Cleveland Indians: 3 Players Receive Votes for AL MVP

Oct 19, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) celebrates with Cleveland Indians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) after scoring a run during the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays in game five of the 2016 ALCS playoff baseball series at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports /

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Nov 2, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) reacts after throwing out Chicago Cubs center fielder /

Francisco Lindor finished ninth on the final ballot, tied with Miguel Cabrera with 56 final points based on the voting structure. He had two fifth-place votes, both coming from writers outside of Cleveland.

Lindor was extremely valuable to the team all season, appearing in 158 games, tying him with Carlos Santana for most on the team. The young shortstop also finished with a .301 batting average, putting him second on the team behind Jose Ramirez. His 6.3 WAR was the best on the team and sixth in the AL.

But more than anything else, Lindor is known for his defense. That was evident when he not only won the Gold Glove, but also the Platinum Glove, which goes to the best overall fielder in each league.

He has solidified himself as one of the best shortstops in the game, and has only just turned 23. He is still under team control for several years, but the Indians would be smart to lock him up to a long-term deal as soon as possible. The young star is only going to get better, and he should only end up higher than ninth-place in next year’s AL MVP voting if he continues at his current pace.