First baseman Jose Abreu was named 2020 American League MVP during a season in which he led the Chicago White Sox back to the playoffs for the first time in 12 years.
The 33-year old beat out the New York Yankees’ DJ LeMahieu and the Cleveland Indians’ Jose Ramirez for the honor and was reduced to tears when the announcement was made on live television.
“You can dream about it, but you can’t imagine the feeling,” Abreu said through White Sox translator Billy Russo on MLB Network after composing himself.
Abreu received 21 first-place votes among Baseball Writers Association of America members, with eight second-place votes and one third-place vote for 374 points overall. Ramirez was second with 303 points (eight first place) with LeMahieu third with 230 points (one first place).
In his seventh season with the White Sox after defecting from Cuba, Abreu batted .317 and led the American League with a .617 slugging percentage, as well as 76 hits and 60 RBIs. He became just the fourth player in AL history to lead the league in both hits and RBI. He also hit 19 homers.
Abreu became the third MVP born in Cuba after the Minnesota Twins’ Zoilo Versalles in 1965 and the Oakland Athletics’ Jose Canseco in 1988. He also was the fourth member of the White Sox to win the award after Nellie Fox in 1959, Dick Allen in 1972 and Frank Thomas, who won in both 1993 and ’94.
It was the first MVP Award for Abreu, who finished as high as fourth in the voting during his rookie-of-the-year season in 2014. Abreu is a career .294 hitter with 198 home runs and 671 RBIs, with a .520 slugging percentage and an .870 OPS.
Led by a lineup of dynamic young players like Eloy Jimenez, Tim Anderson, Yoan Moncada and Luis Robert, the White Sox (35-25) were in contention for the AL Central title until a late-season slide. They advanced to the playoffs for the first time since 2008 before they were eliminated by the A’s in the opening round.
Abreu was considered a mentor to the young players and a steadying force during the good times and the struggles.
“My outlook is young; I am a young soul,” Abreu said. “(I was) in a position where I could spend time with young people, just to help them to improve and to carry them, but at the same time, just feed from their energy. And I was at peace with myself. I have been through a lot. I know how to treat people and I know how to take care of people. That is what I try to do every single day with these young guys we have.”
Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber (173 points) of the Indians was fourth and Mike Trout (172) of the Los Angeles Angels finished fifth.
