Alas, it's impossible for me to say nothing about it either.The top of my ballots from September remain the same in November. I still think that Andrew McCutchen was the best player in the National League, which in my mind makes him the MVP. Even if the Pirates finished in last place, McCutchen, for better or worse, would remain my personal choice. Of course the Pirates didn't finish in last place as they made the postseason, so hopefully the BBWAA gives him credit for that. Whether or not it's misguided (and it would be in my opinion), McCutchen deserves the award.
Unfortunately, while McCutchen was a great hitter, he didn't lead the league in RBI like Mr. Paul Goldschmidt. However, although Goldy led the NL in RBI (129) and HR (36), his 156 wRC+ was only slightly better than McCutchen (155), as playing in Pittsburgh isn't the same as Arizona. Context matters. Moreover, considering they are essentially equal hitters with the bat, the fact that McCutchen plays a more demanding position, plays it well and can run the bases makes it a no brainer for me.
National League
1) Andrew McCutchen
2) Yadier Molina
3) Clayton Kershaw
In the American League, my thinking has changed much either since September. It actually hasn't changed much since last season when it was Trout vs. Cabrera Part I. In 2012, Trout was actually on par with Miggy with the stick but this year Miggy wasn't certainly better with a 192 wRC+ compared to Trout's 176. But of course, all the caveats that applied last year are still relevant today. Trout plays CF (mostly) and plays it very well, he steals bases (33/40) and is generally one of the best baserunners in the game, netting the third most runs in the AL on the base paths.
Meanwhile, although Miggy is unworldly with the bat he can't really field. He plays a premier position but he also lost the most runs of any fielder in the league this year. Chris Davis should net a lot of votes, maybe more than Trout, because he hit for power on a good team but unsurprising to anyone who reads the Bias, Trout is my pick. Wins Above Replacement (WAR) isn't an end-all-be-all statistic but it's telling that Trout's 10.4 number is significantly higher than Miggy's (7.6). And if you happen to prefer Baseball-Reference's WAR calculation, Trout (9.2) still bests Caberera (7.2) by a wide margin.
One last thing to note is some Josh Donaldson love. In September I mentioned him as a sort of footnote in the "best of the rest" but now, I'd probably rank him 4th. A jack of all trades and master of none, Donaldson provides + value everywhere on the diamond and is a large reason why Oakland was so successful.
American League
1) Mike Trout
2) Miguel Cabrera
3) Chris Davis
3a) Josh Donaldson
Meanwhile, although Miggy is unworldly with the bat he can't really field. He plays a premier position but he also lost the most runs of any fielder in the league this year. Chris Davis should net a lot of votes, maybe more than Trout, because he hit for power on a good team but unsurprising to anyone who reads the Bias, Trout is my pick. Wins Above Replacement (WAR) isn't an end-all-be-all statistic but it's telling that Trout's 10.4 number is significantly higher than Miggy's (7.6). And if you happen to prefer Baseball-Reference's WAR calculation, Trout (9.2) still bests Caberera (7.2) by a wide margin.
One last thing to note is some Josh Donaldson love. In September I mentioned him as a sort of footnote in the "best of the rest" but now, I'd probably rank him 4th. A jack of all trades and master of none, Donaldson provides + value everywhere on the diamond and is a large reason why Oakland was so successful.
American League
1) Mike Trout
2) Miguel Cabrera
3) Chris Davis
3a) Josh Donaldson
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