Bryce Harper And Josh Donaldson Named Major League Baseball’s MVPS

On Thursday, what many held as a forgone conclusion was confirmed: Toronto’s Josh Donaldson and Washington’s Bryce Harper were the two most valuable players during the 2015 MLB season.

Donaldson was one of the driving forces behind the Blue Jays’ push to the postseason. During the month of August, he had a .324 batting average with 11 home runs and 35 RBIs. The fact that Mike Trout–Donaldson’s biggest rival for the award–slumped through the same month likely sealed the deal.

On the National League side, Harper is the fourth youngest player to be named MVP. Selected first overall in the 2010 MLB Draft and named an all-star for the first time when he was 19, he is undeniably one of the league’s brightest young stars. After struggling with injuries through much of his brief career, Harper put together an impressive 2015 campaign. While his Nationals struggled, he led the National League in home runs, runs scored, and slugging percentage. When push came to shove, he was simply the best hitter in baseball and the voters could not overlook that. And, as Harper himself alluded to, he should only improve as he spends more time at the highest level.  

Photo: NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 04: Bryce Harper #34 of the Washington Nationals hits in the seventh inning as Travis d’Arnaud #7 of the New York Mets defends on October 4, 2015 at Citi Field in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)