Throughout the World Series, we’ll be keeping an eye on the race to win the World Series MVP. After each game we’ll rank the top candidates for the award based on their performance and intangible worthiness for the big honor.
Game 5 went about as according to script as you would have guessed. Madison Bumgarner twirled a shutout to put the Giants on the verge of another championship and himself on the verge of a World Series MVP.
1) Madison Bumgarner: It’s Madison Bumgarner’s world and we’re all just living in it. MadBum put the cherry on top of his stellar postseason with his Game 5 complete game shutout. Now, the World Series MVP is supposed to only be about the World Series itself, but with how good Bumgarner has been all postseason, he’s certain to win the MVP now. The only thing that can stop him is the Royals pulling off a comeback in the next two games.
2) Hunter Pence: Two more hits Pence and two more runs scored. He has a great claim to the MVP, but he’s not leapfrogging Bumgarner unless he literally performs a miracle to save the Giants in a Game 7 that may not happen. On the bright side, his face is still the internet MVP.
3) Pablo Sandoval: Sandoval is pretty much in the same boat as Pence. He even added two hits and two run in Game 5, just like Hunter. Panda Power is strong, but there just isn’t much he can do to top what Bumgarner has done all postseason.
4) Salvador Perez: Sal got bumped up in the order and delivered another hit in Game 5, one of the few KC players to actually get to Bumgarner even a little bit. If the Royals pull off the comeback, he’s their only real contender for MVP. Of course, if they pull off the comeback, some serious heroics are going to be involved, so someone else has a chance to emerge.
