It’s clear that any player nominated for the MVP award has had a great season. But calling what the Player of the Year nominees have accomplished a “fantastic” kind of under-sell their seasons.
In the American League, history was made at home in the East while last year’s MVP continued to make his trademark unique touchdown on the mound and in the West. Meanwhile, in the middle of the country, a left-handed player has led his team to the best record on the junior circuit.
In the National League, one player tackles the Triple Crown and competes for the Most Valuable Player award against two of the greatest baserunners the sport has ever known – one of them being his own teammate.
Here’s a look at the status of each of the six Player of the Year nominees before the winners are announced on Thursday MLB Network 6 p.m. ET.
Attempt to measure against a player who has detonated 62 debris in Aaron Judgesetting an AL record, and a dominant two-way player Shuhei Ohtani Tough, but Alvarez has some impressive credentials. He reached third or fourth place in the division-champion lineup’s 106 wins, which finished seven games ahead of the Yankees and 33 games ahead of the Angels.
Alvarez batted 0.306 with 37 homers and 97 RBIs, 187 OPS+ and 1,019 OPS in 135 games, second only to Judge in OPS in the AL. He also ranked second in the AL in hits percentage (59.8 percent), second in on-base percentage (.406), second in slugging percentage (.613), third in homers, fourth in batting average, runs (95) walks (78) and tied for fifth in RBIs.
He was named Player of the Month for June when he led the AL in batting average (. 418), on-base percentage (. 510), slugging (. 835) and OPS (1.346). his 6.8 bwar Ranked fourth in the university behind Al-Qadi Wahtani W Andres Jimenez from the guardians.
What’s more, Alvarez wasn’t limited to DH. He made a career-high 56 starts in left field and caught seven assists in the outfield, which tied for second among left fielders. The Astros were 25-6 in games Alvarez starred in. – Brian McTaggart
Seeking to become the first Yankees outfielder to win the MVP award since Mickey Mantle in 1962, Judge turned in the walking season for the ages after declining an Opening Day contract extension, setting an American League single-season record with 62 home runs while batting .311 / .425 / .686 in 157 games.
The 30-year-old led the Majors in homers, in runs (133), RBIs (131), slugging percentage, on-base percentage, OPS+ (211) and total bases (391), to finish with a five hit average just shy of the Twins’ catch. Louis Araz (.316) for the Triple Crown.
Judge’s chase to break Roger Maris’ 61-year-old record for home runs in a single season captivated the sports world for weeks, culminating in a blast of 62 In the second game of Oct. 4 in Texas.
Fourth Major Leaguer to hit 62 or more homers in a season, Judge led the Majors in homers with 16 over the Phillies Kyle Schwarber (46), the largest gap since the Athletics’ Jimmy Foxx led the Majors’ 17 in 1932.
Judge previously earned MVP votes in 2017, 18, and 21, second only to the Astros Jose Altuve In 17, he was the consensus AL Rookie of the Year. – Brian Hoch
While Judge was chasing history with his home run total, Ohtani was making his own history again in 2022.
The two-way star was incredibly better than he was in 2021 when He was named a unanimous MLS Player of the Year. Otani, 28, batted . 273/.356/.519 with 34 home runs, 11 stolen bases and 95 RBIs in 157 games, while also going 15-9 with 219 strikeouts in 166 innings pitched on the mound. He became the first player in AL/NL history to qualify among the league leaders as a pitcher and hitter in the same season.
Ohtani became the first player in AL or NL history with 10 wins on the mound and 30 homers at the plate in the same season. Hall of Famer Babe Ruth is the only other player to have 10 wins and 10 homers in the same year, when he had 13 wins and 11 homers in 1918.
Ohtani also became the only player in AL or NL history with an eight-RBI game and 13 career hits to accomplish the feat on consecutive days against the Royals on June 21 and 22.
As a pitcher, Otani led the American League in strikeouts per nine innings pitched and led the league in ten games with at least 10 strikeouts. Among the AL leaders, he was third in strikeouts, fourth in ERA and tied for fourth in wins. As a hitter, Otani ranked third in the AL in extra base hits, fourth in homers and fifth in OPS.
Add it all up, and there is no player more valuable in baseball than Ohtani, who is considered elite as a pitcher and hitter. – Rhett Bollinger
Arenado is arguably the best all-around player in the game and possibly the best third baseman in history. That’s the opinion of 16-time Hall of Famer and Gold Glover Jim Kaat, who feels strongly that Arenado should be mentioned with Mike TroutAnd the Manny Machado And the Vladimir Guerrero Jr. As baseball’s best all-rounder.
Determined to bounce back from what he viewed as a down year in 2021 and prove his previous production wasn’t just a product of thin air in Colorado, Arenado put together his best season ever. while teaming up with the finalist MVP Paul GoldschmidtArenado led the Cardinals to their first division title in his 10-year MLB career. He ranks first in the NL in runs bats (7.9), second in hits (.533), sixth in mediums (.293), eleventh in home runs (30), fourth in RBIs (103), and third in doubles (42). ) and fourth in OPS (.891). He was named Player of the Month in April and August, the only two-time NL winner.
Defensively, Arenado was better. The 31-year-old third baseman equaled a mark set by Ichiro Suzuki by winning his tenth consecutive Gold Glove to start his career.
Arenado’s biggest obstacle to finally winning the MVP title is, of course, Goldschmidt. The first baseman finished second to Arenado in the NL in the WAR and did not reach the Gold Glove. Like Goldschmidt, Arenado has never been the best player, but he has been close to it several times, finishing in eighth (2015), fifth (16), fourth (17), third (18) and sixth (19). – John Denton
It’s time for the star first baseman to take his rightful place among the game’s all-time greats who also took home MVP awards. He has finished second in NL MVP voting twice, third once and sixth twice. lost to Andrew McCutcheon And the Giancarlo Stanton In 2013 (NL best 36 HR, 125 RBIs) and ’15 (33 HR, 110 RBIs) though he put up huge numbers. This season – one in which he has already won NL Hank Aaron AwardMLBPA’s Best player award And Silver Slugger – looks like the best shot for 35-year-old “Goldy” to finally be crowned MVP.
On August 25—when he hit the Cubs for three hits, two home runs and five RBIs—Goldschmidt led the NL in batting average and RBIs and Schwarber fell behind in home runs by one. Goldschmidt’s attempt to become the NL’s first triple-a-game winner since Joe “Ducky” Medwick in 1937 fell through, but not before he put together his best season.
Goldschmidt, the NL leader in OPS (. 981) and Slugging (. 578), won NL Player of the Month honors for May and NL Player of the Week three times. He also finished in the top five in the NL in WAR (7.8, sec), on-base percentage (. 404), batting average (. 317), home runs (35) and RBIs (115). In addition to helping the Cardinals win the NL Central crown, Goldschmidt was a Gold Glove finalist and a Roberto Clemente Award nominee for Excellence. He is the odds-on favorite to become the first Cardinal to win the MVP award since Albert Pujols did in 2008 and 2009. – John Denton
Machado led the National League with 7.4 fWAR – marking the highest total of any Padres position player since Ken Caminiti in 1996. Fittingly, Caminiti was the last (and only) Padre to win the MVP award.
If Machado were to join him, it would take something of an upset, with Goldschmidt the presumed favourite. But Machado built himself a decent case in carrying the Padres to their first full-season playoff berth in 16 years.
He slacked .298/.366/.531 with 32 home runs and his usual outstanding defense at third base. Furthermore, Machado was performing at a time when the Padres needed him most. For the most part in the early part of the season, it is I was Padres offense. Fernando Tatis Jr was absent, and commerce reinforcements would not arrive until early August.
Through it all, Machado shoveled – with a single click. In late June, he suffered a terrible ankle injury. The Padres were concerned that he might be out for months. Instead, Machado only missed 10 days.
He played painfully and his numbers hurt, but the Padres desperately needed Machado on the court. Remove the .694 July OPS, and there’s a good chance he’s the MVP in the game.
Instead, he’s locked in a tight rivalry with a pair of Cardinals — though, for some, the fact that he’s refereeing alongside a pair of teammates is issue enough to deem Machado more valuable.
“I’m biased,” said Padres manager Bob Melvin. “But it depends on what your definition of an MVP really is. … Goldschmidt, those numbers are great, but he’s also behind Arenado. So look, it’s going to work out anyway. But I don’t see a man more valuable to his team in this league than Manny Machado For us “. – AJ Casavel
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