Tonight, the MLB Network in collaboration with the BBWAA will release the winner of the AL MVP. DJ LeMahieu of the New York Yankees is a finalist, but is facing some tough competition for the award. Meet the three finalists:
DJ LeMahieu
DJ LeMahieu’s second season in pinstripes was a stellar one. After finishing fourth in 2019 MVP voting, LeMahieu would like to follow it up by winning the award in 2020.
In 195 at-bats, LeMahieu bat .364, winning the league batting title. He hit 10 home runs and drove in 27. Additionally, his OPS was a whopping 1.011 with an OPS+ of 177. LeMahieu also won the AL second-base Silver Slugger award for the second consecutive season.
José Abreu
Jose Abreu’s stellar 2020 season helped his Chicago White Sox squad capture their first postseason birth in 12 years.
Over 240 at-bats, Abreu drove in 60 and slugged 19 home home runs, finishing first and second across the majors, respectively. He hit .317 and had a .987 OPS with a 166 OPS+. As expected, he also won a Silver Slugger award, but for firs-base.
José Ramirez
After a rough 2019 season, Jose Ramirez bounced back nicely and has found himself as an MVP award finalist.
Ramirez bat .292 with 17 homers and 46 runs batted in over 219 at-bats. He added a .993 OPS with a 163 OPS+. Additionally, Ramirez swiped 10 bags and led the AL in runs scored. Like the other two candidates, Ramirez won a Silver Slugger award for his spectacular season.
This year’s AL MVP race is wide-open, and it wouldn’t really be a surprise if any of the three candidates won. However, according to stats, it seems as if LeMahieu and Abreu have a slight advantage over Ramirez.
Regardless of the outcome, all three players had phenomenal seasons and deserve recognition for it.