Ranking MLB's MVP finalists

The Most Valuable Player award features baseball's best of the best, with some of the most promising young talents on display as finalists. The average age for the final six is an astonishing 25.3, proving this generation's crop of young stars could battle it out for the hardware for years to come.

The Baseball Writers' Association of America revealed the three finalists for the MVP award in each league last week, and will announce the winner on MLB Network Thursday beginning at 6 p.m. ET.

Here's how the six finalists stack up against each other:

1. Kris Bryant, Cubs - NL

In only his second season in the majors, Kris Bryant proved his worth as one of the best overall players in baseball, leading the Cubs to their first World Series in 108 years. At only 24 years old, Bryant's chance of being named NL MVP is highly in his favor in comparison to the other candidates, and he could become the youngest NL third baseman to ever win the award.

2. Mookie Betts, Red Sox - AL

Mookie Betts' 2016 campaign was all about breaking records, doing so in unprecedented fashion. Betts became the first player in baseball to register at least 200 hits, 100 runs scored, and 100 RBIs in a single season since Miguel Cabrera in 2012. To add, he's only the second player in Red Sox history to manage 200 hits in a season before turning 24. It's even more impressive that Betts performed in the field as well, leading all of baseball with 32 defensive runs saved en route to his first Gold Glove award.

3. Mike Trout, Angels - AL

In only five major-league seasons, Mike Trout has cemented himself as a once-in-a-generation talent, and one of the best athletes in all of sports.

Trout is going to be in the MVP conversation every year, barring something unforeseen, but considering the Angels weren't anywhere near contention this season, it dampens his overall outlook. A stat to keep in mind: Trout's combined 48.5 WAR leads baseball over the past five seasons, and at only 25 years old, he sits 11th among the active all-time leaders in that category. He became the fastest player to reach that WAR total before the age of 26 since Ty Cobb (53.1 from 1907-12).

4. Jose Altuve, Astros - AL

The diminutive Jose Altuve has emerged as one of baseball's most exciting talents, leading him to being named a finalist for MVP for the first time. Once considered a serious front runner for the award, Altuve's 2016 season was slightly overshadowed by Trout's and Betts' only because they performed a bit better - particularly in the second half of the season. Altuve still deserves a ton of recognition, however, and paired with phenom Carlos Correa, gives the Astros a dangerous one-two punch for a long time.

5. Daniel Murphy, Nationals - NL

The Nationals signing Daniel Murphy last offseason to a three-year, $37.5-million contract paid off immensely for the team and for the second baseman, who led the NL in doubles (47), slugging percentage (.595), and OPS (.985).

It was Murphy - not reigning NL MVP and teammate Bryce Harper - who was the Nationals most consistent offensive performer, though it's still hard to envision him beating Bryant for the award. The 31-year-old enters next season as a legitimate offensive threat and will look to build off his career campaign.

6. Corey Seager, NL - Dodgers

Considering Corey Seager unanimously won NL Rookie of the Year, the fact he's an MVP finalist as well speaks to how talented he is. If Seager does in fact win both coveted awards, he would become only the third player in league history - Ichiro in 2001 and Fred Lynn in 1975 were the others - to accomplish the feat.

If you compare his stats to Bryant's, the latter has the advantage, but in his first taste of the big leagues, Seager was by far the Dodgers' most important position player. The 22-year-old is on his way to becoming a star, and will be in the MVP conversation for a while.