Mike Trout Wins 2019 AL MVP Award over Alex Bregman, Marcus Semien

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout was named the 2019 American League MVP on Thursday, marking the third time in his career he has earned the recognition.

Trout beat out Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman and Oakland Athletics shortstop Marcus Semien to take home the award. Trout edged out Bregman 17-13 in first-place votes.

It was another spectacular season for Trout, as he hit .291/.438/.645 with a 1.083 OPS. He piled up a career-high 45 home runs and 104 RBI in 134 games.

Of note, he led the AL in slugging and OPS, and he led the majors in on-base percentage for the third time in four seasons.

His contributions were not limited to the plate, though. He was named an AL Gold Glove finalist in center field. 

Unfortunately for Trout, a foot injury cut his season short. He did not appear in a game after Sept. 7.

He did enough throughout the first five months of the season, though, to convince the voters he was deserving of the MVP award despite missing the final three weeks.

Trout has now finished in the top four in voting in each of his eight seasons in the big leagues, finishing in the top two seven times. Despite having already put together an impressive resume, the 28-year-old continues to have his eyes on the prize.

"It always motivates me," Trout told MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger in October of the MVP award. "I come in all the time, every year, to try to be the best player in the league, the best player on the field at all times. If you are finishing in the top three, you are doing something [right]. Obviously, you want to be No. 1, but that's my mindset coming in every year."

Trout called his 2019 performance his best to date, per Bollinger. Now, he has a plaque to show for it.