Miguel Cabrera is closing in on baseball's first Triple Crown in 44 seasons. Most years, that would be more than enough to justify a vote for the AL Most Valuable Player award. But Mike Trout's phenomenal rookie season has made the MVP a two-horse race. We looked to history for guidance, and the last three Triple Crown winners -- Carl Yastrzemski (1967), Frank Robinson (1966) and Mickey Mantle (1956) -- all won the MVP. But Ted Williams' Triple Crown seasons weren't enough for MVP voters in 1947 or 1942, when the Yankees' Joe DiMaggio and Joe Gordon won the award, respectively. Should winning a Triple Crown be an all-but-automatic MVP? Or is it just one factor to consider?

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