MLB MVP Awards That Went to the Wrong Player

MLB MVP Awards That Went to the Wrong Player0 of 5

Miguel Cabrera and Mike TroutElsa/Getty Images

The world of award voting is an imperfect place.

Across all professional sports, the conversations of a “snub” are constant when trophies and accolades are being handed out. Major League Baseball has plenty of such moments in its history.

Since the 2000 season, at least a handful of Most Valuable Player voting results have led to a debatable conclusion.

The balance to remember is, generally speaking, every MVP has deserved consideration for the honor. The intent is not to lambaste a player or the voting body; rather, the point is acknowledging that—with the benefit of hindsight—someone else may have merited more.

2000 AL: Martinez Instead of Giambi1 of 5

Photo credit should read JOHN G. MABANGLO/AFP via Getty Images

In the most productive season of his career, Jason Giambi hit .333, smacked 43 homers and drove in 137 runs. He paced the majors with 137 walks and a .476 on-base percentage.

Giambi had a stellar year for the Oakland Athletics.

But if there was ever a moment for an outlier, it could’ve been 2000. Pitchers don’t often win an MVP—and I understand the argument around games played—but Pedro Martinez put together a legendary year on the Boston Red Sox. He posted an 18-6 record with an MLB-best 1.74 ERA, also leading the American League at 284 strikeouts.

Nevertheless, Giambi finished ahead of Frank Thomas, Alex Rodriguez and Carlos Delgado in a well-contested MVP race. Martinez ended in fifth without a single first-place vote.

2002 AL: Rodriguez Instead of Tejada2 of 5

Alex RodriguezRonald Martinez/Getty Images

Alex Rodriguez had a reasonable claim to the 2000 AL MVP, and he probably should have won in 2002.

For the season, the Texas Rangers shortstop had majors-best totals of 57 homers, 142 runs batted in and 389 total bases. A-Rod posted a .300 average and played elite defense, winning his first Gold Glove.

Yet it wasn’t enough to outlast Miguel Tejada.

Team success has traditionally been a factor in MVP voting, and Oakland posted a 103-59 record with the Rangers at 72-90. That disparity surely propped up Tejada, who assembled an excellent season yet trailed A-Rod in nearly every statistical category.

Tejada just played on a better team.

2006 AL: The Field Instead of Morneau3 of 5

Joe Mauer and Justin MorneauBruce Kluckhohn/MLB Photos via Getty Images

Looking at the numbers alone, Justin Morneau had an MVP-caliber year. While hitting .321, he smashed 34 homers with 130 RBI and played a central role in the Minnesota Twins winning the AL Central.

Morneau also might’ve been the third-best player on the team.

Johan Santana spun his way to a Cy Young, and young star Joe Mauer continued emerging as a superstar. Santana led the majors with 19 wins, a 2.77 ERA and 245 strikeouts, and Mauer hit an MLB-high .347.

Even beyond them, Derek Jeter and David Ortiz arguably had better years than Morneau. The rivals from the New York Yankees and Red Sox, respectively, hit .343 with a Gold Glove season at shortstop (Jeter) and paced the AL in homers, runs and walks (Ortiz).

Again, this is not an instance of Morneau’s resume lacking merit. It was, however, a fortuitous result for his trophy case.

2011 NL: Kemp Instead of Braun4 of 5

Matt KempChristian Petersen/Getty Images

Hindsight is particularly unfriendly to 2011.

Ryan Braun later admitted to using a banned substance during his MVP-winning campaign with the Milwaukee Brewers. While posting NL-best marks in slugging and OPS, he collected 33 homers and 111 runs batted in.

Matt Kemp, meanwhile, ended a single home run short of a 40-40 year on the Los Angeles Dodgers. He gathered 39 homers, 126 RBI and 40 steals, falling less than 10 hits shy of taking home the NL Triple Crown. Kemp instead won a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger.

Because of the context surrounding this season, it will be remembered as one of the more controversial results.

2012 AL: Trout Instead of Cabrera5 of 5

Mike Trout and Miguel CabreraMark Cunningham/Getty Images

The basic reason is understandable: Triple Crowns are a rarity, and Miguel Cabrera pulled it off in 2012.

As a result, “Miggy” secured the AL MVP after hitting .330 with 44 homers and 139 driven in. He also paced the American League in slugging percentage and the majors in total bases and OPS, propelling the Detroit Tigers to an AL Central crown and eventually the World Series.

Mike Trout, on the other hand, played for the Los Angeles Angels on a roster that fell short of the postseason. Team success undoubtedly was a factor in the MVP voting, too.

Nobody created and saved runs like Trout, though.

Then a rookie, he finished atop the majors in stolen bases with 49 and runs scored with 129. Trout hit .326, hammered 30 homers, drove in 83 runs and played elite defense in center field. The difference in rWAR between the two sluggers was also significant: Trout’s 10.5 to Cabrera’s 7.1.

Given that he eventually won three MVPs, it’s logical to not feel terribly disappointed for Trout. Still, he could’ve become only the third rookie in MLB history to win an MVP.