MVPs for 2016

Kris Bryant, circling the bases after one of his 39 home runs, was named National League MVP on Thursday, while Mike Trout (below) earned the same honor in the AL. While there's no questioning their talent or leadership, the context of their selection does come into question. Bryant was a leader of the club with the best regular season record in baseball. He fits the presumed definition of what an MVP should be; then again, what is "Valuable?" Is that a player whose loss might turn a contender into an also ran? Is it an overachiever posting unexpectedly big numbers? Does the award encompass on-field leadership? Responding under pressure? And I like the term "difference maker."
Trout's excellence is unquestioned -- his combination of speed, power and outstanding defense identifies him as one of the today's absolute best players. 29 homers, 100 RBIs, along with leading the majors in runs scored, walks and on-base percentage.
Yet unlike Bryant's Cubs, Trout's Angels were a bad ballclub that didn't play a "meaningful game" after April. He rarely faced the pressure Bryant's Cubs -- or David Ortiz's Red Sox -- did day in/day out. Shouldn't that be a factor? There's a line the beloved Mets broadcaster Ralph Kiner often quoted about Branch Rickey, his GM with the Pirates during the early 1950s: "We could have finished last without you." While Rickey used that as the basis to hold down his slugger's salary, it also fits Trout. How do you judge value on a fourth place club that won all of 74 games? If Trout wasn't there, would they have won 64? 54? Even with the New Jersey-born superstar in the lineup, they far off the pace set by the 1st place Rangers.
If baseball wants to add a new award -- Player of the Year or Most Outstanding Player -- give that one to Trout. But by incorporating the word "Valuable," the voting ought to be weighed in favor of the standout players on contending clubs. For 2016, that means Ortiz, Encarnacion and Santana. They played and delivered under pressure. While you can't blame Trout for the failure of his teammates, I have to judge his season in a somewhat different light. Had I had a vote for MVP, I wouldn't have given it to him.

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