Does Toronto Blue Jay Jose Bautista deserve to be the MVP this year? Let’s review his statistics in the American League:

• 10th place on base average
• 3rd place slugging percentage
• 5th place runs scored
• 1st place total bases
• 1st place home runs
• 3rd place RBIs
• 2nd place walks
• 1st place extra base hits
• 2nd place outfield assists (and he played almost 1/3 of games at 3rd base)
• 1st place outfield assists per game
• had 15 more home runs than second place finisher in AL
• had 28.6% more home runs than second place finisher in ML

In addition, in terms of all-time stats:

• biggest increase in home runs from one year to the next in baseball history (had 54 this year and 13 last, giving an increase of 41, which is the biggest difference)
• the seventh player in history to have 50 home runs, 30 doubles and 100 walks in one season
• percent home run difference between him and second in MLB is the biggest difference since 1989, and the fourth most since 1934

That last stat shows what an awesome power hitter he is. The steroid era is passed, and so it’s impossible to win the most homers ever (you can’t beat a whole league that is juiced and he is not beefy like all those guys in the late 90s), but he had way more than anybody comparatively. And 100 walks. And most outfield assists per game.

That’s a no brainer MVP year to me.

Stats from baseball-reference.com and realclearsports.com.