The year 2013 was filled with many historic moments on the diamond. Looming largest out of all of them was probably the Boston Red Sox clinching their first World Series at Fenway Park since 1918. While they had taken the 2004 and ’07 titles, those had both been on the road. In 2013, they got to celebrate at home. Elsewhere around the league, Max Scherzer had his first true breakout season for the Detroit Tigers. The St. Louis Cardinals continued to be a top franchise, winning their second NL pennant of the decade. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Braves returned to the top of the divisional pile for the first time since 2005. Yes, many memorable moments happened in this season.
This extended to the 2013 MVP race, which is what we’ll be re-examining here. Two players emerged as the consensus top stars in the game. One was a defending Triple Crown winner and a name we’ve discussed here before. The other was a young player whose best days, truthfully, still lay ahead. Each had a legitimate claim to their league’s respective award. However, with the power of a decade of hindsight in our favor, we will dispute them. Ultimately, we will find out whether or not each was worthy of the honor. Welcome to the 2013 MVP race…re-examined.
The 2013 MVP Race: A Re-Examination
American League
The Junior Circuit had its fair share of terrific players in 2013. Familiar names like Chris Sale, the aforementioned Scherzer, and Dustin Pedroia all make appearances in the WAR top 10. Then, there were newcomers like Chris Davis, Hisashi Iwakuma, and Anibal Sanchez. However, the top three are all certainly the most legitimate out of all these potential MVP candidates. Josh Donaldson, Miguel Cabrera, and Mike Trout are all about to have their years turned upside down.
Josh Donaldson
The Oakland Athletics had found their man…or, so they thought. Midway through 2008, they pulled off a massive deal with the Chicago Cubs that brought, among others, Josh Donaldson to the Bay Area. It took five years for Donaldson to make a mark at the big league level, but he did so in grand fashion. He was third in the AL in WAR in 2013, pumping out 24 homers while batting .301 and slugging .499. His OPS+ was a sparkling 145, backed up by 174 hits and 289 total bases. He wrapped up his 2013 MVP race resume by crushing 37 doubles, scoring 89 runs, and driving in 93.
Miguel Cabrera
The question of what to do after you have won one of baseball’s ultimate prizes in the Triple Crown is one that’s hard to answer. Following up on such a monumental season is next to impossible. Fortunately for Tigers fans, Miguel Cabrera is in that particular business. In some respects, he put up even greater numbers in 2013. He led the AL in the entire slash line, posting a .348/.442/.636 mark with a league-best 1.078 OPS. His power had not left him, as he crushed 44 homers and 26 doubles. He also posted 193 hits, 137 RBI, and 103 runs scored all while only striking out 94 times in 555 at-bats.
Mike Trout
Mike Trout continued to make his case as the best young player in baseball in 2013. He was certainly tops for the Los Angeles Angels, hitting .325 with 27 homers and 97 RBI. His production levels were especially high, and he was extremely patient at the plate, posting a league-best 110 walks. Topping this particular offensive cake were 27 homers, 97 RBI, and 190 hits. Finally, he had 300+ total bases for the second of what would be five straight years topping that plateau. Trout was only 21 when all of this was taking place. That’s what made it so frightening for opponents. He was a legitimate favorite in the 2013 MVP race…and his best days were still to come.
The MVP should be…
In the 2013 MVP race, much as the year prior, Cabrera simply outshone his competition. Terrific as both Trout and Donaldson were, the future Hall of Famer was that much better. If one could have the perfect defense of a Triple Crown, it would be this one. Not even Carl Yastrzemski in his defense of the 1967 title could lay claim to some of Cabrera’s numbers. Between 2012 and 2013, Miguel Cabrera proved over and over why he was, not only the AL MVP but perhaps the best player in the entire game.
National League
The National League saw a quietly consistent player garner the greatest honor of his young career. However, two other players could lay claim to the trophy. One was a brash player who, as his career went on, probably became just as well known for his temperament as for his bat. The other has gone on to cement his place in baseball history as one of the best pitchers of a generation. Once more, it’s time to throw open the Senior Circuit vault and place three MVP candidates under the microscope.
Carlos Gomez
Yes, this writer was very surprised to find Carlos Gomez on this list. But, he finished third in NL WAR in 2013, so here he is. The Milwaukee Brewers outfielder beat out others like Joey Votto and Paul Goldschmidt to make it here. It’s not without cause, either. He slashed .284/.338/.506 with an .843 OPS. He hit a career-high 24 homers with 27 doubles, 10 triples, and 40 stolen bases. His good work at the plate was backed up by excellent fielding, posting a 3.6 dWAR while only committing five errors in 408 putouts. Finally, he made his first of back-to-back All-Star Games.
Andrew McCutchen
The real-life MVP, Andrew McCutchen, rests in the runner-up spot on the WAR list. Though he had a statistically superior season in 2012, his 2013 was nowhere near shabby. The Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder maintained his overall consistency by hitting .317 with a .911 OPS. Though his power was knocked back a little, his proficiency for good contact was not. He had 185 hits and 38 doubles through the year, while still knocking 21 homers. He failed to crack the 100-runs scored and 100-RBI barriers, so that should be taken into account when judging this. However, that does nothing to completely negate what was another fantastic year from one of the hottest stars in the game at the time.
Clayton Kershaw
The final candidate in the 2013 MVP race was none other than a future Hall of Famer. Yes, this Los Angeles Dodgers mainstay dazzled in 2013 by winning 16 games with a sparkling 1.83 ERA. That mark led him to his third of four straight ERA titles. He led the league in strikeouts (232), ERA+ (194), and WHIP (0.915) all while helping lead the Dodgers to an NLCS appearance. Though they didn’t quite go all the way to a title, Clayton Kershaw was the face of one of the best pitching staffs in the entire league. He well earned his place in the MVP picture, even though he came up just short of actually winning.
The MVP Should Be…
Now, this writer has some subjectively poor memories of the 2013 postseason when his Atlanta Braves were ousted by Kershaw’s Dodgers. However, there is something of an objective wrong here that needs to be put right. Though McCutchen had a great year, Kershaw had a legendary one. He led the league in multiple categories and truly excelled at his position. Not only that, but he showed true consistency at pitching, which is quite rare, to say the least. That’s why he should be the 2013 NL MVP.
Main photo credits: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
Players mentioned: Max Scherzer, Chris Sale, Dustin Pedroia, Chris Davis, Hisashi Iwakuma, Anibal Sanchez, Josh Donaldson, Miguel Cabrera, Mike Trout, Carl Yastrzemski, Carlos Gomez, Joey Votto, Paul Goldschmidt, Andrew McCutchen, Clayton Kershaw
