Altuve, Trout among top AL MVP Award candidates

Mike Trout is the logical choice. David Ortiz is the sentimental favorite. Josh Donaldson won last season and is again putting up monster numbers. There’s also Jose Altuve, Mookie Betts and Miguel Cabrera, all solid candidates. In other words, there’s no clear-cut choice to win the American League Most Valuable Player Award at this point.

Maybe there’ll be some separation as we near the finish line, or maybe this season’s balloting will be historically close. MVP balloting is an uncertain science because each voter sees the candidates through their own prism.

Hardware Hopefuls

• AL MVP • NL MVP

• Tuesday: AL Cy Young • Tuesday: NL Cy Young

• Wednesday: AL Rookie of the Year • Wednesday: NL Rookie of the Year

• Friday: AL Manager of the Year • Friday: NL Manager of the Year

• AL MVP • NL MVP

• Tuesday: AL Cy Young • Tuesday: NL Cy Young

• Wednesday: AL Rookie of the Year • Wednesday: NL Rookie of the Year

• Friday: AL Manager of the Year • Friday: NL Manager of the Year

Nevertheless, let’s line ’em up and rank ’em for a midsummer exercise for the real balloting done after the final game of the regular season.

1. Altuve, 2B, Astros Altuve is cruising toward his second AL batting title in three seasons, and he has career highs in home runs and walks. Only Ortiz has a higher OPS. Only Trout has a higher WAR.

There simply is no weakness in Altuve’s game, and in a lineup that has some holes, he has at times seemed to be the only guy keeping the Astros in shouting distance of a second straight postseason berth.

2. Trout, CF, Angels Trout is the best player in the game. He’s so breathtakingly good every day of the season that it has become easy to take his greatness for …

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