Donaldson, Trout vie for AL MVP Award

The Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Angels open a three-game series on Friday that will not only be a matchup of two of the best teams in the American League, but also features two of the leading candidates for Most Valuable Player.
 
Angels centre fielder Mike Trout and Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson are both having seasons worthy of baseball's highest individual award, but who has the edge heading into their final head-to-head meeting of the season?

The case for Josh Donaldson

In his first season with the Blue Jays, Donaldson has set or is on pace to surpass his career numbers from campaigns that have already seen him finish fourth (2013) and eighth (2014) in MVP races.  He currently leads the AL in RBIs with 91, is tied for third in homers at 33, and has a .293/.362/.570 slash line and a 6.7 WAR, second best in the league.

"He's such a gamer and he may perpetually be in the zone," said Blue Jays starter R.A. Dickey after Donaldson's two-homer game against the Phillies on Tuesday. "It's been special to watch him have a big year."

The 29-year-old has been one of the key cogs in a historically potent offence.  The Blue Jays have scored 634 runs in 121 games this season, 63 more than the next closest team.  While it would be easy to dismiss Donaldson in the midst of an offensive monolith, a look at his month-by-month stats shows that he has been a consistent elite contributor from March to August and has been reliable during the early parts of the stretch drive.
 

*Through August 20th

Donaldson has acquitted himself well defensively at one of the tougher positions on the field, though he has made 15 errors, the third highest total at his position.  His marquee moment came on June 24 when he made a highlight reel diving catch into the stands at Tropicana Field to help preserve a no-hit bid for starter Marco Estrada in the eighth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Historically, the MVP award goes to a player on a playoff team. Thanks to a recent 11-game winning streak, the Blue Jays now find themselves on top of the Wild Card standings and right in the mix for the AL East title. The Jays currently have the longest active playoff drought in the league, stretching back to their last World Series title in 1993. Helping break that should play in Donaldson's favour in the eyes of the voters.

The case for Mike Trout

The reigning MVP and two-time runner-up is having another statistically dominant season.  He leads the AL with a 7.1 WAR and his slash line of .295/.392/.585 places him second in the league in both on base and slugging percentage, ahead of Donaldson in all three measures.  Trout is also tied with Donaldson and Angels teammate Albert Pujols for third in the league with 33 home runs.

The 24-year-old has posted elite offensive numbers while being part of an attack that sits in the bottom half of the league, 11th in runs, 147 behind the Jays.  While Pujols is also having a great season in the Angels lineup, he is the only other player on the team to crest the 20 homer mark.

There are few positions on the field defensively more important than centerfield and in 330 defensive chances, Trout has yet to commit an error for a perfect fielding percentage.  He also has five outfield assists.

"I think we're seeing a young player that is passing all the tests you look for in a player," said Angels manager Mike Scioscia. "He's a special kid and a great player."

His signature defensive moments happened in a May 13 game against the Colorado Rockies when he first stole a 10th inning go-ahead home run from Troy Tulowitzki, and then in the 11th made a running catch then threw out Carlos Gonzalez trying to tag from third base for an inning-ending double play.

The reason anyone else's numbers are even close to Trout's at this point of the season is due to a late-season swoon as he attempts to battle through a wrist injury that he suffered making a diving catch in late July.  

Trout has posted an OBP better than .400 during three months of the season, but has slumped so far down the stretch.
 

*Through August 20th

If either team misses the playoffs, the player still standing in October should be able to grab firm control of this race and bring home the award.  Alex Rodriguez, playing shortstop for the 2003 Texas Rangers, was the last player to win the AL MVP award on a non-playoff team.

In the past 10 years, third basemen have captured the award four times, Rodriguez and Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers both winning it twice.  Outfielders have two awards, Trout and Josh Hamilton each winning once. The remaining four were given to a first baseman, a pitcher, a catcher and a second baseman.

A huge head-to-head series from either player could go a long way in swaying the conversation and ensuring that, if it's close at the end and both teams make the postseason, the votes swing in their favour.