MLB Power Rankings: Who is the MVP at the end of May?

MLB Power Rankings 2018: Mookie Betts or Mike Trout for MVP?

ANAHEIM, CA - MAY 12: Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim is safe at third on a RBI double by Justin Upton #8 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim as he beats the tag by Eduardo Escobar #5 of the Minnesota Twins at Angel Stadium on May 12, 2018 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

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NEW YORK, NY – MAY 27: Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in action against Masahiro Tanaka #19 of the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on May 27, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. The Yankees defeated the Angles 3-1. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

2. Mike Trout, Outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

53 GP, .306/.453/.672, 18 HR, 34 RBI, .465 wOBA, 4.4 WAR

So let’s settle one thing before we go any further – Mike Trout is still the best player in baseball. There shouldn’t be a ton of discussion given his track record, what he’s continuing to do this season, and the fact he’s smack in the middle of his prime. There is a player in the American League who should be the favorite who is having the better season to this point but he hasn’t taken the best player crown from Trout and has a long way to go to pull it off.

Trout plays an excellent center field for the Angels and the lineup he plays in is certainly worse than the MVP favorite. Andrelton Simmons, Shohei Ohtani and Justin Upton are about the only other help that Trout is getting right now. Seeing as how Trout doesn’t have a lot of threats behind him, that could help explain his 20.5 walk percentage. Pitchers don’t want to let Trout beat them and that walk rate isn’t inflated by intentional walks either. Trout has only seen four of them all season.

Trout is stealing bases also and he’s tied for fifth in baseball with 12. There isn’t a single aspect of the game that Trout doesn’t excel at and the Angels would be fantastically worse off if Trout wasn’t around. One of the best arguments for him as MVP other than just his stats is the fact the team around him has been playing subpar baseball. He could still easily catch number one and it should be appreciated just how good Trout is at his craft.

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