Each AL East team's MVP in 2019

September 26th, 2019

Major League Baseball’s biggest league-wide awards may come down to the wire this year, with debates over who should win both the American and National League Most Valuable Player Awards raging into the season’s final week. But when we break it down to a club level, the races are often more cut and dried.

That’s certainly the case in the AL East, which was again one of baseball’s most exciting divisions in 2019. That meant great seasons from great players, and examples of sensational individual years coming from up and down the eastern seaboard.

Who meant the most to their respective clubs? That’s the question as we break down the most valuable players for each AL East team.

Blue Jays:
This is a tough one, given the transitional state of the Blue Jays. Their most valuable player by WAR, Marcus Stroman, was traded in July. Their second-most valuable player, Eric Sogard, was dealt as well. Their best reliever, Ken Giles, is a closer on a fourth-place team.

Many of the Blue Jays' exciting young stars -- Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Bo Bichette -- were limited by injuries or slumped in the second half. So let’s go with Biggio, Toronto's most consistent contributor since he arrived in late May. Biggio heads into the season’s final days with 16 homers, a .794 OPS, a cycle and experience at four positions under his belt.

Simply put, he was an above-average offensive player with on-base skills and defensive versatility. That’s valuable, and bound to earn Biggio some down-ballot AL Rookie of the Year Award votes.

Orioles:
There were analytical arguments for Jonathan Villar and John Means, but nobody carried the rebuilding Orioles more than Mancini on a nightly basis. Their lineup linchpin and emotional heartbeat, Mancini broke out in a big way in his age-27 season, setting career highs in nearly every offensive category while hitting .291 with 34 homers and an .897 OPS through Wednesday.

Mancini will finish 2019 as Baltimore’s leader in nearly every major offensive category, presenting the Orioles with an interesting decision this offseason. Do they explore the idea of trading Mancini, who is under team control through 2023 and is clearly their most valuable asset? Or do they toss around the idea of extending him, with an eye toward building around him? The O's can simply wait and do neither if they wish, but Mancini’s big season has their gears turning either way.

Rays:
There is an argument for the stability Charlie Morton has brought to the rotation in his first year with Tampa Bay; he’ll likely finish in the top five in AL Cy Young Award voting and might even snag some down-ballot AL MVP Award votes.

But for the Rays' most productive everyday player, look no further than Meadows, who has done as much as anyone to keep Tampa Bay in the hunt despite what’s been more or less a league-average team offense. A first-time All-Star, Meadows tore through April and May, caught fire again in July and has finished with a strong September.

All told, Meadows leads the Rays in hitting, slugging, homers, RBIs and WAR, and was batting .293/.366/.559 with 32 homers and 88 RBIs through Wednesday. Had it not made last year’s Chris Archer trade, Tampa Bay might not be in a postseason position right now.

Red Sox:
The Red Sox had no shortage of offensive performers, with Mookie Betts, Rafael Devers and J.D. Martinez all putting together fine seasons. But Bogaerts was Boston's rock all season; offensively, defensively and in the clubhouse, where he emerged as a leader.

On the field, Bogaerts has had the most complete season of his career. He became one of two shortstops to compile at least 30 homers, 50 doubles and 100 RBIs, and one of six shortstops to ever hit at least 51 two-baggers in a season. That production is likely to net him a top-five finish in AL MVP Award balloting.

The Red Sox bet big on Bogaerts earlier this year, signing him to a five-year, $120 million extension through 2025. For all the questions surrounding the future of the organization, Bogaerts isn’t one of them.

Yankees:
Remember when many questioned why the Yankees would target LeMahieu in free agency, calling the signing redundant? Remember the debate about where -- or if -- he’d even get consistent playing time in the Bronx? Those concerns were quickly quelled, to say the least.

Instead of an afterthought, LeMahieu fast became the most valuable piece of a Yankees team ravaged by a historic number of injuries, from Aaron Judge to Giancarlo Stanton to Aaron Hicks and on down the list. LeMahieu was a mainstay, one of just two Yankees to appear in at least 140 games while sprinkling in at least 27 starts each at first, second or third base.

LeMahieu also had a career year at the plate, the former NL batting champ blossoming into a legitimate run producer. No more Coors Field? No problem. LeMahieu was hitting .328/.376/.519 with 26 homers and 99 RBIs through Wednesday, placing among the AL leaders in runs, RBIs, hits, batting average and OPS.

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Joe Trezza is a senior content producer for MLB.com.