The MLB AL MVP Award is given out annually to the best performing player in the American League. This season, three familiar names have placed themselves in the middle of the MVP race in the American League. Today, we will discuss these three familiar names as they are MVP frontrunners as of June 5.
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Avg: .285
OBP: .388
SLG: .599
HR: 13
RBI: 28
2B: 13
K/BB: 53/25
WAR: 2.5
Mike Trout has consistently been one of, if not, the best player in baseball in every season that he has been healthy. 2022 isn’t any different. He ranks above the MLBs elite in multiple advanced statistics including average and max exit velocity, Hard Hit%, Barrel%, sprint speed, xSLG, and chase rate. He has been impressive with his power numbers and his WAR ranks among the best in the American League. Although he is going through a cold streak as of now, Mike Trout is one of the most talented players in the league and a hot streak and a hot second half wouldn’t surprise anybody.
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Avg: .316
OBP: .386
SLG: .689
HR: 21
RBI: 42
2B: 9
K/BB: 56/24
WAR: 2.6
Aaron Judge is the runaway leader in home runs this season. It isn’t crazy to think that he could blow past 50 home runs this season. With 21 home runs in 51 games, his pace is unsustainable, but incredibly impressive. He also ranks top 10 in the American League in batting average, WAR, and RBIs while simultaneously leading the entire MLB in SLG%. If Judge can stay on a pace close to as dominant as he has been so far, his 2022 season could be a historic one.
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Avg: .295
OBP: .393
SLG: .631
HR: 13
RBI: 52
2B: 12
K/BB: 15/28
WAR: 2.7
Jose Ramirez has been elite in almost every aspect of the game this season. He has put himself among the best third baseman in the entire MLB as well as being one of the best performing players in the league. Looking at his season so far, one thing leaps off the stat sheet at you. He has almost hit as many home runs as he has tallied strikeouts. That is a ridiculous stat that has never been achieved in the history of the sport and likely never will. But, his rate is incredible. He also leads the entire MLB in RBIs which holding a slugging percentage above .600. He will likely be among the MVP favorites for the remainder of the season, as he tries to carry the Guardians back to the playoffs.
This prediction wasn’t a very difficult one. Mike Trout and Jose Ramirez are both very impressive players and they’re having very impactful seasons. But, Judge is having a historic season. The pace and the tear that he on is astonishing. He seems to add a home run to his tally every time he takes the field as he is averaging less than 10 at bats per home run. He is also the MLB leader in xSLG, Hard Hit%, Barrel%, and Avg Exit Velocity. These indicators show that his dominance should continue through the entirety of the season. The 2022 MLB AL MVP is Aaron Judges’ award to lose.
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