With the Orioles' regular season heading into its final weeks, the club will soon announce the winner of the 2016 Most Valuable Oriole award, voted on by members of the local media. And although the O's have had no shortage of contributors to their playoff-hopeful club, the MVO race will likely come down to a two-man battle.
Let's start by eliminating the candidates who will get brief consideration but ultimately don't have strong enough cases to win. On the mound, right-handers Chris Tillman and Kevin Gausman have provided quality starting pitching in 2016. Tillman has a 16-6 record with a 3.72 ERA; Gausman is 8-11 with a 3.57 mark. Had the season ended in August, Tillman would've been a bona fide contender, as he won 15 of his first 25 starts and was one of the most reliable starting pitchers in the American League.
However, Tillman landed on the disabled list with right shoulder bursitis Aug. 24, robbing him of several starts and costing him any shot of winning MVO honors. Gausman, meanwhile, has been sensational since August but put himself behind the eight ball with his inconsistency during the first half, especially on the road. Only once during the past 41 years has the MVO award gone to a starting pitcher, and that won't change this season.
