Top 3 Players More Deserving Of AL MVP Than Trout
For the second time in Mike Trout's short career, he has been named American League MVP, but for the first time, he didn't deserve the title.
Trout had a good season. A .315 average with 29 home runs and 100 RBI would be a career year for most players, but there were other players who put up even better numbers.
In fact, Trout's own team mate, Albert Pujols, had more home runs and RBI than 2016 AL MVP.
If Trout is truly as valuable as the award makes him out to be, then why did his Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim finish in fourth place and 14 games under .500?
There were a handful of players in the American League this season who not only put up better numbers than Trout, but also helped take their respective teams to the playoffs.
Here are the three players who should have been named AL MVP before the Angels' center fielder.
1. Mookie Betts - RF - Boston Red Sox
All Betts did in just his second full season in the big leagues was hit .318 with 31 home runs and 113 RBI.
The outfielder moved between right and center field throughout the season and missed just four games. He was in the middle of the order all year for the Red Sox creating and driving in runs.
Along with the 113 RBI, he also scored 122 runs and stole 26 bases.
Trout and Betts are two of the very few five-tool players in the big leagues. The two finished with similar numbers, however, Betts helped his team with the American League East which should have put him ahead of Trout.
Betts finished in second for the MVP award.
2. David Ortiz - DH - Boston Red Sox
The only reason "Big Papi" is behind Betts on this list is because he doesn't play in the field. However, the numbers he put up this season do not represent someone who is retiring.
There's no doubt how valuable Ortiz is to the organization and the city of Boston. He has been the team's emotional leader for the last 14 years.
Before the start of the 2016 season, Ortiz announced he was going to retire at the end of the year. He went on to put up some of the best numbers of his career hitting for a .315 average, 38 home runs and 127 RBI.
Trout was 24 years old in the 2016 season and his numbers were not as good as the 40-year-old Ortiz's numbers (He turns 41 on Friday, Happy Birthday).
It's rare to have teammates both deserving of an MVP award, but in this case, Papi and Betts could have been co-MVPs and it would have made more sense than Trout.
3. Jose Altuve - 2B - Houston Astros
Don't let this guy's height fool you. He may be just 5-feet-6 but his ability to hit for power and average makes him one of the elite bats in baseball.
Not only did he lead the American League in batting average at .338, but he also hit for 24 home runs and 96 RBI.
He may be the hardest out to get in baseball since Ichiro was in his prime. He doesn't strike out often, can hit the ball to all sides of the field, and when you least expect it, he will pop one out of the park.
He's been the leader of a young Houston Astros team for the past few season and has been one of the biggest reasons in the franchise's turnaround.
Altuve helped lead the Astros to a huge second half run for a playoff run, but just finished short of the postseason. The Astros still finished ten games better than Trout's Angels.