MLB Awards: 3 Finalists for AL MVP

Los Angeles center fielder Mike Trout, Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donalson and Kansas City Royals center fielder Lorenzo Cain were named the three finalists for the AL MVP.

It was an interesting year for the American League to say the very least.

Entering 2015, there was no clear favorite for the AL, but a few teams were the usual suspects of favorites. Two favorites, the Los Angeles Angels and Detroit Tigers, fell short of expectations – each team finished with 85 wins and 74 (!) wins respectively. Instead, we had chaos for most of the season including the wild, wild AL West, which saw the Texas Rangers steal the division in the season’s final weeks and the Houston Astros make the postseason for the first time since 2005.

Led predominantly by a balanced lineup, awesome defense and phenomenal bullpen, the Kansas City Royals won 95 games, an AL best. KC promptly marched on to win the franchise’s second World Series, ending a 30-year Championship drought. For his efforts, Royals center fielder Lorenzo Cain was named one of the three finalists for the American League Most Valuable Player Award.

The three finalists for the American League MVP, as well as every other Award, were announced by the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) back on Nov. 10. This year’s other two AL MVP finalists include Angels outfielder Mike Trout and Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson. Trout has been nominated for this Award for a fourth consecutive year, and won it in 2014. This is Donaldson’s first top three finish, and is a heavy favorite to win the Award.

Here is how the 2015 American League MVP finalists stack up against each other.