If you went around and asked a variety of MLB fans as to who would win AL MVP in any given year, odds are they would bet on guys like Mike Trout, Aaron Judge, Alex Bregman, or Anthony Rendon. And, can you really blame them? Similarly to the Cy Young award however, the favorites don’t always take home the crown. In 2020, I don’t think a ton of people predicted that Jose Abreu would win MVP when everything was said and done, but it happened. Every year there are guys who are frontrunners to win MVP and likewise, guys who secretly are destined for great years. I am going to look into 3 guys in the AL that I think aren’t getting enough attention in terms of a possible MVP caliber season.
1. Sean Murphy
I may definitely be jumping the gun on this one a little bit, but Sean Murphy had an impressive start to his career. Although he is not flashy defensively, he certainly makes up for it offensively, as he has hit with an OPS above .800 in the 63 games he has played so far, averaging a slugging percentage above .500 in those games as well. I mentioned his defense as if it was a downside, which it is not, as he is certainly not a liability to the Athletics defensively. Murphy will certainly be a cornerstone for the A’s for years to come, and I am really excited as to what kind of numbers he could put up in a hopefully full 2021 season.
- Joey Gallo
Before a bit of a down 2020 season, Joey Gallo was really tearing the cover off the ball, and I don’t think he was getting enough credit for it. In 2017-2019, he hit .209, .206, and .253 respectively, but also put up slugging percentages at or near .500 each year, and put up OPS numbers above .800. In 2019 he only played in 70 games, but they were a fantastic 70 games, as he hit with an OPS close to .1000. Alongside his solid offensive potential, which gets a little overlooked due to this average, is his solid defense in the OF, as he won the gold glove award for right fielders in 2020. If Joey Gallo is able to return to his 2017-2019 form, he can potentially sneak his way into the AL MVP conversations in 2021.
- Brandon Lowe
To finish off this list, we have second baseman Brandon Lowe, who has been, in my opinion, the best player on the Rays over the past two seasons. In 2020, Lowe hit 14 home runs, drove in 37 runs, had a slugging percentage at .554, and an OPS over .916. Those kinds of numbers sustained over an entire season would almost certainly put Lowe in the conversation for MVP. Additionally, in 2019 he finished with a slugging percentage at .514, an .OPS at .850, and 17 long balls. Lowe has only played 82 games in an MLB season, so clearly he skys the limit if he is able perform for an entire season.
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