Ballots for the major baseball awards are due before the start of the postseason, but watching the playoffs only reinforced my vote for Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve over New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge for American League MVP.



Altuve was the more consistent hitter, batting .310 with a 1.021 OPS in 80 plate appearances. Judge at times dominated, just as he did during the regular season. But over a seven-game span during the Division Series and ALCS, he went through a 2-for-27, 19-strikeout funk. In 57 postseason plate appearances, he batted .188, albeit with a .816 OPS.



My choice of Altuve was a nod to his steadiness, the metronome-like quality to his offensive game. The 29 other AL MVP voters from the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) agreed with me, electing Altuve MVP and awarding him 27 of the 30 first-place votes. But I must say, I am not entirely at peace with my decision, or the outcome of the vote.



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