American League MVP Debate

So I've been looking over at ESPN's baseball analysis for the past few days, and how there will inevitably be a big debate in the coming week about who should win the American League MVP. On the one hand you have Mike Trout, the Angels rookie phenom who is pretty much taking the entire league by storm. Trout will most likely become one of the best players in the league for the next decade or so.

On the other side of the debate you have Miguel Cabrera, who leads all three triple crown categories with two games left in the season. Yes. You heard that right. Miguel Cabrera is two games away from being the first triple crown winner since Red Sox outfielder Carl Yastrzemski did it back in 1967.

Right there this debate stops for me. Cabrera has to win the MVP provided he wins the triple crown. Even with that achievement aside, Cabrera still leads the AL in almost every category. What aspect has Trout really been that much better in? Just look at the numbers.

Trout: .325/ 30 Homeruns/ 83 RBI's/ .398 OBP

Cabrera: .329/ 44 Homeruns/ 137 RBI's/ .393 OBP

Ok so Trout has a slight advantage in OBP, but who cares? Cabrera's fourteen extra home runs and fifty-four RBI's has to make up for that right? Right? 

Some people would argue that the Angels wouldn't have had a shot at the playoffs without Trout. That may be true, but can you honestly tell me the Tigers would have made it themselves without Cabrera? The guy is killing it, and the Tigers had been trailing the White Sox for almost the entire year. Without the insane second half production from Cabrera, there is no doubt in my mind they would be sitting at home come mid-October, and not fighting for a World Series title.

Despite all of this ,ESPN still projects Trout to win the MVP award, while simultaneously predicting Cabrera to hold on and win the triple crown. If I had to predict what was going to happen, I would say I think it's going to be just that, even though I don't agree with it. Don't get me wrong, Trout is fantastic, and any other season he probably would have easily won the MVP, but not this year. I just wouldn't feel right about giving him that trophy while the first triple crown winner in fifty-five years watches. Plus, the Angels didn't even make the playoffs!