Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher David Price (14) pitches against Tampa Bay Rays in the first inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Peter Llewellyn-USA TODAY Sports /
Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson (20) drops his bat after hitting a home run in the ninth inning to give the Jays a 5-4 win over Tampa Bay Rays at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports /
AL MVP
Josh Donaldson, 3B Toronto Blue Jays – There is a segment of the public that has already anointed Donaldson with this trophy, but I wouldn’t do that just yet. He still holds a small lead in fWAR (8.5 to 8.3) over Trout, but bWAR has crowned Trout as the top AL player following a late resurgence. Donaldson’s profile is undeniable, with 41 home runs to go along with elite defense, but if the two players switched places in the team-based standings, it is safe to assume people would lean in Trout’s direction.
Mike Trout, OF Los Angeles Angels –Trout’s August swoon was well documented, but he’s back. The talented outfielder leads the AL in wRC+ (170) by a comfortable margin with 40 home runs and a league-leading .582 slugging percentage. He gets knocked when compared to Donaldson defensively, but it isn’t as if Trout is bad in the outfield. His biggest problem right now is that the Angels are probably going to miss the playoffs.
Manny Machado, 3B Baltimore Orioles – The Machado breakout has certainly occurred. Thirty home runs, 18 stolen bases and a .486 slugging percentage would be good for anyone, but Machado might be the best defensive third baseman in baseball (sorry, Josh Donaldson) and he is still quite young. Make no mistake, the gap between the top two and everyone else is quite large, but Machado’s on the rise in a big way.
