Poll: Who should be this year’s AL MVP?

The race is one of the most exciting, polarizing choices we’ve seen as of late.

This year’s American League MVP race is one of the closest we’ve seen in a while. If you prayed to the heavens for a slew of players with unprecedented WAR totals, consider your faith solidified.

This is what the top five WAR leaders look like right now, via Baseball-Reference.com:

1. Mookie Betts - 10.9
2. Mike Trout - 10.2
3. Matt Chapman - 8.2
4. Jose Ramirez - 7.9
5. Francisco Lindor - 7.9

Blake Snell comes in at 6th with 7.5 and also as the first pitcher to appear on the list. Diving into the stats, Mookie, Trout, and Chapman are all in a dead heat when it comes to trading measurable success. Chapman, arguably the best defensive player in the league this year, leads the defensive WAR race. Trout, first up on the offensive WAR list, with both Mookie and Alex Bregman (6.9 overall WAR) mere decimals behind. In such a close race, how can one player pull ahead to be the best? What factors weigh in more than others?

If you had a vote in this year’s choice for AL MVP, who would you pick? Leave us a comment explaining your MVP.