Mike Trout Is Your 2016 American League MVP
The voters got it right — Mike Trout is your 2016 American League MVP.
I’ll be honest, I’m surprised that he actually won. Like I said, the voters got it right, and I would’ve voted for him if I had a vote. The reason why I’m surprised is because this is Trout’s fifth full season at the major league level, he’s statistically been the best player in the league all five years, and this is only his second MVP award. I figured that there was a pattern developing here where the voters wouldn’t vote for a player who wasn’t on a playoff team, which Trout certainly was not. His team finished in last.
Back in September, I wrote about how stupid it is that some voters think that you have to be on a playoff team in order to win the MVP. I also made my case as to why Trout was the most deserving player for the award, so check that out if you want the nerdy, geeky stat-laced argument for Trout.
I never understood why a player has to be penalized because their teammates aren’t as talented as the other candidates’ teammates. But this year, the voters got it right. The MVP ballot is worded pretty shitty, so the term “valuable” is open to the interpretation of the voter, but it also says that “The MVP need not come from a division winner or other playoff qualifier.” If the ballot specifically states that the player doesn’t have to come from a playoff team, then Trout was hands down the right decision for this award. Oh, and that was only his age-24 season. Baseball fans are spoiled.