Mike Trout Reels in Third American League MVP Award

Trout's crosstown competitor Cody Bellinger was named the MVP for the NL

Mike Trout Reels in Third American League MVP Award
Max Stassi high fives teammate Mike Trout of the LA Angels. (Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty)
MediaNews Group via Getty Images

For the third time in six years, Mike Trout is the American League MVP.

Though Trout was forced out of the lineup for the Los Angeles Angels in early September due to a foot injury, he was still voted the winner ahead of Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman and Oakland Athletics shortstop Marcus Semien. Trout also won the award in 2014 and 2016.

The award came as a surprise to some, given that the 28-year-old missed the last month of the season and his club registered a disappointing 72-90 record. But Trout’s numbers were simply too dominant: a .291/.438/.645 slash line to go with a career-high 45 homers, 104 RBI and 11 stolen bases in 134 games.

With the MVP win, Trout joins an elite group of three-time winners that includes Barry Bonds, Yogi Berra, Roy Campanella, Joe DiMaggio, Jimmie Foxx, Mickey Mantle, Stan Musial, Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez and Mike Schmidt. No player has won more than three MVPs except Bonds, who has seven.

In the National League, Trout’s crosstown rival Cody Bellinger of the Dodgers took home his first National League MVP award, beating out Christian Yelich of the Milwaukee Brewers and Anthony Rendon of the Washington Nationals. Throughout the year, the 24-year-old was on par with last year’s NL MVP winner, Yelich, but was ultimately able to pull away while helping the Dodgers secure the best record in the NL at 106-56.

Bellinger ended his fourth season in the MLB with 47 homers, 115 RBI and 15 stolen bases alongside a .305/.406/.629 slash line.

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