Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani Finalists for Awards

On Monday, Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani were announced as finalists for two of the American League’s most prestigious awards. Mike Trout is a finalist for the AL MVP, while Ohtani has a shot at the AL Rookie of the Year.

Mike Trout had his best season to date (no, seriously), and if not for missing time due to injury and the death of his brother-in-law, it might have been the best ever. Shohei Ohtani had one of the best rookie seasons of all-time. And now, both has received the honor of being a finalist for their respective awards.

Mike Trout has been named a finalist for the AL MVP for the sixth time in his career. Trout has finished top three in voting in every full season he has played. 2017 is the lone outlier, as he missed too much time

on the disabled list but still finished fourth overall. This year, he is going against Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts, the presumed favorite, and Cleveland infielder Jose Ramirez.

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A big knock on Trout was that he missed playing time, but he still played 140 games this season either at center field or as the designated hitter. Betts, however, played 136 total and Ramirez led the trio with 157. Trout was also the best defensively, despite Betts winning the Gold Glove in right field.

Trout is currently seen as a second place finish by most, but could shock everyone if voters decide to value defensive stats highly and give Trout credit for playing with a below-average team while Betts played with a star-studded cast.

Ohtani, on the other hand, is seen as the favorite by the entire nation outside of New York. Despite missing time with injury and being restricted to designated hitter for most of the season outside of 10 starts, he seemed to make history every time he took the field. He was the Angels’ second best hitter behind Mike Trout, and could have been a legitimate MVP candidate if he had not missed so much time.

Andujar and Torres formed a dominant duo in the Bronx, but Ohtani was historically good in his rookie year, and it would be a robbery fit for Red Dead Redemption 2 if he did not walk away with the Rookie of the Year Award.

The AL ROY will be announced on November 12th, while the MVP award announcement will be announced on the 15th. Both award shows will be aired live on their respective dates at 6:00 EST, on MLB Network.