By Cesar Tordesillas

Detroit Tigers slugger and Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera captured the American League Most Valuable Player award, beating Los Angeles Angels rookie sensation Mike Trout.

Meanwhile, Buster Posey of the San Francisco Giants won the National League version of the award, edging last year's MVP Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers.

It was the second straight year that a Tiger won the AL MVP plum after Pitcher Justin Verlander bagged it last season.

Cabrera received 22 of 28 first-place votes while Trout receiving the other six. Cabrera finished with 362 points and Trout had 281.

He followed Carl Yastrzemski, Frank Robinson and Mickey Mantle in 1967, 1966 and 1956, respectively, as players to win an MVP in a Triple Crown season.

"That means a lot," said Cabrera, the first Venezuelan-born player to win the MVP trophy. "I thought it was going to be very close, because Trout did a very good job this season.

"You had two unbelievable seasons. I was not expecting to win, but I was like, 'Thank God they voted for me to get this award," added Cabrera, the first Tigers position player to win the award since Hank Greenberg in 1940.

Before bagging the MVP plum, Cabrera captured the AL Triple Crown with a .330 batting average, 44 home runs, and 139 RBIs.

Trout, for his part, hit .326 with 30 homers and 83 RBIs, and he led the majors with 129 runs and 49 steals.

Meanwhile, Posey received 27 of 32 first-place votes and totaled 422 points to beat Braun, who received three first-place votes and finished second, with 285 points.

Pittsburgh's Andrew McCutchen (245 points) and St. Louis' Yadier Molina (241), who each garnered two first-place votes, were third and fourth, respectively.

"This is an award that can be shared with the whole Giants organization because they have great ownership, a great front office, and that translates to putting good players on the field," Posey said.

Posey hit .336 to become the first catcher to win the NL batting title in 70 years. He also amassed 24 home runs and 103 RBIs after missing most of the 2011 season with an injury.

 

 

Miguel Cabrera and Buster Posey Named Major League MVPs