Mike Trout, Kris Bryant win baseball’s MVP awards

FILE – In this Oct. 10, 2016, file photo, Chicago Cubs’ Kris Bryant, left, celebrates with third base coach Gary Jones (1) after hitting a two-run home run against the San Francisco Giants during the ninth inning of Game 3 of baseball’s National League Division Series in San Francisco. AP

CHICAGO, Illinois—Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels won the American League MVP award Thursday for the second time in three years, while Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant was voted NL MVP in balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

The Angels finished a disappointing fourth in the AL West division but Trout was his usual brilliant self. The center fielder had a .315 batting percentage with 29 homers, 100 RBIs and 30 steals. He scored 17 percent of Los Angeles’ runs, the highest percentage for an AL player since Rickey Henderson with the 1985 New York Yankees.

Trout, who was a unanimous winner in 2014, had finished second in three of the past four years. He becomes the first MVP from a team with more losses than wins since Alex Rodriguez for Texas in 2003 and just the fifth player ever to accomplish the feat, joining Hall of Famers Ernie Banks (1958 and 1959), Andre Dawson (1987) and Cal Ripken (1991).

“It’s an unbelievable feeling,” Trout said. “Just trying to get better every year.”

Bryant hit .292 with 39 homers and 102 RBIs in just his second year in the majors, helping the Cubs to their first World Series title since 1908. The No. 2 overall pick from the 2013 draft becomes just the sixth player to win rookie of the year and MVP.

“Kris is just an impressive young man in every aspect,” Cubs owner Tom Ricketts said. “(He) is very mature, professional, light-hearted, but serious at the same time. He’s just kind of a dream player for any organization.”

The Las Vegas native is the first NL MVP from the Cubs since Sammy Sosa in 1998 and the seventh overall for the once-forlorn franchise enjoying its best run in decades. First baseman Anthony Rizzo and right fielder Jason Heyward each won a Gold Glove, and Rizzo finished fourth in the MVP balloting. Manager Joe Maddon and pitchers Kyle Hendricks and Jon Lester also were finalists for major awards this offseason.

Voting by BBWAA members was completed before the start of the playoffs.

Bryant was a runaway winner, grabbing 29 of 30 first-place votes and 415 points. Washington second baseman Daniel Murphy, who batted .347 for the NL East champions, was the runner-up with the other first-place vote and 245 points. Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager was third after he was the unanimous winner of the NL Rookie of the Year award on Monday.

Seager will look to follow in Bryant’s footsteps next year.

Bryant was the unanimous NL Rookie of the Year after he hit .275 with 26 homers and 99 RBIs last season. Bryant joins Dustin Pedroia (2007-08), Ryan Howard (2005-06) and Cal Ripken (1982-83) as the only players to go Rookie of the Year-MVP in consecutive seasons. Ichiro Suzuki (2001) and Fred Lynn (1975) are the only players to win the awards in the same year.

Trout received 19 first-place votes and 356 points. Mookie Betts, who batted .318 with 31 homers, 113 RBIs and 26 steals in 158 games for Boston, was second with 311 points, and AL batting champion Jose Altuve of Houston was third. Retiring Red Sox slugger David Ortiz got one first-place vote finished sixth in his final year in the majors.