MLB MVP 2014: Predictions for Winners and Voting Breakdown in Each League

While the 2014 MLB season featured plenty of outstanding individual performances, the decision on the Most Valuable Player award in each league will be easier than many think.

The important thing to remember when dissecting the races is what the award signifies: value. Baseball is truly a team sport, but you have to ask yourself how well the team would perform without the influence of a single player.

It is also necessary to remind people that this is a regular-season award, so while Madison Bumgarner looked like he was playing a video game on the easiest setting in the postseason, he is not likely to take home any more trophies this fall.

That being said, here is a look at the players who should be the top finishers in the American League and National League.

American League

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team
1	Mike Trout	OF	Los Angeles Angels
2	Robinson Cano	2B	Seattle Mariners
3	Michael Brantley	OF	Cleveland Indians
4	Josh Donaldson	3B	Oakland Athletics
5	Jose Abreu	1B	Chicago White Sox

There should be little argument over the top spot in the vote, but there will be a lot of debate after that.

While it does not always matter who finishes second, this year features a good chance to give a wide variety of players credit for excellent seasons.

A lot of people will argue for a pair of pitchers who had great seasons for non-playoff teams: Corey Kluber and Felix Hernandez. However, a lot of the credit has to go to position players on those same squads.

As far as the Seattle Mariners are concerned, Robinson Cano was all the organization could have hoped for when he signed a 10-year deal in the offseason. He helped turn a team that won just 71 games in 2013 into a legitimate playoff contender for most of the season.

The second baseman changed the losing culture in the clubhouse and became a leader for young players.

“I think more important than anything, he’s a good teammate,” Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon explained to Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports. “He really cares about what’s happening within the organization. Great players have the ability to make other players better. Robby does it.”

Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

Although his power numbers were down, he finished with a .314 batting average on a team that struggled offensively. He was the only player on the team to end the year above .300, and the only player to actually hit above .270 with enough at-bats to qualify.

His presence made a huge impact on the entire organization and will only be more important in the future.

For the Cleveland Indians, Michael Brantley might have the honor of being the best player in baseball that no one knows about. A fantasy baseball player's dream, the outfielder filled up the stat sheet on a regular basis. 

The team broke down how rare his season was in baseball history:

He and Kluber were the main reasons the Indians even had a chance at the playoffs.

Josh Donaldson carried the Oakland Athletics both offensively and defensively, and Donaldson was the biggest power source for the team once Yoenis Cespedes was traded. Although the A's faded down the stretch, the third baseman was a key factor in at least earning them a spot in the Wild Card Game.

Jose Abreu is a shoo-in for the Rookie of the Year award after an excellent season at the plate where he ranked in the top six in all of baseball in batting average, home runs, RBI and on-base plus slugging. The Chicago White Sox did not have a great season, but they were better because of the Cuban slugger.

Still, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports breaks down who should win the MVP award:

Mike Trout is really the only option. He was the best player in the league on the team that won the most games. Even in a down year by his standards, he became more of a run producer, hitting 36 home runs and a league-leading 111 RBI. Add this to excellent defense in center field, and there is no questioning his value.

The 23-year-old player has been a god in the sabermetrics community for years, but no one should deny him an MVP award this time around.

National League

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team
1	Clayton Kershaw	SP	Los Angeles Dodgers
2	Andrew McCutchen	OF	Pittsburgh Pirates
3	Giancarlo Stanton	OF	Miami Marlins
4	Jonathan Lucroy	C	Milwaukee Brewers
5	Anthony Rendon	3B	Washington Nationals

The battle in the National League appears to be based more on opinions than pure numbers. Do you think that a pitcher should be considered the most valuable in the league?

In reality, this should not even be a question. Clayton Kershaw was not just the best pitcher in baseball this season, he was the best player in the NL without debate.

The general argument against pitchers winning the prestigious award is the fact he only steps on the field once every five days as opposed to a position player who competes every day. To make matters worse, an early-season injury limited Kershaw to just 27 starts this year.

However, this allows us to get a better idea of how important Kershaw was to the Dodgers. His 21-3 record with a 1.77 ERA and 0.86 WHIP was exceptional, but a key stat is that Los Angeles was 23-4 in games he started. This includes a 20-1 mark since the beginning of June.

Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images

The Dodgers had just a 52.6 winning percentage without their ace on the mound. Kershaw gave the team a great chance to win whenever he was on the mound, and the numbers clearly show how much better the squad was with him.

Former player Gabe Kapler breaks it down in the simplest terms:

Of course, Andrew McCutchen and Giancarlo Stanton do deserve a lot of credit for excellent seasons. The two outfielders finished first and second in the NL in OPS and were by far the best hitters in otherwise weak lineups.

Stanton did not bring his team as much success, but the Miami Marlins would have been even worse without him.

Meanwhile, Milwaukee Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy has made his case for a spot on the ballot thanks to an excellent season behind the plate. He did a great job defensively at both blocking and framing pitches, and according to ESPN, Lucroy led the NL in WAR with 6.7. 

With almost everyone else on Milwaukee playing below expectations, the catcher held the team together until the very end.

Finally, Anthony Rendon makes his way into the top five after carrying the Washington Nationals to the best record in the NL. In his first full season in the majors, he split time at both second and third base and established himself as one of the best young hitters in the league.

During an outstanding postseason series against the San Francisco Giants, ESPN's Keith Law made this proclamation:

Rendon led the league with 111 runs and filled up the box score with 21 home runs and 17 stolen bases. On a loaded team, the young player stood out from the rest and deserves to be considered one of the league's best.

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