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2022 MLB AL MVP Watch: July

Zach PressnellBy 4 Mins Read

The MLB AL MVP Award is given out annually to the best-performing player in the American League. The candidates at the top of the American League have relatively stayed the same for the last month. Here is a look at the players at the top of the AL MVP Watch for the month of July.

Aaron Judge, OF, New York Yankees

Avg: .286

OBP: .361

SLG: .627

HR: 29

RBI: 59

2B: 11

K/BB: 83/36

WAR: 3.7

Aaron Judge was my pick for the AL MVP before the month of June. Judge was voted the top vote-getter in the American League for the 2022 All-Star Game. This gives him an automatic place as an All-Star starter, while the rest of the league is left to voting phase 2. Judge was pretty good for the month of June. He had a slash line of .257/.344/.578 for the month. Each of these numbers is a tick down from his season number in each category. He also slugged 11 home runs for the month and drove in 21 runs. His 29 home runs are the most in the league by a healthy margin.

Mike Trout, OF, Los Angeles Angels

Avg: .285

OBP: .387

SLG: .650

HR: 23

RBI: 47

2B: 17

K/BB: 79/37

WAR: 4.2

Mike Trout remains where he has been since he entered the league: one of the best players in the game. For every season that he has been healthy, he has been among the league’s best, if not the best. So far, he has 9 qualified seasons in the MLB. He has finished in the top 5 in the MVP voting in every single one of these seasons. He has set a career-high for flyball percentage this season, up to 47.3% of his batted balls being flyballs. This has resulted in the home runs rising. At the rate that he is hitting, he is a real threat to break the 50 home run mark for the first time in his career. He is 1 of just 3 players with an OPS higher than 1.000, joining Yordan Alvarez of the Astros and Paul Goldschmidt of the Cardinals.

Yordan Alvarez, DH, Houston Astros

Avg: .316

OBP: .412

SLG: .658

HR: 23

RBI: 56

2B: 8

K/BB: 46/37

WAR: 3.7

Yordan Alvarez has just recently placed himself among the AL MVP candidates. He did so with an incredible month of June, where he will more than likely be named to MLB’s Team of the Month. He raised his batting average from .272 on June 1st, up to .316 on July 1st. So far, he has put together a slash line of .418/.510/.835, all of which are tremendously higher than his season statistics. The star designated hitter is still just 25 years old. He has shown tremendous ability to hit for power and average to all 3 fields. He has 23 home runs on the season, 4 to the opposite field, 10 to center field, and the other 9 to his pull side. Alvarez also ranks in the 100th percentile in xBA, xwOBA, xSLG, HardHit%, and Avg. Exit Velocity. He is currently averaging a 95.9 MPH exit velocity.

Prediction: Aaron Judge, OF, New York Yankees

My prediction remains with the Yankees superstar outfielder, Aaron Judge. The superstar is on an otherworldly pace for the typical baseball counting stats. He is on pace for about 60 home runs, 120 RBIs, and 160 hits, all of which would be career highs. Judge ranks in either the 99th or 100th percentile in the following advanced statistical categories: (99th) Avg. Exit Velocity, Max Exit Velocity, HardHit%, (100th) xSLG, Barrel%, and xwOBA. If the season ended today, he would be the AL MVP. His statistics and his advanced statistics both support the theory that his historic season will continue. Judge is the best player on the best team in the league. This is his award to lose at the moment.

 

 

 

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