The 2017 Major League Baseball season is winding down, bringing us close to the awards given to those who performed the best all year long. Out of all the MLB players, one man in each league will win the most prestigious award, Most Valuable Player. Starting with the American League, the top three MVP candidates would be: Jose Ramirez or Corey Kluber of the Cleveland Indians, along with Jose Altuve of the Houston Astros.
We’ll start off with Ramirez, the Indians’ third Baseman. Ramirez is definitely the underdog in this race, but he’s definitely shown flashes off greatness. Currently, Ramirez has hit for his career high in home runs with 27, and he also has hit a career-high in doubles with 50. That statistic puts him at the top of the majors for the lead in doubles.
Next up is Kluber, teammate of Ramirez and starting pitcher on the Indians. Typically, pitchers don’t win the MVP; the last one to do so was Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw in 2014. In the AL, the last to do so was former Tigers ace Justin Verlander in 2011. Verlander now plays for the Astros. Kluber has definitely proven that he’s a legitimate contender by showing complete dominance in every start. He’s sporting a career low earned run average (2.35), while also holding the league lead in wins (17) and WHIP (0.850). He’s already the front runner for the 2017 Cy Young Award, with Chris Sale of the Red Sox behind him.
Astros second baseman Jose Altuve is the most likely to end up with the award in his hand. Altuve leads the Astros with his .348 batting average and 23 home runs. Not to mention that he also leads the AL in hits with 194. He backs his great bat with a stellar glove in the field.
When it comes to the National League, the main candidates to 2017 MVP appear to be Giancarlo Stanton of the Miami Marlins, Nolan Arenado of the Colorado Rockies, and Paul Goldschmidt of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Let’s start with Stanton. After a terrible 2016 season, Stanton has made a tremendous turn-around in 2017. He leads MLB in home runs with 55. Stanton has gained 39 points on his batting average from last year, while also leading the league in slugging percentage (631).
Sticking with big power hitters, Rockies’ third baseman Arenado also has a shot at bringing home the honor. He currently possesses 34 home runs this season and leads the NL in doubles (42) and RBI (125). The thing about Arenado is that along with being a solid hitter, he is an even better fielder, having 20 defensive runs saved this season.
Rockies’ division rival, the Arizona Diamondbacks, have arguably the best first baseman in baseball and yet another MVP candidate in Goldschmidt. As per tradition, Goldschmidt is a first baseman that owns the ability to hit the ball a long way anytime he steps to the plate. Goldschmidt has 35 home runs to his credit this season. The crazy thing about ‘Goldy’ is that he’s a first baseman that is no slouch on the base path, stealing 17 bases this year and over 30 last year. Like the other MVP candidates, he has a great ability with his glove.
In the American League, I have Jose Altuve winning it all. In the National League, I think Nolan Arenado will take home the gold. With the playoffs starting soon, the MVP picture will clear up in the coming weeks.
The 2017 MLB regular season will conclude on Sunday, Oct. 1. The Wild Card round, featuring two one-game playoff duals, takes place on Tuesday, Oct. 3 and Wednesday, Oct. 4. Then, playoff series will begin in both leagues.
Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton could win his very first MVP award after the season. He leads the MLB in home runs with 55. The runner-up, Aaron Judge of the Yankees, has 10 fewer homers (45) than Stanton.