Oakland Athletics: Who Was the 2015 A’s MVP?

Jul 30, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics right fielder Josh Reddick (22) hits a RBI double against the Cleveland Indians in the first inning at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Lance Iversen-USA TODAY Sports

The Power Hitter: Josh Reddick

Scott Harris: In looking back at the A’s 2015 season and trying to determine their MVP, my first instinct was to choose Stephen Vogt. Vogt was easily the MVP of the first half of the season, after putting up a triple slash of .287/.374/.498 with 14 home runs, but he suffered through an abysmal second half where his slash was just .217/.280/.349 after the All-Star Break, with only four home runs. In the second half of the season, nobody came close to matching the production of Danny Valencia, who put up a slash of .284/.356/.530 with 11 home runs, but he only played 47 games after the A’s snatched him off the waiver wire in August.

The man that put together the best season from start to finish was Josh Reddick. Although Reddick’s production slipped from .287/.343/.455 in the first half to .251/.318/.439 after the break, no other player showed up as consistently as Reddick. In the 2015 season, he led the A’s with 20 home runs, 77 RBI and was second in runs scored and batting average. However, despite his production, how could I possibly vote against a guy from MVP who walks to the plate rocking Careless Whisper by George Michael?

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Evan Giddings: Seeing as how a Most Valuable Player in my eyes should be a guy that gives his all from Game 1 through Game 162, my vote would go to Josh Reddick. There’s something to be said also for the fact that he is the undisputed heart and soul of the Oakland Athletics. Not only with his tenure and play on the field – leading the club with 20 home runs, 77 RBIs, and a .449 slugging percentage – but also his leadership off the field. I have tremendous respect for a player that’s not afraid to speak his mind, whether it’s about the other team or even his own GM. Reddick has a bulldog mentality (maybe it’s a Georgia thing) and that’s the kind of player I want leading my team, which is exactly what he did throughout the 2015 season.

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