2023 MLB Awards: Top 5 AL MVP Award Candidates
Voting for Major League Baseball's most prestigious awards has already taken place.
Winners for MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year and Manager of the Year will be announced in November, upon the conclusion of the World Series.
As a part of our 2023 MLB award selections, here are our top five American League MVP Award candidates:
5) Adley Rutschman, C, Baltimore Orioles
154 G, .277/.374/.809, 20 HR, 80 RBI, 1 SB, 128 OPS+, 4.3 WAR
Rutschman's Baltimore Orioles won an AL-best 101 games, the highest win total in a season for the franchise since 1979. The former No. 1 overall pick put together a phenomenal year in 2023, slashing .277/.374/.809 with 20 home runs; fantastic numbers for a catcher.
4) Kyle Tucker, OF, Houston Astros
157 G, .284/.369/.886, 29 HR, 112 RBI, 30 SB, 142 OPS+, 5.4 WAR
Tucker came very close to a 30-30 season. At one point during the final Sunday of the season, the Houston Astros outfielder actually had a 30-30 season until Elias reversed course and his inside-the-park home run was once again ruled a triple. Tucker is petitioning the league for a 30-30 season, and though he probably will stay at 29-30, one fewer home run does not lessen the impact that he had on his team. The Astros won their sixth AL West division title in seven years.
3) Corey Seager, SS, Texas Rangers
119 G, .327/.390/1.013, 33 HR, 96 RBI, 2 SB, 170 OPS+, 6.9 WAR
Seager may have missed over 40 games this season due to injury, but in his 119 games, he was more valuable than just about anybody in the American League. The star slugger batted .327 with 33 home runs and 96 RBI, helping the Texas Rangers reach the postseason for the first time since 2016.
2) Yandy Diaz, 1B, Tampa Bay Rays
137 G, .330/.410/.932, 22 HR, 78 RBI, 0 SB, 158 OPS+, 5.2 WAR
Taking home the silver, we have Yandy Diaz. He won the American League Batting Title, hitting .330 with a .410 OBP and .932 OPS. The Tampa Bay Rays won 99 games despite injuries to Shane McClanahan, Drew Rasmussen, Jeffrey Springs, Shane Baz and Brandon Lowe, and the midseason departure of Wander Franco. Diaz helped keep the Rays afloat, and in 2023, he was the second-best player in the American League.
1) Shohei Ohtani, SP and DH, Los Angeles Angels
135 G, .304/.412/1.066, 44 HR, 95 RBI, 20 SB, 184 OPS+, 10.0 WAR
23 G, 23 GS, 10-5, 3.14 ERA, 132.0 IP, 142 ERA+, 4.00 FIP, 1.061 WHIP, 11.4 SO9, 3.04 SO/W
There isn't much of a debate here. This fall, Ohtani could become baseball's sixth unanimous MVP since the turn of the new millennium. Ohtani once again dominated on both sides, logging a 3.14 ERA, while leading the league in home runs, with 44. The Japanese phenom will soon be awarded his second AL MVP.
