have identical wRC+ numbers, leaving the door open for debate offensively, and with the glove, they are both elite. In this instance, I’m making speed the tiebreaker, where Machado easily “wins”, but Donaldson has a bit more power and is more established from a consistency perspective. You can’t go wrong here, and if you flip-flopped the two, no argument could be made in opposition.
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