Players Cast Vote for Cabrera, but Who's Your AL MVP

Associated Press

Who do you have for American League MVP? 

Trout or Cabrera?

The debate has been ragging between media guys and bloggers, old-school stats guys and new-era sabermatricians for a while now, but the players have already made their decision for the season's top player.

It's Miguel Cabrera, the Detroit Tigers' first baseman who hit for the Triple Crown this season and, if you ask many of the old-guard, willed his team to the World Series. Can a player really do that?

Last night, as many of you were watching CNN and trying to make sense of today's election choices, an MLB Network special revealed the Major League Baseball Players Association's Players Choice Awards. (I need to throw a party for this next year, ala the party's we have for the Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards.) Late in the season, players nominated a group of ballplayers for various awards.

Carbrera, the first Triple Crown winner we've seen since the 1967 season, hit .330, smacked 44 home runs and 139 RBI.

"I never thought that I would be in this position right now," Cabrera said. "I want to thank [the players] for voting for me, because there is a lot of competition. I don't know if it was the right choice. I was very lucky."

If the players, his peers and competition on the field, thought Cabrera was the right choice, then he is the right choice for the award. But does that make him the right choice for the AL's most valuable player?

Trout, as you're well aware, had a tremendous season, and perhaps if he'd been called up to the Majors sooner, would have led the Angels to the playoffs. That's just speculation, and we'll never know the answer.

Comparing the offensive numbers for both players in order to make an MVP selection is futile. For example, Carbera hit .330 and Trout hit .326. Cabrera had a .393 on base percentage. Trout had .399. How can you choose an MVP by comparing those numbers?

Looking at WAR – that's wins above replacement (you know about that better than I do) – Trout, and I'm using stats from Baseball-Reference.com here – registered a 10.7, while Cabrera had a 6.9.

I realize comparing numbers involves much more than I have done above. But it should be done by someone who is much more qualified than I.

And I have to be honest here, though I'm trying to get a grip on the newest metrics, I'm more of an eyeball-test guy. I like examining the numbers, but I prefer to rely more on what I've seen throughout the season, or through a player's career when it comes to making a decision on the Hall of Fame.

So, who's my selection for AL MVP?

It's a close call, but I have to go with Trout.

But that's just my eyeballs talking.