June Mar Fajardo is on track for a precedent-breaking fifth straight PBA Most Valuable Player award after garnering the highest statistical points (SP) average at the close of the Commissioner's Cup quarterfinals.
The 6-10 San Miguel slotman, the most dominant local player the last four seasons, stands at the forefront of the Beermen's quest for a rare second PBA Grand Slam this season.
Fajardo amassed 29.6 average statistical points in the 34 games he has played so far in the ongoing 2018 PBA Season.
No player in the pro league's 43-year history has ever won more than four MVP trophies.
At present, Fajardo is tied with PBA legends Ramon Fernandez and Alvin Patrimonio with four MVP awards each. The pride of Pinamungahan, Cebu however, won his four MVP trophies in four straight years, a feat that nobody in the PBA has achieved.
San Miguel's June Mar Fajardo leads 2018 PBA season MVP race, based on cumulative SPs at end of Comm's Cup quarterfinals. @Sports5PH pic.twitter.com/BsV0gSthUI
— JC Ansis (@jcansis) July 18, 2018
Meantime, GlobalPort's high-scoring guard Stanley Pringle is a distant second with his 25.3 average SPs.
The six-foot Pringle, who recently represented the Philippines in the 2018 FIBA 3x3 World Cup in Bulacan, dropped a conference-best and personal high 50 points during the Batang Pier's 133-115 win over the Columbian Dyip last June.
Barangay Ginebra's athletic big man Japeth Aguilar is ranked third in the MVP race with 23.6 average SPs while at the fourth and fifth spots are Fajardo's SMB teammates Arwind Santos (23.4) and Alex Cabagnot (22.0), respectively.
Making it to the top 10 are GlobalPort forward Sean Anthony (21.9), Phoenix sharp-shooter Matthew Wright (21.8), SMB gunner Marcio Lassiter (21.2), Alaska undersized big man Vic Manuel (20.8) and TNT's combo guard Jayson Castro (20.5).
Meanwhile, Phoenix freshman forward Jason Perkins leads the way in the Rookie of the Year race with 15.10 total SPs.
Blackwater's Raymar Jose is a distant second with 9.94, while at third is Magnolia backup guard Robert Herndon (9.09).
Statistics from the Philippine Cup account for 40% of the tabulation, while the two import-laden conferences contributing 30% each for the average SPs at the end of the season.
Statistics are equivalent to 40% for the MVP voting, while making up for the rest include the media (30%), players (25%), and the PBA Commissioner's Office (5%).