Bonds, Braun, Pujols, Votto, Harper and Bryant. These are some of the names that come to mind when speaking of recent NL MVPs. This year was a great year, but only three could be named as finalists. They are three of the very best in baseball today, and we’ll go through why each of them deserve the NL MVP.
Joey Votto, 1B, Cincinnati Reds
Votto had a stellar year with the not-so stellar Cincinnati Reds. He’s one of the elite hitters in baseball and he proved it this year. He hit .320/.454/.578 with 36 home runs and 100 runs batted in. Votto also drew an elite number of walks with 134, and rarely struck out, as he only had 83 strike outs. Votto isn’t only one of the best hitters in baseball, he is also one of the best fielders as well. His WAR (Wins Above Replacement) this year was 7.5. This was all done on a rebuilding Reds squad that trotted out 25 different starting pitchers. Votto is definitely the baseball statistician’s pick to win, but may not be the general public’s pick.
Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, Arizona Diamondbacks
Another elite player in Goldy graces the finals for NL MVP. Goldschmidt is another first baseman that can swing it, and field it all the same. He hit .297/.404/.563 with 36 home runs and 120 RBI on a Diamondbacks team that made the playoffs. They were swept in the first round by the Los Angeles Dodgers, but this could be a new fixture in the NL, and Goldschmidt is leading the charge. Goldy is another one of those players that walks a lot, but unlike Votto, he strikes out a lot too. Out of the three players available to pick from for NL MVP, Goldschmidt will see the short end of the stick. Players like A.J. Pollock, Zack Greinke, and J.D. Martinez will water down his value.
Giancarlo Stanton, RF, Miami Marlins
The sure front-runner for this award is Giancarlo Stanton out of Miami. Stanton will most likely be the favorite to win the NL MVP. He was an absolutely monster at the plate hitting .281/.376/.631 with 59 home runs and 132 RBI. Fifty-nine home runs, Fifty-nine! Stanton became the first NL player with 50+ home runs since Prince Fielder in 2007. The only downfall to that much power is how much he strikes out. He struck out 163 times this year and 303 times in the last two years combined. Stanton is easily the favorite to secure his first NL MVP, even while playing on a sub-.500 Marlins team.
Votto, Goldschmidt and Stanton all deserve the NL MVP. They not only help their team win, they make a huge impact when they’re on the field. It will definitely be one of the most intriguing MVP races in recent history. Votto can win, even though the Reds didn’t make the playoffs. Goldy can win and become a more “natural” MVP pick. Stanton can become only the fifth player since 1932 to win MVP and lead the league in home runs.
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