Wednesday 19 August 2015

Why Josh Donaldson Will Be The 2015 American League MVP

Just a few days ago, Blue Jays Central's Gregg Zaun made quite the surprising statement, saying that Josh Donaldson had zero chance of winning the 2015 AL MVP, picking Mike Trout to win the honour with six weeks left in the regular season. Now this isn't a major issue by any means in regards to the Blue Jays as a team, but it shocks me that Zaun didn't even consider the Blue Jays all-star third baseman as a candidate for the Most Valuable Player award. While there's still six weeks left in the Blue Jays' season, not only do I think Donaldson is in the running for the AL MVP, I think he will win the MVP award.


To this point, Josh Donaldson is batting .296 with 33 home runs and an MLB-leading 91 RBI's. Into the more advanced statistics, Donaldson has a .365 on-base percentage and a .940 OPS percentage, ranking 7th in the majors in that stat category. It's without question that Donaldson has been the backbone of the Blue Jays' season to this date, as on both sides of the ball he has been front and center since coming to Toronto in the offseason. Mike Trout is no stranger to being front and center in his young career. Trout is the face of baseball, I get that, but the MVP award isn't a popularity contest. In almost every aspect, Donaldson has had a better season than Mike Trout, with both men leading the way for their respective ball clubs. In comparison, Trout is batting .294 with 33 home runs and 71 RBI's. In the advanced statistics, Trout has a slight advantage over Donaldson with a .391 on-base percentage and a .977 OPS percentage. Trout's speed also gives him a small advantage on the basepaths, as he has stolen 10 bases this season over Donaldson's 4, but that won't be the difference in an MVP race like this one. Donaldson also leads the majors with 63 extra base hits, while Trout sits tied for 5th with 57. It's no doubt a tight race between the two all-stars, but in my opinion, the advantage at the plate goes to Josh Donaldson.


I don't think there's any question in the defensive abilities of Mike Trout in center field. While his raw talent puts him first in putouts from center, and also with the help of advanced statistics, it's clear cut that Trout is the best defensive outfielder in the majors. Josh Donaldson doesn't have the consistency defensively like Trout does, but he's still exceled over at third base for the Jays this season. He's made a handful of unreal grabs and plays from the hot corner, as he also holds onto the most putouts by a third basemen in the majors. While it's clear cut that Trout is the better defensive player of the two, Donaldson has still had a terrific season at third base for the Jays this season.


The deciding factor between the two comes down to the turnaround by the Jays this season, and how much Donaldson has contributed to this team. Trout and the Angels have been postseason contenders for a few years now, with Trout leading the way each and every season. Donaldson came into a brand-new clubhouse this season and from April onwards he lead the way, something that hasn't been highlighted enough in the midst of the Blue Jays' success. If the Blue Jays make the postseason, it'll be the first time the Jays enter the playoffs since they won the World Series back in 1993, that's a 22 year drought, the longest in the majors. It's something statistics can't judge, Josh Donaldson has led the way for the Blue Jays from the beginning of the season and has been the biggest factor in the Jays turning the ship around this year.


While both Mike Trout and Josh Donaldson are all-star caliber players both in the hunt for the AL MVP title, to write off Donaldson with so much time left in the season is ridiculous. I have firm belief that Donaldson can continue at the pace he is hitting right now and win the AL Most Valuable Player award when all is said and done.

No comments:

Post a Comment