Detroit Tigers in the 2015 MVP Vote
Josh Donaldson was awarded the American League MVP and he definitely deserved it. While it has been a few years since Detroit Tigers players have won the award, three of them were considered for it this year. The last Tigers players to win the award were Justin Verlander in 2011 and Miguel Cabrera in 2012 and 2013. Every year that Cabrera has played, he has been in the discussion for the MVP and in 2015, that trend continued.
Sep 1, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; Detroit Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler (3) hits a 2 run home run against the Kansas City Royals in the seventh inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports
It has become commonplace for Cabrera to receive some votes for the MVP award. This year, he received enough votes to finish in 11th place. The exciting news about the MVP vote is that Cabrera’s teammates on the right side, J.D. Martinez and Ian Kinsler also received votes. Martinez collected enough votes to finish in 15th place; this was his first time recognized being recognized by the BBWAA. Kinsler received one vote and finished in 21st place. Detroit Tigers fans did not expect any of their favorite players to win the highest honor. Simply knowing that three of them were recognized for their quality work this season provides a satisfying ending to a mediocre season.
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Interestingly, the two Detroit members of the BBWAA did not vote for Cabrera, but they both voted for Martinez. They also both voted for Donaldson in first and Mike Trout in second (where he finished for the third time in four seasons). Jose Altuve, David Price, and Jose Bautista finished ahead of Cabrera in the votes. Both writers from Washington recognized Cabrera’s skills. Other BBWAA members that recognized Cabrera were from Houston, Chicago, and Kansas City. Martinez was recognized by writers in Boston, Cleveland, and Kansas City. No writers voted for a combination of Cabrera, Martinez, and/or Kinsler (who received one vote from a writer for The Boston Globe).