Kris Bryant has been named National League MVP by the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America.
Kris Bryant has had an outstanding start to his career, winning the Minor League Player of the Year award in 2014, the National League Rookie of the Year award in 2015, and now he has been named the IBWAA Most Valuable Player in 2016. Bryant won the award on the back of a .292/.385/.554 slash line in which he lead the Chicago Cubs with 39 HR, and finished second on the team with 102 RBI. Bryant lead the league in runs scored (121) and had a 7.7 WAR.
The Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) is expected to also name Bryant MVP of the National League tonight starting at 5 PM Central time on MLB Network.
Here is the press release by the IBWAA.
IBWAA SELECTS TROUT, BRYANT IN MVP VOTE
Los Angeles – The Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) announced the winners in its Most Valuable Player category Thursday, with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim’s Mike Trout winning the group’s American League award, and Kris Bryant, of the Chicago Cubs, being selected in the National League.
Trout received 109 first-place votes (61.93%) and 1981 points while being named on 171 of 176 ballots (96.61%). Others receiving first-place votes include Mookie Betts (42), Jose Altuve (11), David Ortiz (10) and Josh Donaldson (2).
Bryant received 145 first-place votes (81.92%) and 2293 points while being named on 176 of 177 (99.44%) ballots. Others receiving first-place votes include Daniel Murphy (14), Nolan Arenado (10), Anthony Rizzo (4) and Corey Seager (3).
Election results are as follows:
AL MVP
1st Place: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – 1981 points
2nd Place: Mookie Betts, Boston Red Sox – 1686
3rd Place: Jose Altuve, Houston Astros – 13504th Place: Josh Donaldson, Toronto Blue Jays – 1027
5th Place: Manny Machado, Baltimore Orioles – 768
6th Place: David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox – 733
7th Place: Robinson Cano, Seattle Mariners – 481
8th Place: Adrian Beltre, Texas Rangers – 447
9th Place: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers – 327
10th Place: Brian Dozier, Minnesota Twins – 260
NL MVP
1st Place: Kris Bryant, Chicago Cubs – 2293 points
2nd Place: Daniel Murphy, Washington Nationals – 1269
3rd Place: Corey Seager, Los Angeles Dodgers – 12584th Place: Nolan Arenado, Colorado Rockies – 1106
5th Place: Anthony Rizzo, Chicago Cubs – 1079
6th Place: Freddie Freeman, Atlanta Braves – 776
7th Place: Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds – 536
8th Place: Yoenis Cespedes, New York Mets – 249
9th Place: Justin Turner, Los Angeles Dodgers – 215
10th Place: Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks – 214
Ballot tabulations by Brian Wittig & Associates, using the Borda Method.
The IBWAA was established July 4, 2009 to organize and promote the growing online baseball media, and to serve as a digital alternative to the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA). Voting for full season awards takes place in September of each year, with selections being announced in November. The IBWAA also holds a Hall of Fame election in December of each year, with results being announced the following January.
Among approximately 460 others, IBWAA members include Jim Bowden, Jim Caple, Schoenfield and Mark A. Simon of ESPN.com; Tim Brown, Yahoo! Sports; Craig Calcaterra, NBC Sports Hardball Talk; Bill Chuck, GammonsDaily.com; Derrick Goold, St. Louis Post-Dispatch; Jon Heyman, Today’s Knuckleball; Danny Knobler, Bleacher Report; Kevin Kennedy; Kostya Kennedy, Sports Illustrated; Will Leitch, Sports on Earth; Bruce Markusen, Hardball Times; Ross Newhan; Dayn Perry and Matt Snyder, CBSSports.com; Tom Hoffarth and J.P. Hoornstra Los Angeles Daily News; Pedro Moura, Los Angeles Times; Tracy Ringolsby, MLB.com; Ken Rosenthal, FoxSports.com; Eno Sarris, FanGraphs; Jesse Spector, Sporting News, and Bill Arnold.
Association membership is open to any and all Internet baseball writers, with a lifetime fee of $75. Discounts for groups and scholarships are available. Members must be 18 years of age to apply.
Reminder: The IBWAA is distinct from the BBWAA, which will announce the official MVP winners on the MLB Network at 3:00 p.m. PT today.
For more information please visit www.ibwaa.com.
Contact:
Howard Cole
Founding Director, IBWAA
baseballsavvy@aol.com
If Bryant wins the NL MVP award as giveb by the BBWAA, he would become the first player in the history of baseball to win College Player of the Year, Minor League Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and MVP in consecutive seasons.
