Thread: Mike Trout - MVP??

By seasons end, if he continues his current pace, would he not be the AL MVP?

He would have a very strong argument, though Hamilton could win it as well depending upon how healthy he is.

Trout is just unreal though. Generational talent.

If the Angels make the playoffs I see no reason for him not to at least be close to winning it. They we're playing some awful baseball before he came up. They literally turned it around when he came up.

Or Bobby Abreu was holding the team down.

Mark it down!

Originally Posted by lecroy24fan

If the Angels make the playoffs I see no reason for him not to at least be close to winning it.

Why do they have to make the playoffs?

Originally Posted by snepp

Why do they have to make the playoffs?

People find it a lot easier to vote for a guy like him to win it if the team makes it into the playoffs, although that didn't stop them from giving the Cy Young Award to King Felix a few years ago.

Originally Posted by J-Dog Dungan

People find it a lot easier to vote for a guy like him to win it if the team makes it into the playoffs, although that didn't stop them from giving the Cy Young Award to King Felix a few years ago.

and it shouldn't. One player, even MVP caliber ones, aren't always enough to get a team into the playoffs.

Originally Posted by J-Dog Dungan

People find it a lot easier to vote for a guy like him to win it if the team makes it into the playoffs, although that didn't stop them from giving the Cy Young Award to King Felix a few years ago.

Thanks for replying with what I would have said. If I was a voter, I would vote based on individual performance, not basing it on playoffs. But that's how the vote goes most of the time unfortunately.

I disagree, you can't be MOST VALUABLE on a losing team.

Originally Posted by Mchans24

I disagree, you can't be MOST VALUABLE on a losing team.

the Angels aren't a losing team, so far, with a 46-38 record.
That said, ...

1958 Chicago Cubs 72-82 5th place (out of eight)
1959 Chicago Cubs 74-80 5th place (out of eight)
1987 Chicago Cubs 76-85 6th place (out of six)

Ernie Banks won consecutive MVPs and Andre Dawson won one with losing teams. There might be others. It is rare but can and does happen.

Originally Posted by Mchans24

I disagree, you can't be MOST VALUABLE on a losing team.

MVP is really a measure of, or at least should be, the best player in the league. Mike Trout can be that even if his team were not to make the playoffs.

Originally Posted by Turd Furgeson

MVP is really a measure of, or at least should be, the best player in the league.

I'm not sure I agree that "most valuable" for 2012 equals "best player." I understand some people disagree, but I don't find those things always the same.

Were I a voter, impact on a pennant race would be one thing I would consider. Certainly not the only thing, perhaps not the most important thing. But a thing, nonetheless. The object is still to win, after all, and if two players are relatively close, to me the one whose performance came in important situations is more "valuable."

As to the OP, Trout is having an amazing season, and should be in the discussion for MVP, IMO.

Side note: if the Twins could go back in time, he was available when they drafted Gibson. Interesting question...if the Twins had drafted him, would he be toiling away in Ft Myers today?

I doubt he'll be in the discussion come September.

Originally Posted by USAFChief

I'm not sure I agree that "most valuable" for 2012 equals "best player." I understand some people disagree, but I don't find those things always the same.

Were I a voter, impact on a pennant race would be one thing I would consider. Certainly not the only thing, perhaps not the most important thing. But a thing, nonetheless. The object is still to win, after all, and if two players are relatively close, to me the one whose performance came in important situations is more "valuable."

As to the OP, Trout is having an amazing season, and should be in the discussion for MVP, IMO.

Side note: if the Twins could go back in time, he was available when they drafted Gibson. Interesting question...if the Twins had drafted him, would he be toiling away in Ft Myers today?

I guess it depends on how close the person on the losing team is to the other guys on the winning teams. If the difference is negligible or the guy on the winning team is just slightly worse than I could see an argument, depending upon their performance in clutch situations, or their impact on the last month of the season.

I really don't think Trout would be in high A if he were on the Twins, I could see him in AA or AAA though. He's been absolutely fantastic from the moment he was drafted. He's never really struggled at any level outside of the first couple hundred of major league at bats he had last year.

MVP is not a measure of best player, it is not a most outstanding player award. Having your team in playoff contention should be a factor in the writers votes.

Originally Posted by Mchans24

MVP is not a measure of best player, it is not a most outstanding player award. Having your team in playoff contention should be a factor in the writers votes.

It should only be a factor if two players are very close and one is in the playoffs and the other is not. That's the only reason playoff standing should come into it. Otherwise a guy like Yadier Molina would win it every year because he is the absolute most important player on his team, and they're playoff bound most years. If you don't agree with that, then you do see that the award has a significant amount of it's definition in the "best player" award. Otherwise, prepare to write down Andrelton Simmons as the NL ROY and NL MVP this year if you're pure basis is the "most valuable" player on a playoff competitive team.

A lot can happen in the second half to make one MVP candidate stand out above the crowd. It will be interesting to see if young Mr. Trout has the ability to keep this up for an entire season.

When was the last time an MVP started the year in the minor leagues? Has it every happened?

To those arguing that the team needs to make the playoffs. So a player can not have value unless he plays on one of the 10 playoff teams? Is it the "Most Valuable to a Playoff team Player"? Matt Kemp had extreme value to the Dodgers last year, and was robbed of the award. If he takes the Dodgers from a 70 win team to an 80 win team, and Ryan Braun takes the Brewers from a 87 win team to a 91 win team, wasn't Kemp more valuable? Or do his stats not matter since his 24 other teammates weren't good enough?

The Angels will be in the race til the end and will most likely make the playoffs, so Trout if he continues to play well will most certainly be in MVP hunt.

A better question is if Mauer continues to hit like he has since the middle of May (.980 OPS) will he be considered an MVP candidate?

Originally Posted by alarp33

To those arguing that the team needs to make the playoffs. So a player can not have value unless he plays on one of the 10 playoff teams? Is it the "Most Valuable to a Playoff team Player"? Matt Kemp had extreme value to the Dodgers last year, and was robbed of the award. If he takes the Dodgers from a 70 win team to an 80 win team, and Ryan Braun takes the Brewers from a 87 win team to a 91 win team, wasn't Kemp more valuable? Or do his stats not matter since his 24 other teammates weren't good enough?

Yeah, Kemp not getting the MVP last year was a damn crime!