The race for the AL MVP is an absolute nail-biter heading into the MLB All-Star break. While it's become a two-man race for now, there's a second tier of players all clumped together that could make a run at the award in the second half of the season if they are able to really turn some heads.
Fresh faces sit atop the mountain right now as the usual suspect Mike Trout has been out since May 17 with a calf strain.
Here are the three AL MVP leaders entering the MLB All-Star break, ranked.
3.) JD Martinez – Red Sox
Truth be told, there are three Boston Red Sox players that could take this spot on the rankings. But it's JD Martinez who checks in at No. 3 for us.
Martinez has been extremely consistent all year long for Boston as the glue guy of the lineup. JD is batting right at .300 with an OPS of .911. He's clubbed 17 home runs and has 56 RBI as well.
The Red Sox have been one of the pleasant surprises in baseball this year as they sit at the top of the American League East. They haven't made the postseason since 2018, when they won the World Series. The offense is top tier and if they add some pitching at the deadline, the Red Sox could be a real threat to make the Fall Classic again in 2021.
JD Martinez is a big reason for that and deserves to be in the conversation for AL MVP because of it.
Boston may go as far as the offense can carry them this year. With Martinez, Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers leading the charge, they'll be as feared as any lineup in baseball.
2.) Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – Blue Jays
One of the newest faces of baseball, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has taken the league by storm this year with one moonshot home run after another.
The Toronto Blue Jays have been one of the most fun teams to watch in all of baseball and the overriding reason for that is their young stars like Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette and Cavan Biggio.
So far this season, Guerrero Jr. leads the league in OPS (1.109), OBP (.438), and total bases (200). Guerrero Jr. has been a machine at the plate from Opening Day for Toronto as they look to mix their young talent with some veteran help to get back to the postseason.
After a shortened season that threw off many, including Guerrero Jr., there were still some that questioned if one of the top prospects in baseball just a couple seasons ago would truly pan out. Now, Guerrero Jr. has showed off that star potential and raw power in 2021.
There's a legitimate case to be made for Guerrero Jr. to be No. 1 on this list in the AL MVP race but for now, he's No. 2 on this one.
1.) Shohei Ohtani – Angels
Shohei Ohtani has done things that haven't been done since Babe Ruth was playing as he has dominated on the mound and at the plate for the Los Angeles Angels. It's one thing for Ohtani to be a pitcher and be an everyday player, it's another thing completely for him to be dominating in both phases. And that's exactly what he's done. Ohtani was named an American League All-Star as both a designated hitter and a starting pitcher, which is just unheard of and unthinkable in today's game.
It's hard to even pick a starting spot for the AL MVP leader in the clubhouse at the halfway point. Ohtani leads all of baseball with 31 home runs on the season. He leads the league in slugging at .695.
On the mound, Ohtani has a K/9 of 12.5 and has posted an ERA of 3.60 across 12 starts. If not for a lopsided outing recently against the Yankees, that ERA would be a lot better for Ohtani.
Many haven't seen much of Ohtani outside of the viral clips, which is disappointing but is also the current state of MLB. Games are more regionally based and with Ohtani playing on the west coast, his games often don't start until real late at night for most of the country. Still, he's taking the league by storm in a manner that many thought would never happen again.
Perhaps the All-Star Game will be the perfect stage for Ohtani to show what he can do as both a batter and a pitcher.
Because of the unheard territory Ohtani has entered both as a pitcher and an everyday player, he is the AL MVP at the All-Star break with Guerrero Jr. right on his tail. It should be a photo-finish all the way to end of the year in the American League with many hovering just behind those two for the Most Valuable Player award.
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