There are some truly outstanding performers in the American League, including the two best position players in the game, Mike Trout and Jose Altuve. There are some very young players who will be making their bid for MVP in 2018, including last year’s AL Rookie of the Year Aaron Judge and Francisco Lindor. They all will have to compete with 2017 NL MVP Giancarlo Stanton who was traded to the Yankees this offseason. Here we’ll take a look at who I think are the five players most likely to win the award in 2018.

1. Mike Trout – Los Angeles Angels

Duh.

The only reason why Trout did not win MVP in his rookie season, when he unanimously won Rookie of the Year, was because Miguel Cabrera hit for the Triple Crown. Here is how he has finished in MVP voting each season since and including his rookie year: Second, second, first, second, first, fourth. Why did he finish fourth in voting last year? Well he only played in 114 games, but he still put up MVP numbers.

In 114 games last season, Trout hit .306/.442/.629 with 33 home runs, 72 RBIs, a 181 wRC+ and a 6.7 bWAR. His OBP and SLG were the best in the American League, while his 1.071 OPS was tops in the Majors. He had a down year defensively, posting -6 DRS and a -7.3 UZR/150, but he is historically an above-average center fielder.

The 26-year-old is more than capable of a .310/.440/.600 season with 40 home runs and 30 stolen bases. If healthy, it would be surprising if he doesn’t finish in the top-3 of MVP voting — Heck, even if he misses 50 games like last season, he’s still a serious threat to win AL MVP.

2. Jose Altuve – Houston Astros

The reigning American League MVP is one of the most consistent players in all of baseball, and he plays at such a high level that he’s well worth the 5-year, $151 million extension he signed this offseason after he led the Astros to a World Series title.

Last season, Altuve more than earned the MVP Award by slashing .346/.410/.547 with 24 home runs, 81 RBIs, 32 stolen bases, a 160 wRC+ and an 8.3 bWAR. His 204 hits led the American League and marked the fourth straight season he has knocked at least 200 hits. Further, his .346 batting average led all of baseball.

Since and including 2014, he hasn’t tallied any less than 153 games, 200 hits, 30 stolen bases, 39 doubles and has slashed .334/.384/.496 during that span. The Gold Glover has also started hitting for power of late, mashing 24 home runs each of the last two seasons. 2018 might bring more RBI opportunities for Altuve because he’s hitting third behind George Springer and Alex Bregman. A healthy Mike Trout will give him a run for his money, but expect Altuve to continue his stellar hitting.

3. Aaron Judge & Giancarlo Stanton – New York Yankees

I’m lumping these players together because they’re just so similar and will play for the same team in 2018. Stanton was the NL MVP in 2017 while Judge finished second in AL MVP voting. Combined, they hit 111 home runs last season and now they will be hitting back-to-back in the Bronx.

Stanton, 28, hit .281/.376/.631 with 59 home runs, 132 RBIs, a 156 wRC+ and a 7.6 bWAR in 2017 en route to beating Joey Votto in NL MVP voting by just two points, the fourth-closest finish in MLB history. Now that he is playing in Yankee Stadium, a very hitter-friendly stadium to say the least, that 60-home run mark seems in reach.

His 59 home runs and 132 RBIs led all of the Major Leagues, while his .631 SLG% led the National League. It remains to be seen how he adjusts to American League pitching as well as the designated hitter position, but chances are he adjusts just fine and mashes 50+ homers if healthy.

Judge, 25, broke out in a big way last season winning the AL Rookie of the Year Award and finished second in MVP voting. He slashed .284/.422/.627 with 52 home runs, 114 RBIs, 127 walks, a 173 wRC+ and an 8.1 bWAR. His 128 runs, 52 home runs, and 127 walks all led the American League and unsurprisingly won the 2017 Home Run Derby.

There are a few reasons why you shouldn’t bet all your money on Judge in 2018. He struck out an MLB-leading 208 times last season and American League pitchers and coaches surely spent all offseason researching the holes in his spring. While I’m not saying you should expect a sophomore slump, it is important to keep in mind that while this guy is clearly strong and capable of hitting home runs, there’s a lot more to being an MVP than bombs — just ask the guys higher than him on this list.

4. Francisco Lindor & Jose Ramirez – Cleveland Indians

For the same reasons I paired Stanton and Judge together, these two guys can be paired as well. The left side of the Indians infield is easily the best in baseball both offensively and defensively. Ramirez and Lindor finished 3rd and 5th in MVP voting respectively last season and they’re both getting better.

Lindor, 24, hit .273/.337/.505 with 33 home runs, 89 RBIs, 15 stolen bases, 44 doubles, a 118 wRC+ and 5.5 WAR. While Lindor definitely is not the best hitter on this list, he is the best defender which significantly boosts his value. After winning the Gold Glove in 2016, he had a “down” year defensively tallying 5 DRS with a 5.9 UZR after 17 DRS and a 20.8 UZR in 2016.

While his batting average took a hit in 2017, he hit more home runs than both his previous seasons combined. He’s still just 24 years old, so it’s not outlandish to think he will get his average up and keep his power in 2018. He is a Gold Glover 20-20 threat and certainly deserves his place on this list.

Ramirez, 25, had a solid 2016 campaign in which he hit .312/.363/.462 with 11 home runs, but he broke out with a monster 2017 season that earned him a third place finish in MVP voting. He slashed .318/.374/.583 with 29 home runs, 89 RBIs, 17 stolen bases, six triples, a 148 wRC+, a 6.9 bWAR, and a Major League-leading 56 doubles. He adds value in the fact that he can play above-average defense at almost any position.

The Indians have two very strong threats to make a run at the American League MVP in 2018. They are both 20-20 threats who play stellar defense and I would not be surprised if both crack the top-5 of voting again just like they did in 2017.

5. Mookie Betts – Boston Red Sox

Betts, 25, had a down year last year and only finished 6th in MVP voting after he was the runner-up in 2016. 2017 saw him hit .264/.344/.459 with 24 home runs, 102 RBIs, 26 stolen bases, 46 doubles, two triples, a 108 wRC+ and a 6.4 bWAR. He also won his second consecutive Gold Glove Award for American League right fielders.

Those numbers aren’t quite MVP-level, so let’s take a look at his 2016. He hit .318/.363/.534 with 31 home runs, 113 RBIs, 26 stolen bases, 214 hits, 42 doubles, five triples, a 137 wRC+ and a 9.7 bWAR. He did make notable progress on improving his batting eye last season, going from 49 walks in 2016 to 77 walks in 2017. Further, there was a 45-point difference in his batting average and on-base percentage in 2016 compared to an 80-point difference last year.

Betts also now has more protection in the lineup with the addition of J.D. Martinez, as well as the emergence of Rafael Devers and the continued production from Andrew Benintendi, Xander Bogaerts, Hanley Ramirez and Dustin Pedroia. While he will have a hard time taking the award away from a healthy Trout or Altuve, don’t bet against Betts.

Honorable Mentions: Corey Kluber, Chris Sale, J.D. Martinez, Jose Abreu, and Carlos Correa

Earlier today we covered our Top 5 NL MVP Candidates.