2:02 pm | November 15, 2018 | Go to Source | Author:
6:53 PM ET
Mookie Betts couldn’t draw up a dream season much more perfect than this: a batting title, a 30/30 campaign, a World Series championship and now the American League MVP award.
The understated Boston Red Sox star hit .346 with 32 home runs and 30 stolen bases. He won a Gold Glove in right field, led the majors in slugging percentage and the AL in extra-base hits, tied for the major league lead with 129 runs scored and outpointed the Los Angeles Angels‘ Mike Trout and Cleveland Indians‘ Jose Ramirez to capture MVP honors.
“Yeah, it’s been a pretty good 2018,” Betts said on MLB Network.
The first MVP from the Red Sox since Dustin Pedroia in 2008, Betts tore out of the gate, a big reason the Red Sox jumped out to a 17-2 start. Through May 26, he was hitting .359 with 17 home runs and slugging .750, a stretch that included two three-homer games.
He then missed two weeks with an abdominal strain, which puts his season into even more impressive context since he played just 136 games, the fewest for an MVP position player since Josh Hamilton played 133 in 2010.