The 2012 American League MVP race was one of the tightest in years. On one hand you had an up-and-coming phenomenon in Mike Trout who had one of the most productive rookie campaigns in Major League Baseball history, and on the other you have the ever-dominant power hitter #Miguel Cabrera# who became the first player to attain a triple crown since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967. In 2013 there is little-to-no doubt that several players will be in the mix as the season draws to a close. These are the top-three picks.

3. Michael Morse, Seattle Mariners

Morse has been a volcano waiting to erupt for years. At 6’5’’ and 245 pounds it was only a matter of time. Morse spent the first four years of his career with the Seattle Mariners, only hitting three home runs in that time. When he was traded to the Washington Nationals back in 2009 he was given a few platoon starts until proving himself with a solid campaign in 2011 when he hit 31 dingers along with a .303 batting average and 95 runs batted in. Morse was on pace for similar stats in 2012, but spent a fair chunk of time on the disabled list. With a return to Seattle, Morse got to work early in Spring Training, crushing nine home runs, batting in 15 runners and maintaining a .357 average. Don’t be shocked if you hear his name in the MVP mix all season.

2. Adam Jones, Baltimore Orioles

Jones finished in sixth place last season in the AL MVP vote, but he also finished the season with a Gold Glove in centerfield. Clearly he proved he’s a fantastic defender, but it’s his bat that did most of the talking. In 2012 Jones batted .287 with a career-high 32 home runs and 82 runs batted in. Jones had a rough spring from an average perspective (.226); however, he did manage to knock two over the wall. If Jones can increase his average to over .300 and steal more than 25 bases this season, he’ll be a shoo-in for the award.

1. Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers

It’s hard to dethrone the reigning MVP, let alone a guy who has finished in the Top-five for the last four years. Miguel Cabrera is the embodiment of the modern hitter. He’s won back-to-back AL batting titles, has a lifetime .318 average, over 300 home runs and he’s only 29-years-old. The most surprising thing about Cabrera is that he lost a significant amount of weight before the 2012 season in an effort to be a better defenseman at third base. Usually guys his size are reserved for being life-long designated hitters; however, Cabrera is somewhat mobile and has an above average glove. There is no sense in letting him go to waste when he is field capable. Cabrera will be in the MVP discussion for not only this season, but every year for the rest of his career.