AL MVP Rankings: Detroit Tigers Slugger Miguel Cabrera Crashes the Top 5

Jun 7, 2018

Would-be American League MVP contenders have some serious catching up to do in the second half of the season. As I noted last week and in the few weeks before that, (rookie) Mike Trout is the man to beat in the AL MVP race, and he has a very comfortable lead at the moment.

If there's one guy who can catch him, though, it has to be Miguel Cabrera.

The Detroit Tigers were one of the most disappointing teams in baseball in the first half of the season, so it was easy to overlook that none of their struggles were Cabrera's fault. He entered the All-Star break with typically brilliant numbers.

Cabrera then proceeded to come out of the break on fire, and all of a sudden he and the Tigers look like a force to be reckoned with. Things are finally starting to go according to plan for them, and Cabrera has very much been a primary catalyst, again.

For the first time all season (I think), Cabrera has found his way into the top five in my weekly AL MVP rankings. Scroll ahead for a look at this week's top five.

Note: All stats are as of the start of play on Monday, July 16, and they come courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

5. Josh Hamilton, OF (Texas Rangers)

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Last Week: No. 3

If it feels like a long time since Josh Hamilton has been relevant, that's because it has been. His epic hot stretch to begin the season is a distant memory.

Hamilton went into the All-Star break hitting .238/.327/.465 with nine home runs and 31 RBI since the middle of May. Those numbers aren't horrible by traditional standards, but they look downright ugly compared to the numbers Hamilton put up in his first 32 games (.402/.455/.866 with 14 home runs and 44 RBI).

At that point, he was on pace to shatter the single-season HR record and looked well on his way to having the greatest offensive season ever.

So much for that.

Hamilton didn't come out of the All-Star break swinging a hot bat, either. In Texas' three-game series against the Seattle Mariners this past weekend, Hamilton collected one hit in 10 at-bats, striking out six times. For the season, his line is down to .301/.374/.618. He still leads the AL in RBI with 76, but he doesn't hold leads in any other major categories.

For a while there, Hamilton was leading the league in WAR. According to FanGraphs, he is now tied for sixth in the AL with a WAR of 3.4. Hamilton is still in my top five because his season numbers are still very impressive despite his lengthy slump at the plate, and it helps that he's the best player on baseball's strongest team.

However, he's been trending in the wrong direction for a while now. He may not be in my top five next week.

4. David Ortiz, DH (Boston Red Sox)

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Last Week: No. 5

I've said it before, I'll say it again: What David Ortiz is doing this season is truly remarkable.

Ortiz went into the All-Star break hitting .312/.306/.607 with 22 home runs and 57 RBI. Not bad for a 36-year-old slugger who was supposedly washed up a couple years ago.

He didn't slow down in Boston's three-game series down in Tampa Bay against the Rays to open the second half. He collected four hits in nine at-bats, launching his 23rd home run of the season in the process.

Big Papi is now hitting .315/.415/.612 on the season. He ranks in the top 10 in the American League in just about every major offensive category, and he leads in OPS at 1.025.

I've noted in the past that Ortiz and Mark Trumbo have very similar numbers on the season, but the one figure that proves Ortiz has been slightly better this season is his weighted on-base average (wOBA). Per FanGraphs, Ortiz has a wOBA of .422; Trumbo's is .410.

That's a big reason why Ortiz is on this list while Trumbo isn't. The other deciding factor is the fact that the Red Sox need Big Papi a lot more than the Los Angeles Angels need Trumbo.

And for the record, Ortiz is now ahead of Hamilton because Ortiz is technically having a better offensive season than Hamilton. The key for Big Papi has been consistency, something Hamilton has lacked for two months now.

3. Miguel Cabrera, 3B (Detroit Tigers)

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Last Week: Unranked

Last week, I moved Tigers center fielder Austin Jackson into my top five for the first time in a long time, noting that the Tigers had played much better baseball since he had been activated off the DL.

And that should come as no surprise. Not a lot of people have noticed, but Jackson is having a terrific season in 2012; he's hitting .323/.405/.538 and currently ranks third in the American League in WAR, according to FanGraphs.

Initially, my plan was to have Jackson in the top five again this week, but what Miguel Cabrera is doing demands proper attention. Cabrera started the second half on fire in Detroit's three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles, collecting seven hits in 15 at-bats. Two of those hits left the park.

Cabrera is now hitting .330/.386/.570 with 20 home runs and 73 RBI, but what's really important is what he's been doing in the month of July. In 11 games, he's hit .432/.460/.773 with four homers and 11 RBI; in these 11 games, the Tigers have gone 8-3. They're now in second place in the AL Central, and there's a chance they could be in first place by the end of the week.

Having Jackson back healthy has definitely made a difference for the Tigers, but Cabrera is the guy who's making them go right now. If his track record is any indication, this should last for a while. And if he ends up being the key reason why the Tigers overcame their slow start and made the postseason, he's going to get his share of MVP love.

As for Jackson, I'd say he has first dibs at getting back into the top five if Hamilton falls out next week. Let me know if you find that to be agreeable, Tigers fans.

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2. Robinson Cano, 2B (New York Yankees)

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Last Week: No. 2

Robinson Cano has been one of the best hitters in baseball since the start of May, and he showed no signs of slowing down in the Yankees' three-game series against the Angels over the weekend.

Cano collected five hits in 11 at-bats, including one home run. He now has 21 of those on the season, not to mention 54 RBI.

Cano's line is up to .318/.378/.583. He ranks eighth in the AL in batting average, fourth in slugging and his .961 OPS ranks fifth.

The main reason Cano checks in so high in these rankings is because he ranks second in the American League in WAR at 4.6, according to FanGraphs. That has a lot to do with his offense, but his defense has been top-notch, too. He should be considered a shoo-in for his second Gold Glove.

Cano is still only batting .207 with runners in scoring position, but that number has been going up for a while now. He bats fourth or fifth most days, and it bodes well for the Yankees that he's picking up the RBI he wasn't picking up earlier in the year.

He's been a major player in the AL MVP race in years' past, but the closest Cano has come to winning it is a third-place finish in 2010. He should improve on that showing this season.

1. Mike Trout, OF (Los Angeles Angels)

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Last Week: No. 1

You get the sense that a lot of people are waiting for Mike Trout to slow down, and that's understandable. He's doing things that no player before him has ever done, and he's only 20 years old.

So how did Trout open the second half?

Why, by collecting seven hits and 14 at-bats in three games at Yankee Stadium, of course. For kicks, he tacked on four stolen bases.

Trout is now hitting .349/.403/.574. He leads the league in batting average and stolen bases with 30, and he also leads the league in both wOBA and WAR.

Trout also is going to end the season with a legit case for a Gold Glove. He is the total package.

In fact, it's easier if we just call him the best all-around player in baseball, because right now, that's exactly what he is.