We just polled the MLBTR readership regarding the state of the American League Most Valuable Player race. There’s a clear preference for Mike Trout, even if he’s going to miss the last few weeks of the season.
Injuries could well impact the state of the National League MVP voting as well. Not long before Trout hit the shelf, reigning NL player-of-the-year Christian Yelich went out of commission. Javier Baez might also have staked a claim with a big run down the stretch, but he has been out for a while.
Despite his recent injury, Yelich still has a great case to be made to repeat with the top honors. He’s pacing the National League with 7.7 fWAR and a 173 wRC+ while also carrying top-of-the-class counting stats (44 home runs, 30 steals).
The other top candidate is Dodgers stud Cody Bellinger, who has added value with the glove both at first base and in the outfield. He actually leads Yelich handily in rWAR, with an 8.2 to 7.1 advantage. Bellinger is also quite likely to end up with more dingers and is playing for the National League’s best team.
What of the National League’s leader in batting average, Anthony Rendon? The exceedingly quiet star has elevated his game in all respects this year; his .333/.417/.629 batting line has crept past Bellinger’s and Rendon has swatted a career-best 34 home runs. He also plays a mean third base. Oh, and if you want to place added weight on performance down the stretch, Rendon leads the pack in second-half fWAR and wRC+.
If there’s a dark horse, it’s … probably not one of the Braves’ several stars. The club has received big-time output from Freddie Freeman, Ronald Acuna, and Josh Donaldson. But none has performed quite to the individual level of the surprising Ketel Marte, who’s the fourth National League player to carry seven or more wins above replacement by measure of Fangraphs. Marte may not quite have the stature to vault past these better-known players, particularly since more of his value is tied up in his glove, but he’s sitting on an excellent .326/.387/.589 batting line (149 wRC+) with 32 homers.
Who’s your favorite? (Poll link for app users.)
Although I think Bellinger is going to win, I’m really rooting for Rendon.
Bellinger is a bum!
How did he help his team get into Play Off Contention, oh yeah for the umpteen time, with all due respect.
They need to give him the most outstanding player award, they should start creating one, geeze!!
Should probably be Yelich, but the more interesting race is NL Cy young. No one really jumps out.
Should be either Degrom or Scherzer imo
It should be Ryu and it should be unanimous.
Would agree if he was still posting that below 2 era or slightly above it. Guy doesn’t have as many IP as Degrom, doesn’t have a better whip, nor strikeouts. To say it’s him unanimously is just not correct. The numbers do no support the argument of unanimous anymore.
Sorry, I was referring to Mike Trout.
Mike Trout. Just give it to him for both leagues
He’s not in the national league.
Guess you missed the “just give it to him for both leagues” part
Whomever has the better finish between Rendon and Bellinger will likely be the MVP….assuming that Washington gets into the playoffs
Absolutely it has to be between Rendon or Bellinger. While I’m a Brewer fan and love Yellich, he is hurt at a valuable time during the race. I would say it is between those two with Bellinger winning it. The nice thing about all these players is they all would rather have a World series ring instead.
You are obviously not a Brewers fan considering you can’t even spell Yelich! Plus an actual Brewers fan understands that he kept them in the race all season and all the players understand that so there recent hot streak is for him (hence why players keep putting up “22” signs after getting big hits. Yelich’s numbers are better than both Bellinger and Rendon and in significantly less at-bats. His defense isn’t quite on Bellinger’s level but it is still good and his baserunning is much better than Bellinger’s. The Nationals are starting to choke and this was never Rendon’s race to win (and he only leads Yelich in batting average (barely)).
Have to go with Bellinger not because he’s a Dodger but because he adds so much versatility. Few can play all of the OF positions and first, not just competently, but very well, and he also bring a great arm and speed to his game. He’s an all-around, off-the-charts athlete who was born with MVP tattooed on his neck.
Rendon deserves it more than Bellinger. Both are great players that deserve the award. But Bellinger plays on an all star line up and in the soft NL west while Rendon has less protection and faces better pitching from the NL east.
But there’s no wrong choice either way.
None of that would matter even if it was true, which it isn’t. All three NL divisions have almost the exact same combined record (all winning). The “soft” divisions are actually the ALE and ALC. The idea that the NLW is “soft” is simply a legend that refuses to die. So maybe you need to figure out a better reason for why Rendon deserves it more.
Other than the Doggers, the NL West is a joke. The Rockies, Padres and Giants are all garbage and the D-backs aren’t much better. The only thing propping up the record in the division is the Doggers record.
Lol’d at the Someone from the Braves option
Just covering all your bases so you don’t end up with a bunch of us angry Braves fans on your hands I see. Well played hahaha
I laughed too….a great display of CYA
Yeah, I think I finally figured y’all out.
In my opinion, how good the team they are on should have nothing to do with their MVP status. It’s the most valuable player. Not the best player on the best team.
It even states that on the BBWAA site in a copy of the letter sent to voters.
“There is no clear-cut definition of what Most Valuable means. It is up to the individual voter to decide who was the Most Valuable Player in each league to his team. The MVP need not come from a division winner or other playoff qualifier.”
bbwaa.com/voting-faq/
@Krillin,
BUT the MVP helped get his team in the playoffs, or possibly in the WS
SO the outstanding player of the year and rightfully so is Trout!
Mike Trout may not have gotten his team to the playoffs but that doesnt mean he isnt the most valuable player
If you listen to Cardinals broadcasts, you’ll walk away thinking Kolten Wong is the league MVP. They’ve already awarded him the gold glove.
Not as bad as listening to Bill Schroeder on the Brewers broadcasts.
I listen to them and I don’t hear that at all. GG yes, MVP no. Hyperbole much?
Nauseating. He’s not GG caliber either.
Bellinger was too much of a pansy to participate in the Home Run Derby (Yelich faked a back injury but he’s out of the MVP conversation because he’s hurt). That alone makes me root for Anthony Rendon.
Too bad MVP awards aren’t based on exhibition games and events….
Rendon should win it imo
I think I’d probably lean towards Rendon but it’s really just splitting hairs when comparing him to Bellinger. It’s crazy how this was Rendons first time making the all star team.
I’m going with Ketel Marte. His value is more than his defense, speed and versatility. He’s leading the NL in Hits and the MLB in Total Bases. Very Joe Morgan-like.
Id be willing to bet Marte finishes a very respactable 4th like Semian in the AL should. similar player profile, both would probably get more votes if they had more name recognition.
i personally would vote for Yelich if I had a vote, but im sure the likeliest winner at this point is Bellinger.
Going with Rendon. Bellinger just hasnt had a MVP worthy second half. He’s only hit .254 since the all star break
Marte and Rendon are having great years. Bellinger has been sliding back somewhat. Marte actually has less around him with the Diamondbacks trading Goldschmidt and Grenke. They are hanging on even while “giving up”.
I voted for Mike Trout without a second thought in the AL MVP poll. I then debated over Cody Bellinger, Christian Yelich and Anthony Rendon for NL MVP honors and decided in favor of the Dodgers slugger.
All LA MVP’s in 2019. Bellinger also has a decent shot at World Series MVP honors along with a player on the Astros or Yankees postseason roster.
Bellinger has zero chance at a world series mvp. Dodgers aren’t winning a world series anytime soon.
Someone from the Braves??? Nothing like having a skewed poll from the start. It should list Freddie Freeman and/or Acuna. I tend to favor the former (being listed) for the RBI and OBP production, not to mention leadership intangibles.
I find people’s justifications for votes so strange. First people say that the player has to be on a playoff team, then they say that a team like the Dodgers are already too good even without bellinger, then other’s seem to think the MVP should be especially good at the end of the year. Very strange, I hope actual mvp voters don’t inject such requirements
They do. There is no standards.
If Donaldson is being considered why not Suarez? Geno is crushing home runs like crazy.
Rendon deserves it
According to the official guide, there is no clear definition. However, it does explicitly mention a players value to his team. And it is clear it is up to the voter to determine what that value is. It’s not really clear why stat lines have become the defacto standard. And, while the regular season is the only time frame to be considered, it lists things to consider as if the vote should be weighted against all the criteria. It’s who was the most valuable player to his team. That means a guy hitting 380 on a team of guys all hitting 300 isn’t as valuable to a team as a guy hitting 300 on a team full of guys hitting 220. So while the mvp is as ambiguous an award there is, we really need a best player in league award as well, which is what the MVP has become.
Had Christian Yelich not gotten injured this probably wouldn’t even be a debate. He had surpassed Bellinger and started running away with the award. So what has changed since the injury? Bellinger has failed to hit a home run and his batting average has continued to drop, Rendon and the Nationals have begun collapsing their way out of a playoff spot, and the Brewers have been the hottest team in baseball with the philosophy “Do it for Yeli”, and not to mention Braun hit a home run in YELICH’S jersey. Look at the numbers, Yelich deserves MVP. Watch the games, Yelich deserves MVP. If Yelich does not win MVP this is the greatest MVP robbery in league history.
I’m just glad the Dodgers didn’t ship Will Smith or Kelbert Ruiz plus more to get Vasquez during the deadline as I was pushing for them to make a deal to bring Vasquez to LA….but sometimes the best deals are the ones not made….
Hate the Dodgers but I went with Bellinger
Bellinger is a bum!