AL MVP Watch: Looks like a two-man race between Yankees' Judge and Astros' Altuve

The AL MVP race should come down to one of the biggest players against one of the shortest

We're into the second week of August, which means many things in the world of Major League Baseball. Among them: The awards races are starting to become a bit more clear than back in June. We can generally tell which teams will be contenders and which players are having the best seasons. Let's run down how the race for AL MVP is shaping up. 

Hint: There aren't many candidates to win. A lot of the AL discussion will be between two guys and then how the down-ballot shapes up. 

The front-runners

It's been a steady progression for Altuve, having finished in 13th, 10th and 3rd in AL MVP voting in the last three seasons, respectively. This year just might be his time. The Astros have been the best team in the AL pretty much from the get-go. They've had to suffer through injuries to some of their biggest stars, such as Dallas Keuchel, George Springer and Carlos Correa. The steady hand all along has been Altuve. In addition to the sick rate stats seen above, he's leading the majors in hits, has 33 doubles, three triples, 16 homers, 63 RBI, 77 runs and 24 steals. He rarely strikes out, plays quality defense at second and is the main catalyst of the league's best offense. 

There's not much to argue when it comes to Altuve. 

He already has Rookie of the Year sealed, but Judge could well win the MVP. He's slowed down some since the All-Star break, but he's still leading the AL in home runs, walks, runs, on-base percentage and slugging percentage (among qualifiers, and we'll get to that). The Yankees are in playoff position and have dealt with injuries to some key sluggers. Judge has been steady, similar to the sentiment we discussed with Altuve. 

This is very clearly a two-horse race at this juncture. 

Also in the mix

The 2016 breakout season was very much real and was apparently just scratching the surface of how good Ramirez can be. Only 24, he's leading the majors in doubles and is surprisingly (not a knock on Ramirez, it's just that Francisco Lindor was the likely MVP candidate heading into the year) the obvious best player on a division leader. The plays well in MVP voting.

Sale leads the AL in wins, ERA, innings pitched, strikeouts (216 in 153 1/3 innings), ERA+, FIP, WHIP, hit rate, strikeout rate and strikeout-walk ratio (7.71, which is outrageous). He's finished in the top six in AL Cy Young voting in each of the last five seasons, but he's never been able to crack the top two. That changes this year, as he'll win it. He's also gonna be in the MVP mix as arguably the best overall player on a division leader. 

The two-time MVP is still the best player in the world and he carries a daunting slash line (look at that slugging!). It's scary to even consider, but he really might be getting better. The problem when it comes to the MVP in 2017, however, is that Trout missed a chunk of the season due to injury. He's only played in 67 games to this point, compared to the rest of the major candidates here having played in over 100. In order for Trout to win again, he'd have to lap the field about 10 times over, figuratively speaking. That's not happening. To ignore him here, however, would be laughable. If I had to bet, I'd say he finishes in the top five. 

It's a down year for Betts, but he's still filling the stat sheet, with 32 doubles, 18 homers, 69 RBI, 74 runs, 17 steals and the same number of strikeouts as walks (50). The Red Sox are in first and Betts is their best position player. His WAR (5.2) is very high thanks in part to strong defensive rankings as well. Team this with his established pedigree of finishing second last season and he'll surely get some run -- especially if he finishes strong.

Down ballot candidates

It would've been interesting to see how things shook out if all of the Astros big three position players stayed healthy. Instead, Correa's down until mid-to-late September and Springer won't be back until around another week. Meantime, Altuve had one of the greatest months in MLB history in July. Still, Correa and Springer more than deserve to be considered among the top 10 at this point. Maybe Correa falls off due to lack of games by the end of the season, but he's still worth mention right now. 

The Rays are still in the playoff mix and Morrison has been arguably their most productive player. He's getting on base and hitting for power, right now sitting with 28 homers and 66 RBI. 

For years, many of us wondered if Simmons' bat would ever come close enough to his glove to get him some more attention and it's starting to happen in 2017. He's still stupid-good at a premium defensive position and now he's hitting over .300 and even mixing in some power we hadn't seen since 2013 when he hit 17 homers (he has 11 right now). Mix in the career high 16 steals, and Simmons has morphed from a mostly one-dimensional player to an all-around stud. 

The Tigers aren't very good, but Upton will garner some votes in the 8-10 range at this pace (remember, MVP voters fill out 10-man ballots). He's got 32 doubles, 21 homers, 77 RBI and 10 steals. That'll grab some eyes for down-ballot love. 

He'll be stifled among discussions of the AL's best pitcher by Sale, but Kluber is having a great season in his own right. In 18 starts, Kluber has three complete games and two shutouts. He's struck out 172 in 123 2/3 innings. The 0.95 WHIP is outstanding and Kluber is playing for a first-place team. 

I said earlier that Sale leads the AL in ERA, but he's actually tied for first with Paxton. The lanky lefty has finally put it all together and is enjoying a huge breakout campaign. He's struck out 132 in 113 1/3 innings and has only coughed up five homers all season. The Mariners are in the playoff mix, too. 

Again, the Mariners are in the playoff mix -- and Cruz leads the AL with 84 RBI. That would turn some heads among the voting body.

Severino has bounced back from a disaster of a 2016 season in which he had a 5.83 ERA in 71 innings. This time around, he's struck out 162 and carries a 1.07 WHIP in 139 1/3 innings. As well, he's playing for a contender and that still matters to most voters. 

The Royals are contending and surely someone will get some run in the down-ballot portion. I'll go with Hosmer, though Salvador Perez (assuming his injury doesn't linger long) and Mike Moustakas could also get some run. 

The Blue Jays aren't contending, but Smoak has 31 homers and 76 RBI right now. If he ends up with, say, 47 homers and 120 RBI, he'll surely get some votes in the 8-10 range on more than a few ballots.