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MLB Awards Watch: Jake Arrieta challenges LA duo for NL Cy Young

By Brad Rowland

Aug 30, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jake Arrieta (49) reacts after thawing his final pitch of the ninth inning for a no hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Cubs won 2-0. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 30, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jake Arrieta (49) reacts after thawing his final pitch of the ninth inning for a no hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Cubs won 2-0. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /
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Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson (20) heads to the dugout after hitting a home run during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson (20) heads to the dugout after hitting a home run during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports /

AL MVP

  1. Josh Donaldson, 3B Toronto Blue Jays – Donaldson continues to absolutely mash, and that is all he needs to do given his established profile as a defensive third baseman. Toronto’s lynchpin has 37 home runs to go along with triple-digit totals in RBI and runs scored, and a .591 slugging percentage helps to raise his overall performance. Donaldson holds a solid lead in fWAR (7.7) over the rest of the field, and the team success of the Blue Jays should help him greatly.
  2. Mike Trout, OF Los Angeles Angels – We broke this down in full last week, but Trout’s August swoon will likely cost him the AL MVP. On the whole, his performance has been tremendous yet again in 2015, with 34 home runs, a 168 wRC+ and a strong combination defense and baserunning. However, Donaldson’s presence made it impossible for Trout to go silent for a full month and still run away with the award, and while he still has a faint chance if he can produce a hot September, there is a clear gap right now.
  3. Lorenzo Cain, OF Kansas City Royals – The division between the top two and everyone else remains wide, but we’re going with Cain this week. The talented outfielder has been the best player for the Royals this season, producing a .314/.369/.492 slash line with 14 home runs and 26 stolen bases. More than anything, though, Cain is here for his defense, and he is one of the best in the business in roaming the outfield. Candidates like Manny Machado are certainly worthy, but Cain is right there.
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