Miguel Cabrera is currently tied with Trout for the AL lead in BA, tied with Hamilton for RBIs, and 4 HRs shy of Hamilton's 39. Hamilton mathematically still has a chance to take the lead in BA and get the triple crown, but I'd definitely bet on Cabrera's chances to take the lead in HRs over Josh's chances of raising his BA .40+ points in the next 25 games. As much as I'd like to see Hamilton lead the league in HRs and RBIs, in my lifetime a player has not won the Triple Crown in batting, and I think it would be pretty neat to witness it even if it was Cabrera... AS LONG AS THE TIGERS DON'T MAKE THE POSTSEASON.

And to think that you could still make the case that Trout (with his outrageous overall WAR) is more deserving today of the MVP than either of those two... Your thoughts?

Trout's not getting the MVP anymore. Cabrera won't get the triple crown (I hope he does - best pure hitter in the league).

Trout *is* winning the MVP, who else is close? Beltre and Cabrera maybe...

Cabrera actually has a shot at the Triple Crown. Josh could thwart him in the HR and/or RBI department. Oddly enough a hot-hitting Beltre or Murphy could take the BA title.

If the Angels miss the playoffs, there's no way Trout wins MVP. A player has to be an absolute no brainer to win it from a non-playoff team. Cabrerra will win it.

As for the triple crown, I think Cabrerra's chances fall less on him and more on Hamilton. If Hamilton stays healthy and hitting like he is now, Cabrerra will miss it. If Josh starts swinging at everything again, the Cabrerra will win it.

Well I think the MVP comes down to who makes the postseason between LAA and DET. If neither or both make the postseason, I think Cabrera wins it. If the Tigers make it and the Angels don't, Cabrera wins it. And if the Angels make it and the Tigers don't, Trout wins it.

I'm now getting used to seeing a player flirt with the possibility of getting the Triple Crown in September only to fail in one of the categories down the stretch: Kemp got pretty close last season, and (I think) Cabrera was near the top in all 3 categories in 2010. I constantly hear from my dad about how amazing it was to see Carl Yazz do it when he was growing up, and I'd love to have the opportunity to see that kind of individual season for myself.

Can you imagine what Cabrera's numbers would like like playing 81 games a year in a hitters park?

I PERSONALLY vote for Trout. His numbers are ridiculous and unlike Cabrera is a MAJOR defensive asset. But I understand that to most MVP voters, the playoffs matter. Still, Trout is a pure stud and going to be the dominant force for the Angels for a long time I think.

And here I thought Tim Salmon was the Angel named after a fish that would cause me the most stress.

If the Angels miss the playoffs, there's no way Trout wins MVP. A player has to be an absolute no brainer to win it from a non-playoff team. Cabrerra will win it.

What if the Angels AND the Tigers miss the playoffs?

I say its Trout. I would say its Trout if the Angels won 30 games this year. Just because the sum of all the parts of a team don't equal much, does not mean that one of those parts isn't extremely valuable.

Has Cabrera even been the best player on his team this year. Austin Jackson, Prince Fielder, and Verlander have all been excellent. I'm starting to think that Beltre has a real shot at it if he stays hot. Trout probably deserves it but I don't think he will win it if the Angels don't make the postseason.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Trout is the clear MVP BUT he won't win it. Am I predicting yet another voting fail? WELL DUUUH!

@Keystone, good point. I, too, think that Trout probably DESERVES the MVP. If I was a BBWA voter I'd use 1 criterion only to determine who to pick for the MVP: Who is the one player in the league that I would have wanted on my team for that season regardless of positional need? In 2010, to me, it was Hamilton. Last year, it was Verlander. This year, it's Trout.

@Fluaggie, I'm glad you bring up Beltre. If Cabrera is being touted as a frontrunner for MVP, then you'd probably need to consider whether or not he's even the most valuable player at his position. And there's no doubt who the best third baseman is in the AL this season: It's Beltre. And Beltre's defense probably makes up for the disparity between his and Cabrera's offensive production.

Not to derail the triple crown discussion even further, but I don't think any of the guys above would be my MVP vote.

IMO, an MVP is a guy who means the most to his teams' success and someone who couldn't easily be replaced from within if he were to go down. The Rangers lineup is loaded so without someone having a monster season (Josh Hamilton 201, april-May 2012) it would be hard to pick a Most Valuable Player of the 25. The Yankess are the same way. Detroit has Fielder, A-Jax, Verlander, and the Angels were "the best team on paper" to start the season (surprisingly that best team didn't include the guy we're giving MVP votes to).

I'd give my vote to Adam Jones. The O's go nowhere without him. He isn't hitting .300 and he probably won't reach 100rbi's so he won't get much attention, but thats just my opinion on the matter.

Bump. We could all use something else to talk about right now amidst the seemingly impossible task of wrapping up the division.

Go Cabrera. I want this to happen. Saber discussion aside, the triple crown is cool. I hope he wins it.

Same here Andy. Seems like there is very little media attention surrounding Cabrera right now, which is surprising. I guess accomplishing something that hasn't been done in 45 years is not that big of a deal to them.

it would be hilarious if hamilton prevented him from getting it

If Cabrera sucks over the next 2 days and Trout goes on a tear, he could take the batting title from him. If Josh hits 2 HRs and Cabrera hits none, he could take the HR title. I doubt Josh will get 11 RBIs in 2 days. But if Josh hits 2 HRs and we don't win the division I'll be kinda pissed.

Actually, I think it would be funnier if Trout prevented him from getting it.

Cabrera's BA is 7 points higher than Trout's. Unless Josh hits 2 HRs today or Miggy goes on a skid and Trout on a rampage, I think he's got it. And good for him.

I don't think that just winning the triple crown should make someone the MVP, though. It doesn't necessarily make you the best player, it's just something really cool, like hitting 4 HRs in a game or hitting for the cycle or going 30/30 (or better) or pitching a no-hitter or perfect game. None of those things necessarily make you great over the course of a season or career, but they're cool to see.

I know my opinion doesn't count, and I know that several players (like Josh and Verlander) disagree. Fine by me. I do expect a few people to put Cabrera atop the MVP list, especially if he gets it, but I don't think everyone will. I still think the Fish is the MVP; without him they might not have broken 80 wins, if that.