For a second consecutive year, sabermetrics squared off against traditional baseball thinking in voting for American League Most Valuable Player.
And for a second consecutive year, Angels outfielder Mike Trout was a bridesmaid.
Trout finished second again to Detroit Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera, who won the American League MVP award for the second year in a row. Cabrera drew 23 of 30 first-place votes from a panel of 30 baseball writers. Trout had five first-place votes.
In total votes, Cabrera was listed either first on second on every ballot for 385 points. Trout had 19 votes for second, three for third and one each for fourth, fifth and seventh.
Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis, who led the major leagues with 53 home runs and 138 RBI, was third in the voting announced by the Baseball Writers Association of America.
Voters undoubtedly put a higher value on Cabrera's hitting statistics for a Tigers team that advanced to the playoffs than they did over Trout's numbers. Cabrera, who last season won the Triple Crown, hit a major-league best .348 to go along with 44 homers and 137 RBI.
Trout's candidacy undoubtedly was affected because the Angels failed to make the postseason for a fourth consecutive season and finished with a 78-84 record. For voters who place a high value on a player's contribution to a winning team, that probably was the difference.
But Trout is undeniably a better fielder at his position than Cabrera, and his overall numbers, especially base running, compare favorably to the winner.
Trout, 22, batted .323 with 27 home runs and 97 RBI. He led the American League in runs (109) and walks (110), was second in on-base percentage (.432) and extra-base hits (75) and third in on-base plus slugging (.988). He also had 33 stolen bases.
In the National League, Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen won the MVP. McCutchen drew 28 of 30 first-place votes to finish ahead of Arizona's Paul Goldschmidt and St. Louis’ Yadier Molina.
Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw, who won his second Cy Young Award on Wednesday, finished seventh in MVP voting with eight third-place votes. Shortstop Hanley Ramirez was eighth, outfielder Yasiel Puig was 15th and first baseman Adrian Gonzalez was 19th.
