Fansided

MLB Awards Watch: Greetings from Memorial Day

By Brad Rowland

May 30, 2016; New York City, NY, USA; A member of the U.S. Navy parachute team 'Leap Frogs' takes part in Memorial Day celebrations prior to the game between the New York Mets and the Chicago White Sox at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
May 30, 2016; New York City, NY, USA; A member of the U.S. Navy parachute team 'Leap Frogs' takes part in Memorial Day celebrations prior to the game between the New York Mets and the Chicago White Sox at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
6 of 6
Next
May 19, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado (13) celebrates after doubling during the third inning against the Seattle Mariners at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
May 19, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado (13) celebrates after doubling during the third inning against the Seattle Mariners at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /

AL MVP

  1. Manny Machado, SS/3B Baltimore Orioles – Machado remains just 23 years old, but the league’s leader in fWAR and bWAR hasn’t quite burst on to the scene from a national perspective. Hopefully, that will change this season, as the young infielder is playing off-the-charts defense at two different positions with great offensive production. Machado has 13 home runs in only 49 games, and his .611 slugging percentage immediately jumps off the page. With that combined with his defense and Baltimore’s success, it would be tough to find legitimate push-back against his front-runner status.
  2. Mike Trout, OF Los Angeles Angels – Trout would be a perfectly reasonable front-runner right now, as he leads the AL in both offensive WAR according to both FanGraphs and Baseball-Reference. However, Trout lags behind Machado in both power and defense (at least according to the metrics) and it certainly doesn’t help his case that the Angels are five games below .500. Alas, Mike Trout will be an MVP candidate for years to come, and that isn’t a surprise to anyone.
  3. Jose Altuve, 2B Houston Astros – The Astros have been miserable this season, but there are signs of a turnaround on the horizon and Altuve is in the middle of everything. The talented second baseman has experienced as a massive power breakout with nine home runs and a .553 slugging percentage to this point, but perhaps more importantly, Altuve boasts a .403 on-base percentage and a league-leading 15 stolen bases. He uses his speed effectively on defense and on the basepaths, and Altuve is a bonafide star.
Home/Baltimore Orioles