José Altuve leads Players Choice Award Finalists

Candidate for the Player of the Year. Candidate for the American League MVP. Candidate for the Roberto Clemente Award. Three home runs in the first game of the ALDS, tying a postseason record held by Babe Ruth and seven other players. Life is good for the Houston Astros’ José Altuve right now.

Five-foot-6, Altuve is the shortest player in the major leagues. But after reaching 200 hits for the fourth straight season, winning his third batting title and putting on a long ball show at Minute Maid Park in Houston on Thursday, Altuve rivals the Yankees’ 6-7 Aaron Judge as the biggest player in the game.

For the second straight season, Altuve is a finalist for the MLB Players Choice “Player of the Year” award. He won the award last season as voted on by his peers.

This time he faces stiff competition from the other two finalists: the Miami Marlins’ Giancarlo Stanton, who led the majors with 59 home runs and 132 RBIs, and the Colorado Rockies’ Nolan Arenado, an All-Star third baseman who hit .309 with 37 dingers and 130 RBIs.

Most of Major League Baseball’s traditional awards, including MVP, are decided by the BBWAA — the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. But since 1992, the MLB Players Association has given out its own awards based on the players’ voting.

Possibly because the MLBPA’s electorate is much more diverse than that of the BBWAA, Latino players have dominated the Players Choice nominations and awards in recent years. All three finalists this season have a Latino background: Stanton’s maternal grandmother is of Puerto Rican descent, Arenado has a Cuban father and Puerto Rican mother, and Altuve was born and raised in Maracay, Venezuela.

Altuve, 27, is also up for the AL Outstanding Player Award, which he may pick up without much difficulty. He averaged a career-high .346 while leading the league with 204 hits and taking the Astros to the West Division crown. Altuve blasted a career-high 24 home runs for the second straight season, while leading the majors with a career-best 8.3 WAR, per Baseball-Reference.com.

Over the last 20 years, since the award was established, only five players have earned Player of the Year more than once: Mark McGwire (1997 and 1998), Álex Rodríguez (2002 and 2007), Barry Bonds (2001 and 2004), Albert Pujols (2003, 2008 and 2009) and Miguel Cabrera (2012 and 2013).

This is the 26th year that the MLBPA has given out Players Choice Awards. This year’s awards will be announced Nov. 8 on MLB Network. Each recipient will receive a $20,000 grant, except for the Player of the Year and the Marvin Miller Man of the Year, each whom will receive a $50,000 grant. The prizes will go to charities designated by the players. The 2017 candidates are as follows:

American League

Outstanding Player

• José Altuve (Houston Astros)
• Aaron Judge (New York Yankees)
• José Ramírez (Cleveland Indians)

Outstanding Pitcher

• Corey Kluber (Cleveland Indians)
• Chris Sale (Boston Red Sox)
• Luis Severino (New York Yankees)

Outstanding Rookie

• Andrew Benintendi (Boston Red Sox)
• Aaron Judge (NY Yankees)
• Trey Mancini (Baltimore Orioles)

Comeback Player

• Mike Moustakas (Kansas City Royals)
• Justin Smoak (Toronto Blue Jays)
• Jason Vargas (Kansas City Royals)

National League

Outstanding Player

• Nolan Arenado (Colorado Rockies)
• Charlie Blackmon (Colorado Rockies)
• Giancarlo Stanton (Miami Marlins)

Outstanding Pitcher

• Zack Greinke (Arizona Diamondbacks)
• Clayton Kershaw (Los Angeles Dodgers)
• Max Scherzer (Washington Nationals)

Outstanding Rookie

• Josh Bell (Pittsburgh Pirates)
• Cody Bellinger (Los Angeles Dodgers)
• Paul DeJong (St. Louis Cardinals)

Comeback Player

• Greg Holland (Colorado Rockies)
• Eric Thames (Milwaukee Brewers)
• Ryan Zimmerman (Washington Nationals)

Featured Image: Stephen Brashear / Getty Images Sport