Trout clinches longest streak of top-5 MVP finishes despite worst result
Mike Trout's name has become synonymous with the American League MVP Award, but the Los Angeles Angels superstar suffered the worst finish of his career in 2020.
All 30 eligible members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America placed Trout in their top 10, but the centerfielder finished fifth behind Chicago White Sox slugger and 2020 MVP Jose Abreu, Cleveland Indians third baseman Jose Ramirez, New York Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu, and Indians ace Shane Bieber.
It's only the second time Trout wasn't a finalist for the award, with the other being his fourth-place finish in 2017 when a thumb injury held him to 117 games.
However, Trout now has the longest streak of top-five MVP finishes in MLB history, according to James Smyth of YES Network. He's won the award three times and never finished outside the top five over nine straight seasons since becoming a full-time player in 2012.
| Year | MVP finish |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 2nd |
| 2013 | 2nd |
| 2014 | 1st |
| 2015 | 2nd |
| 2016 | 1st |
| 2017 | 4th |
| 2018 | 2nd |
| 2019 | 1st |
| 2020 | 5th |
Though Trout was characteristically dominant, this was the first season he didn't lead MLB in any major category. He hit .281/.390/.603 with 17 homers and one steal and ranked fourth in FanGraphs' WAR among AL position players.
The 29-year-old placed as high as fourth on four writers' ballots and as low as ninth.