Trout weighs in on MVP vote: I try to be the best every year

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout is already the owner of one American League MVP, and has finished in the top two in voting every season since he joined the league, but playing for a non-contender could prevent him from earning the award this season.

With the Angels standing no chance of making the postseason (and fighting just to stay out of last place in the AL West), the annual debate of whether the most valuable player in the league must come from a contending team has once again surfaced, and Trout recently offered his opinion.

"I try to be the best player in the league every year," Trout told the Los Angeles Times' Bill Shaikin.

Mookie Betts, Jose Altuve, Josh Donaldson, and the retiring David Ortiz are all among the candidates for the AL MVP award, and playing for contending teams may give them an advantage, despite the fact Trout bests all of them in WAR, OBP, and wRC+.

The numbers may not be enough, though, as there are still those who believe there's a certain added mental grind that comes with playing for a contender that should be considered in MVP voting.

“You understand how hard it is to grind all the way through the season and be that consistent and put up big numbers like Trout has done," San Francisco Giants catcher and 2012 NL MVP Buster Posey told Shaikin. "But you also understand the mental wear and tear of being in the hunt and trying to get to where we all aspire to be."

Trout doesn't plan on debating why he should be the MVP as the season winds down. He just plans to play ball and let the voters decide if he is what he tries to be every season: the best.

"I just go out there and play. I don’t read anything. I can’t control what people vote on. I’ll let you guys decide."