Even though the 2012 MLB season has come and gone, it’s that time of year where discussion begins to heat up about which player(s) will take home MVP honors. As of Thursday, the one player that sticks out the most should come as no surprise–Detroit Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera.

What Cabrera accomplished during the regular season was nothing short of phenomenal as the Triple-Crown winner finished with a .330 batting average to go along with 44 home runs and 139 RBIs. Take this into consideration with the fact that Cabrera helped the Tigers overcome the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central standings at the end of the regular season and get to the World Series, it should be a no brainer that he deserves to take home the award–but nothing is set in stone.

While most of Detroit’s offense struggled against the San Francisco Giants in the World Series, the argument can be made that Cabrera struggled the most as he batted just 3 of 13 with one home run–which didn’t even come until Game 4. It’s star players like Cabrera that can make a key difference in any series and his struggles played a big factor in the Tigers coming up on the losing end.

Cabrera is a great candidate for the award along with Robinson Cano, Mike Trout, Josh Hamilton, and Adrian Beltre, but there’s no telling what to expect when it comes to which player will take home the award. With the type of season Trout displayed as a rookie, it really wouldn’t be a surprise at all if he ended up winning the award over Cabrera–even if the Los Angeles Angels failed to make the playoffs in 2012.

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