Difficult choices to follow Alonso for Most Valuable Oriole

Pete Alonso is unquestionably the Most Valuable Oriole. When the results of the MVO election are announced later this month, I expect that Alonso will be an unanimous winner.

Alonso is hitting .268 with 34 home runs, an American League leading 97 RBIs and an .861 OPS.

Not only has Alonso played in each of the Orioles’ 147 games, he’s played in 563 consecutive games, the 26^th longest in history.

Alonso has justified the Orioles’ five-year, $155 million investment and could receive some down-ballot votes for American League Most Valuable Player.

Besides being asked for a first choice, local media members who regularly cover the club are asked for their second and third choice.

Between now and early next week, I’ll have to decide on who my other two choices are, and I’m not sure.

Debating MVO choices is a favorite press box question, and while Alonso is a sure No. 1, I don’t think there’s necessarily a right or wrong choice for Numbers 2 and 3.

Let’s look at some possibilities.

We can eliminate both Adley Rutschman and Taylor Ward because they’re no longer with the Orioles.

Rutschman had a 2.0 WAR (Wins Above Replacement) while Ward, who’s hit only .115 in 24 games with the Seattle Mariners since he was traded on August 3^rd, had a 2.7 WAR with the Orioles.

Gunnar Henderson

Henderson has played in all but two of the Orioles’ 147 games. He missed Wednesday night’s game with a sore left knee but hopes to return on Friday night when the Orioles open a three-game series in Toronto.

Despite his subpar season, Henderson has a 2.0 WAR, which is tied for second behind only Alonso’s 4.0. His 22 home runs are tied with Coby Mayo for second most on the team, and though he’s committed 16 errors at shortstop, tied for the AL lead, he maintains a positive Defensive WAR.

Colton Cowser

Cowser, who’s played in 130 games, behind only Alonso and Henderson, has also amassed a 2.0 WAR.

Unlike Alonso and Henderson, most of Cowser’s WAR value comes from defense. He has a 1.2 Defensive WAR and a .8 Offensive WAR.

Cowser’s responsible for some of the team’s best moments this season. There were two walk-off home runs on consecutive days in May, and the wonderful game-saving catch in Colorado on August 31^st.

He’s hitting only .213 with a .670 OPS, 13 home runs, 37 RBIs. Last season, he swiped 14 bases without being caught. This year, he’s stolen just eight bases while being caught four times. His last stolen base came on July 27^th.

Samuel Basallo

Basallo has a 1.7 WAR, and while overall his numbers aren’t bad (.227 with a .711 WAR, 17 homers, 51 RBIs), he accumulated them mostly during the season’s first half.

Basallo injured his right shoulder just after the All-Star break and missed a month. In 20 games in the second half, Basallo is hitting only .131 with a homer and five RBIs.

He’s thrown out 30 percent of runners attempting to steal (12 of 40),which is higher than the league average of 23.1

Coby Mayo

I wouldn’t have considered Mayo, but this week, a voter mentioned that he was thinking of him as a possibility.

Mayo has a .9 WAR, though his second half has been excellent.

He’s hit .274 with a .911 OPS since the All-Star break with 10 home runs and 25 RBIs. Mayo and Henderson are tied for second with 22 homers.

Overall, he’s hitting .223 with a .754 OPS and 59 RBIs, second only to Alonso.

Blaze Alexander

Alexander has played in only 93 games, and is in his second stint on the injured list. He missed six weeks with a fractured left hand after he was hit by a pitch in the last game before the All-Star break. Alexander is currently on the IL with lower back discomfort and hopes to be back when his 10-day stint is up on September 19^th.

He has a 1.6 WAR, and a .303 batting average with a .772 OPS. He’s hit only four home runs and driven in 31 runs and stolen 10 bases, one behind club leader Leody Taveras. Alexander’s been thrown out three times.

His main plus is his versatility. He’s started at seven positions this year, but his long absence will hurt his chances.

Brandon Young

Young has been the most improved starter on the club with a 9-4 record and a 3.71 ERA, lowest among starters.

He anchored the rotation in the first half of the season with a 7-2 record and 3.42 ERA, but his ERA has risen to 4.15 in his 10 starts since the break.

Trevor Rogers

Rogers, who was last year’s MVO,  has quietly put together a solid season with a 10-9 record with a 4.15 ERA.

His last two starts have been excellent, three runs on 12 hits in 14 innings, 17 strikeouts without a walk.

Rogers has the best strikeout/walk ratio among the starters, striking out 3.73 more batters than he’s walked.

Rogers and Young have identical 1.7 WARs.

I’ll let you know my choices after the award winner is announced.

Note: High-A Frederick outfielder Enddy Azocar and Double-A Chesapeake right-hander Anthony Eyanson were named the Orioles’ minor league player and pitcher of the month for August. Both were obtained from Boston in the Rutschman trade.

Call for questions: I answer Orioles questions most weekdays. Please send yours to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com