Fansided

Top 10 AL MVP candidates in a shortened MLB season

By Scott Edwards

ST PETERSBURG, FL - JUNE 14: Mike Trout #27 and Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels get ready to bat against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on June 14, 2019 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
ST PETERSBURG, FL - JUNE 14: Mike Trout #27 and Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels get ready to bat against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on June 14, 2019 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) /
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WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 27: Alex Bregman #2 of the Houston Astros waits to bat against the Washington Nationals in Game Five of the 2019 World Series at Nationals Park on October 27, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 27: Alex Bregman #2 of the Houston Astros waits to bat against the Washington Nationals in Game Five of the 2019 World Series at Nationals Park on October 27, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

3B/SS. Houston Astros. Alex Bregman. 2. player. Pick Analysis. 135. Scouting Report

What can he do without cheating? If reports are to be believed, it’s finishing second in the AL MVP race in 2019. The Houston Astros will be under a microscope from the moment they step on the field for the first time since the return of the game. COVID-19 may have made fans forget about the sign-stealing for a while, but it will come back around. For Bregman, all he can do is go out there and play.

And that’s something he has always wanted to do. The former shortstop turned third baseman went from being the fourth face of the Astros to far and away, the best. His combination of stellar hitting and Gold Glove-caliber defense almost makes him a lock to be in the top five of the voting every single year. Seriously, considering his last two seasons have seen him finish 5th (2018) and 2nd (2019).

It’s a credit to him for lowering his strikeout numbers each of the last three seasons, even if he knew what pitch was coming in for the earlier years. However, he has also improved his batting average, scoring his career-best last season at .296. It seems as though Bregman performs better on an even playing field, something that may not be said about his teammates.

Whether people like it or not, Bregman is a top tier athlete who is just now entering his prime. Think about that for a second. Only 26 years old, 2020 could be the step where he supplants guys like Nolan Arenado as the league’s best third baseman. Something that seems a bit extreme, but they almost mirrored each other statistically last season.

Time will tell, but with 60 games only to consider, this year could be Bregman’s to take home the MVP award. That’s depending on how many actual at-bats he gets in games of course, as pitchers surely have not got over what he and the rest of his team did. We’re confident that won’t hurt him too much and the MVP could very well be his by the end of September.

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