The definition of value is clear cut between the bindings of a dictionary: “the regard that something is held to deserve; the importance, worth or usefulness of something.” However, the definition of value between the chalked foul lines of a baseball diamond is much harder to pin down and agree upon, especially when it comes to voting for Major League Baseball’s Most Valuable Player Award.
This is where Mike Trout comes in. In baseball’s dictionary, the definition of value quite literally could be “Mike Trout.”
The 28-year-old center fielder for the Los Angeles Angels has been baseball’s best player for nearly a decade since debuting in 2011. Even though he has won the MVP award twice in 2014 and 2016, he still is not appropriately recognized for his amazing accomplishments, especially when he is projected to finish his career as the best baseball player to ever play the game.
Trout has already accumulated 72.5 career wins above replacement according to baseballreference.com. WAR is a single stat created in order to compare any player from any era based on how much value he provides to his team compared to the value a replacement-level player would provide in his absence. A WAR of 0 on the season is replacement level. For reference, Trout’s WAR in his latest MVP season was 10.5.
For better or for worse, the MVP award has morphed into the “WAR Award.” Five of the last ten MVPs have led their league in WAR.
Trout currently leads the American League in WAR at 8.3. Unfortunately, that is where he will finish the season due to a foot injury he sustained at the beginning of September. Despite missing the final month of the year, Trout still deserves the MVP award, but this is where the ambiguity of “value” comes into play.
Baseball writers argue that any player on a team that misses the playoffs cannot win the MVP award. However, this lacks legitimacy because Trout’s value on a non-playoff roster is much greater than say, Alex Bregman’s value to the Houston Astros, the favorites to win the American League pennant this year. Without Bregman, the Astros would still presumably make the playoffs because of how well-rounded the team is with depth and great talent.
Conversely, the Angels rely on Trout to even stay around a .500 winning percentage. The Angels have a .455 winning percentage with Trout in the lineup. After losing him to injury, the Angels have a .230 winning percentage, which began with six consecutive losses.
If the MVP award was renamed the Most Talented Player Award, then Trout would have nine “MTP’s” in his trophy case. The MVP award still sets out to award the best player in baseball, but voters get hung up on “value.”
Trout leads the American League in six offensive categories including home runs (45) and on-base plus slugging percentage. Without going into too much detail, OPS measures how much power a player has and how often he gets on base. Not to mention, he still leads Bregman in WAR by 0.5 despite playing in over 20 less games.
Bregman will end up winning the award because he was lucky enough to stay healthy this season. If Trout missed a month of the year in May, and finished out the season, he would win the MVP with no debate. Recency bias plays into Bregman’s favor even though he only leads the American League in merely one category: walks with 112.
Trout may be too good for his own doing. Consistently being the best player in baseball may get boring for MVP voters who want to spend the accolades to other, less valuable players who have not received the recognition.
The baseball world cannot allow the word value to rob Trout of the MVP award. He is the best player in the majors and he must be recognized for it.