Angels’ Mike Trout wins AL MVP, beating Alex Bregman, Marcus Semien, and Astros’ Trash Can

In 2018, Mookie Betts won the AL MVP with 614 plate appearances, garnering 28 of 30 first-place votes in the process. Mike Trout finished second.

In 2019, Mike Trout wins the AL MVP with 600 plate appearances. The slugger played 134 games, slashing .291/.438/.645/1.083 on his way to 45 HR and 104 RBI. He finished with 8.3 bWAR and 8.6 fWAR and played a stellar center field. His best month was July, when he tallied 13 home runs and a 1.214 OPS. Trout also led the league in WPA and RE24.

It is Trout’s third time winning AL MVP.

Alex Bregman, who had a terrific season in his own right, played both third base and shortstop in 2019. He covered for Carlos Correa, who was injured for a large chunk of the season, and the Houston Astros did not skip a beat. Bregman played 156 games and slashed .296/.423/.592/1.015, leading the majors in walks with 119. He hit 41 HR and drove in 112. He had 8.4 bWAR and 8.5 fWAR.

Bregman had an OPS of 1.235 in August and 1.239 in September, basically making late noise when Trout was quiet. Because of Trout’s injury, Bregman knew the opportunity was there, and he definitely capitalized, banging baseballs in the second half of the season and causing a ruckus of an MVP debate. Bregman’s season wasn’t just the bells and whistles product of a short porch at Minute Maid; he was genuinely valuable this year. There is also no way I used “bells and whistles” properly there.

Oakland’s Marcus Semien came in third place.

Trout got 17 first-place votes, and Bregman got the other 13. Both players finished first or second on every ballot. Semien placed third on 22 ballots.

From the LA chapter, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com voted for Trout, and Noburito Saito of The Nikkan Sports News voted for Bregman.

The Dodgers’ Cody Bellinger won the NL MVP.