Top five MVP contenders in American League

As we get deeper into June, division races are taking shape and great players are separating themselves from the rest of the league. Here are the top five AL MVP contenders in inverse order.

5. Yordan Alvarez, OF, Houston Astros

The Astros outfielder is holding down "The Juice Box" in Houston while Jose Altuve battles back from injuries. Alvarez is hitting .274/.338/.574 with 16 home runs for the Astros (36-25), who have the fourth-best record in the AL.

Alvarez's OPS of .962 ranks third in the AL and his weighted runs created (wRC+) of 164 is third in the MLB, behind only Aaron Judge and Yandy Diaz. At 25 years old, Alvarez is putting together the best year of his young career; he is on pace for a career-high 42 HRs and 140 RBI.

Tampa Bay Rays left fielder Randy Arozarena. Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

4. Randy Arozarena, OF, Tampa Bay Rays

Arozarena is leading a Rays team of surprise All-Stars to a historic season. (Tampa Bay has MLB's best record: 44-19) It's no surprise he made the AL MVP list after his heroics for Mexico in this spring's World Baseball Classic.

Arozarena is batting .286/.392/.484 with 42 RBI. His OPS (.876), OBP (.392) and 152 wRC+, 2.1 WAR are outstanding, and his 31 walks are top 10 in the AL. The fan favorite is one the league's most exciting players.

Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette. John Jones-USA TODAY Sports

3. Bo Bichette, SS, Toronto Blue Jays

Playing in the AL East for the fourth-place Toronto Blue Jays (34-28) won't help anyone's MVP chances. However, Bichette is quietly having a superb season.

His stats — 13 HRs, .894 OPS, 41 RBI, a wRC+ of 149, and a 2.8 WAR — are solid across the board. His league-leading average of .332 and 88 hits set him apart from most of the other contenders. Bichette has 12 more hits than the next-closest AL hitter.

Bichette is one of the more underrated players in the majors. At just 25, he has already amassed more than 500 hits and could approach 3,000 hits before his career is done.

Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani. Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

2. Shohei Ohtani, DH/SP, Los Angeles Angels

As one of the game's more renowned players, Ohtani is always in the MVP conversations. It is hard to quantify his value to a team or to the game itself.

On the mound for the Los Angeles Angels (32-30), Ohtani is 5-2 with a 3.30 ERA, 96 strikeouts and an impressive WHIP of 1.014. What's especially impressive about Ohtani as a pitcher is his .175 batting average against, best among MLB pitchers.

At the plate, Ohtani is tied for second in the AL with 16 home runs and is on pace for 40-homer, 20-SB season. With a wRC+ 130 and a combined pitching/hitting WAR OF 2.8, it's hard to think Ohtani won't be a finalist for the AL MVP.

New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge. Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

1. Aaron Judge, OF, New York Yankees

The reigning AL MVP set the league home run record in 2022 with 62 and is on pace for 56 this season.

Despite a 10-day trip to the IL, Judge is leading the AL with 19 home runs. In addition, he leads MLB with a 1.078 OPS, the only AL player above the 1.0 mark, and in wRC+ at 188. If the season ended today, he'd be a back-to-back AL MVP.

Judge, New York's captain, will miss at least 10 days after suffering a contusion and sprained ligament in his right big toe after crashing into the outfield wall at Dodger Stadium over the weekend.