OMNISPORT

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve claimed the American League MVP award and Miami Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton was named National League MVP on Thursday.

Altuve, 27, finished the 2017 season with an MLB-best .346 average. He also hit 24 home runs with 81 RBIs and stole 32 bases.

The infielder was the driving force in Houston's vaunted lineup. The Astros finished the regular season with the AL's second-best record (101-61), and Altuve's leadership spearheaded their success.

Altuve, who ultimately went on to help the Astros win their first World Series title, defeated New York Yankees rookie slugger Aaron Judge and Cleveland Indians breakout star Jose Ramirez for the award.

Stanton captivated fans by crushing 59 home runs with 132 RBIs. While the Marlins failed to make the postseason, Stanton did all he could to lead a charge. He hit 18 home runs in August and followed it up with eight more in September.

Stanton defeated Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto by just two points to win the award. Diamondbacks Paul Goldschmidt finished third after leading Arizona to the postseason with 36 home runs and 120 RBIs and 117 runs scored this season.

Rockies stars Nolan Arenado and Charlie Blackmon were both snubbed an NL finalist spot after leading Colorado back to the play-offs with blistering numbers. They split MVP ballots, finishing fourth and fifth respectively, in the voting.