The Mike Trout Award

Congratulations to the AL MVP Award for winning Mike Trout in 2016. 

The best player on the planet doesn't need another MVP designation, or the three other MVPs he earned but failed to procure because writers don't always understand logic.

Mike Trout is already a Hall of Fame candidate at age 25, with more lifetime wins against replacement than Hall of Famer Jim Rice, who toiled for 11 more seasons than Trout has so far played.

Trout is only the third player in baseball history to finish in the top three in MVP voting five consecutive years (joining Albert Pujols and Barry Bonds) and the first ever to do it in his first five seasons. 

No, Trout is in Greatest of All Time territory without MVP awards. But the MVP award was in serious jeopardy of losing its relevance if it had once again failed to attach itself to the transparently best player in the world. Debates over "value" are pedantic and vapid in the face of Mike Trout's prowess and were pushing the MVP award dangerously close to occupying the space currently held by the Miss America Award, the vice presidency and the AFC South champion.

Congratulations, AL MVP award, for winning Mike Trout. And saving yourself.

We Interrupt This World Series to Talk MVP

Discussing the season's MVP awards while the World Series is underway is like examining NFL draft positions during Super Bowl week. Except worse, because the Super Bowl is silly while the World Series is important.

Nonetheless, we venture, largely because the two MVP awards are easy picks. Here, choose your guy:

Player A: .318 BA, 31 HR. 26 of 30 steals. Great defense, corner outfield.
Player B: .315 BA, 30 HR. 30 of 37 steals. Very good defense up the middle.

Pretty even, right? Now add this:
Player A: 49 walks, .363 OBP
Player B: 116 walks, .441 OBP

Oh, and this:
Player A: great hitting home park, surrounded by sluggers.
Player B: average hitting home park, lousy lineup around him.

It's becoming a no-brainer, right? Player A, with a 131 OPS+ (31% better than average) and 9.6 WAR is a stud. Player B, with a 174 OPS+ and 10.6 WAR is the league's MVP.

So it's agreed: MIke Trout is the MVP over Mookie Betts and it's not terribly close.

In the NL, the MVP didn't hit .300 or lead the league in OBP, slugging, home runs or RBI. He isn't the best defensive player. He's simply top 10 in everything with a special bonus to boot. 

So while Daniel Murphy was a revelation at the plate, and led the league in OPS, he's a liability in the field. Joey Votto's OBP led the NL, but his defensive value is limited as a first baseman. Nolan Arenado paced the circuit in homers (again) and makes batters cry with his defense, but the offense must be tempered by his home park (Denver.)

Kris Bryant is your MVP. His OPS is fourth in the league, he smacked 39 home runs and he's a whiz in the field. Plus, he offers Joe Maddon valuable defensive flexibility, logging solid innings at the hot corner, the two corner outfield spots and even first base. His WAR (7.7) is a full win ahead of anyone else's.

In olden times (last decade) Murphy would have swept the award for his big offensive stats and his position on the field. David Ortiz might have done the same in the AL. We know better now the true cost of their poor (or non-existent) defense, and recognize the players who actually deserve it.