The 2015 MLB season is still pretty young. It’s only May, after all. We have a long, grueling regular season to enjoy yet, but with the first quarter of the year out of the way, fans and experts alike are already wondering which guys can keep up with their torrid paces and which will slide back to the mean. Even better, which guys are serious candidates to be crowned the MVP of their respective leagues? Let’s break down the top threats and make our own picks:
AL MVP Candidates: Nelson Cruz, Mike Trout, Miguel Cabrera
Who has truly been better than Cruz? He’s almost single-handedly keeping the Seattle Mariners afloat, while converting on a remarkable .340 of his trips to the plate and also knocking out 16 dingers. If Cruz can keep this up, the Mariners could make some noise late in the year and he just might be a finalist for AL MVP.
Trout is closing in on Cruz, and if he hadn’t cooled down a bit in the month of May, he might already be all by himself in first on this AL MVP list. Even so, Trout is having himself another terrific season with 11 home runs and 22 RBI. The amazing thing is Trout is doing it largely by himself, as the rest of the Angels’ offense has been slow to catch up with his play. His hitting (.288) isn’t quite as impressive as some of the other candidates, but if he can heat up he’ll be more than in the mix later in the year.
Cabrera definitely deserves some recognition thanks to a staggering .313/.371/.524 line, along with a healthy 10 home runs and 30 RBI. He’s been the bulk of the power behind the explosive Detroit Tigers offense and is obviously a huge reason why they are in contention for the AL Central division title. If the Tigers take over first by the end of the year and his numbers still look this gaudy, he’ll be a strong contender to take home the AL MVP award.
AL MVP Winner: Mike Trout
Trout is arguably the most talented AL MVP candidate and he’s probably the least likely to experience a sudden, drastic drop-off. I think the fact that he gets such little help really beefs up his case, too, while the Angels’ rise in the standings over the course of the year should help, as well.
NL MVP Candidates: Bryce Harper, Adrian Gonzalez, Paul Goldschmidt, Anthony Rizzo and Dee Gordon
Harper just got tossed from yet another game recently, but that doesn’t take away from the Nationals stud’s power hitting. Harper is on pace for a ridiculous 58 homers, and even though he won’t get there, his batting average (.338), on base percentage (.476) and slugging percentage (.729) all combine to make him one of the more well-rounded MVP options.
Few players have been as efficient or as explosive as Adrian Gonzalez, who is hitting a blistering .345 with nine home runs. Gonzalez has been an elite offensive force for the Dodgers since day one, as he started the season unbelievably hot and really hasn’t cooled down much at all. He’s a long shot to win the NL MVP at 33 years old, as many will expect him to slow down eventually, but the voters can’t ignore him if he ends the year as hot as he started it.
Goldschmidt can’t be left out of the running, as he’s been absolutely huge for an otherwise weak Arizona Diamondbacks squad. All they have is offense these days, and Goldschmidt’s 10 homers and .302 batting average are a huge reason why.
Anthony Rizzo and Dee Gordon also deserve to be mentioned, although both are less serious MVP candidates. Gordon thrives on simply connecting (64 hits with an insane .395 average) and stealing bases (12), but he has zero home runs and plays for a pretty weak Miami Marlins club. Rizzo has a great line of .333/.460/.587 with eight homers and 23 RBI on the year, and he’s also been a big reason why the Cubs are somewhat important again. He hasn’t displayed the power or consistency as some of the other big names, though.
NL MVP Winner: Bryce Harper
The brash hot head is everyone’s favorite player to hate, unless you’re a fan of the Washington Nationals. Not only is he an efficient, powerful stat-stuffer, but he also is on one of the best teams in baseball. If Washington continues their rise and his numbers remain even remotely this elite, he’s a lock to win the NL MVP.
Got a different MVP in mind for either league? Let us hear about it in the comments below!
