Go see Mike Trout play. If you like baseball. If you like sports. Or you just appreciate genius.

Trout is having his best year. Don’t just skip over that sentence. This is how Trout’s seven full seasons before this one concluded: second in the MVP, second, first, second, first, fourth, second. This is Meet the Beatles! as a baseball career — only chart-topping results.

Yet, here in Season 8 he is better than ever: best on-base percentage of his career, slugging percentage, walk rate, strikeout rate, extra-base rate, homer rate, hard hit rate, line drive rate.

Trout is a metronome of greatness. He has better than a 1.000 OPS at home and away, day game or night, vs. lefties or righties, starters or relievers, first pitch or full count, no one on or runners in scoring position, April, May or June.

Trout also is an above-average fielder and baserunner. The Angels bestowed him the first $400 million dollar contract before this season ($426.5 million). It feels light watching him. He is among the greatest players ever at the peak of his powers.

And what makes 2019 amazing is the Dodgers’ Cody Bellinger and the Brewers’ Christian Yelich might be outplaying him.

So we have quite an NL MVP race going as the season reaches its midway point. But there is no contest in the AL. Ten of the top 12 in OPS entering the weekend were from the NL. Yelich was first, Bellinger second, Trout third and there was not another AL player until Gary Sanchez at 10th.

It is better yet that the Angels are lurking in the wild-card race. Trout has only played in one playoff series. It would be good for the sport if he got another chance, but even September contention would shine a light on him. Really. Go see him. He is on stage six or seven days a week. Don’t look back and say you missed your chance to take in Hardball’s midseason AL MVP — and the best player of the 21st century.

2. Alex Bregman, Astros. 3. Jorge Polanco, Twins. 4. Sanchez. 5. Xander Bogaerts, Red Sox.

AL Anti-MVP

Jose Ramirez, Indians

He finished third in the MVP vote each of the past two seasons, combining for a 68 homers and a .948 OPS. But we should have paid attention to the final quarter of 2018, when over the last 38 games Ramirez had two homers and a .577 OPS. This season Cleveland’s offense has mainly struggled, and Ramirez (five homers, .607 OPS) is a prime culprit.

2. Chris Davis, Orioles. 3. Rougned Odor, Rangers. 4. Yonder Alonso, White Sox. 5. Jason Kipnis, Indians.

NL MVP

Cody Bellinger, Dodgers

It is hairsplitting with Yelich. They are both hitting for average, power and with patience. Yelich is the better baserunner; Bellinger is the better defender. Yelich is having a historic season hitting at home, but is also strong on the road; Bellinger has better than a 1.000 OPS home or away. Yelich has better stats with runners in scoring position, but Bellinger is still superb. They are lefty hitters who do damage against lefties and righties. Really, you would have to nitpick to find fault — and may not even find it then. I gave it to Bellinger for the defensive edge, but either choice is the right one.

2. Yelich. 3. Anthony Rendon, Nationals. 4. Nolan Arenado, Rockies. 5. Freddie Freeman, Braves.

NL Anti-MVP

Robinson Cano, Mets

Let him serve as a symbol for what has so far been an atrocious first half for himself, the team and the GM. Brodie Van Wagenen gave up big assets in prospects and money to land Cano and Edwin Diaz, and purchased Jeurys Familia, Jed Lowrie, Wilson Ramos and Justin Wilson in free agency. It all has gone horribly. Cano, who is signed through 2023, has shown signs of age (he is 36) by going on the injured list as many times (twice) in his short Mets term as he had in the previous 12 seasons, signs of indifference by not running out balls and signs of decline (he had a .233 average and .660 OPS).

I considered Bryce Harper. He has not been terrible. He had an .809 OPS. But that is hardly worth $330 million nor is leading the league in strikeouts nor is having a considerably worse Wins Above Replacement (0.5) than Brett Gardner (1.4).

2. Harper, Phillies. 3. Maikel Franco, Phillies. 4. Starlin Castro, Marlins. 5. Travis Shaw, Brewers.

AL Cy Young

Justin Verlander, Astros

He is as brilliant and durable as ever at 36. Verlander had worked at least six innings in 15 of 16 starts and led the majors with 10 games of at least seven innings. Workload is a real separator for me in the age of bullpens — because someone has to be resting the relievers to be deployed to assist other starters. And it isn’t like Verlander skimps on excellence to provide innings. He led the AL in quality start percentage and batting average against (.156) and was fourth in ERA and third in strikeout percentage.

2. Mike Minor, Rangers. 3. Jose Berrios, Twins. 4. Charlie Morton, Rays. 5. Lucas Giolito, White Sox.

AL Anti-CY Young

Cody Allen/Trevor Cahill/Matt Harvey, Angels

If Trout misses the playoffs, this would be a good place to begin to point blame. The Angels invested $28.5 million in one-year contracts on this trio, who have combined to go 4-12 with a 7.13 ERA. Allen already has been released, and Cahill and Harvey are on the injured list with no public forecast for return (if the Angels would even want them back). Is it possible that we have seen the last of Harvey as a major leaguer?

2. Aaron Sanchez, Blue Jays. 3. Edwin Jackson, Blue Jays. 4. Dan Straily, Orioles. 5. Drew Smyly, Rangers.

NL CY Young

Hyun-jin Ryu, Dodgers

Max Scherzer has Ryu in innings and strikeouts, but it is just hard to ignore a 1.27 ERA and six walks against 90 strikeouts in 99 innings and 15 starts without ever giving up more than two earned runs.

But just a quick word on Scherzer. He is getting Trout-ian in his persistent distinction. His past six years in Cy finishes are first, fifth, fifth, first, first and second.

2. Scherzer, Nationals. 3. Zack Greinke, Diamondbacks. 4. Luis Castillo, Reds 5. Kirby Yates, Padres.

NL Anti-CY Young

Jeurys Familia, Mets

You know what is bad? Getting to the midpoint and having two key acquisitions top the “anti” list for MVP and Cy Young, as Cano and Familia do. Signed for three years at $30 million, Familia went from the eighth-inning man to pretty much unusable to the injured list for the second time with a reported shoulder issue.

2. Joe Kelly, Dodgers. 3. Chris Archer, Pirates. 4. Aaron Nola, Phillies. 5. Derek Holland/Drew Pomeranz, Giants.

AL Rookie of the Year

Brandon Lowe, Rays

This really is a halfway award because the smart money is on the Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. or White Sox’s Eloy Jimenez ultimately earning the honor, such is their pedigree. But Lowe, even with a high strikeout total, earned the midway honors with power and defensive versatility.

2. Michael Chavis, Red Sox. 3. Jimenez. 4. Guerrero. 5. Spencer Turnbull, Tigers.

NL Rookie of the Year

Pete Alonso, Mets

So there is a litany of what has been half bad with the Mets, here is what is half good. Actually kind of great. Remember when there was a question if Alonso would make the team out of spring? Now, he is the best thing about the Mets. His offense is reminiscent of Aaron Judge’s rookie 2017 — not just awesome power, but good at-bats. But man is it going to be hard for Alonso to actually win this award, such is the loaded condition of superb NL rookies. Those not listed in the top five, but deserving of strong consideration, include Chris Paddack (Padres), Alex Verdugo (Dodgers), and Merrill Kelly and Christian Walker (Diamondbacks).

2. Fernando Tatis Jr., Padres. 3. Mike Soroka, Braves. 4. Bryan Reynolds, Pirates. 5. Austin Riley, Braves.

AL Manager of the Year

Aaron Boone, Yankees

The top five homer hitters from last year’s club missed most of the first half, and ace (Luis Severino) and key setup man (Dellin Betances) are yet to play in 2019. Boone oversaw the regeneration of Gary Sanchez on both sides of the ball and the surprise emergence of Cameron Maybin and Gio Urshela, while manipulating a strong bullpen to protect a suspect rotation.

2. Rocco Baldelli, Twins. 3. Kevin Cash, Rays. 4. Chris Woodward, Rangers. 5. A.J. Hinch, Astros.

NL Manager of the Year

Torey Lovullo, Diamondbacks

Arizona traded Paul Goldschmidt and lost Patrick Corbin and A.J. Pollock to free agency, yet stayed in at least wild card contention.

2. Brian Snitker, Braves. 3. Dave Roberts, Dodgers. 4. David Bell, Reds. 5. Bud Black, Rockies.