The MVP race in the AL has David Ortiz pacing the rest of the players. Big Papi is pretty likely to win his first MVP award in his final season, and no player seems to be even close to battle him.
The NL MVP race, however, is far tighter. There’s no clear front-runner for the award, and several players can have an argument for the top spot. Up to four players have enough merits to call themselves leaders in the race for the award. Three, however, seem to be above the rest of the pack.
Who do you have at the top? Let’s take a look at the three most likely candidates to take home the NL MVP Award in 2016:
Kris Bryant (Chicago Cubs): It’s safe to say the so-called sophomore slump hasn’t affected Kris Bryant. After capturing the 2015 NL Rookie Of The Year Award with a .275/.369/.488 slash line, 26 HR and 99 RBI, Bryant has been even better this year. Before Thursday’s game against the Chicago White Sox, the versatile third baseman has hit .283/.377/.550. He already matched last year’s HR total, and added 66 RBI. The 24-year-old could easily finish the year with 40+ HR and 120+ RBI.
Nolan Arenado (Colorado Rockies): Arenado might not be a sexy name among the casual fans considering he plays for a small market team like Colorado, but that doesn’t mean he lacks merits to be considered for the Award. The third baseman is not likely to top his 42-HR, 130-RBI campaign last year, but he’s still been very good in 2016. He has hit 26 homers, 78 RBI, and he’s also one of the best defenders in the NL. Arenado has won the Gold Glove in three straight years, and should be able to capture it again in 2016. His versatility on both defense and offense makes him an intriguing choice for the award, to say the least.
Daniel Murphy (Washington Nationals): Can we already name Murphy as the best free agent signing last season? After an impressive playoff run with the New York Mets in 2015, Murphy remains hot and hasn’t shown signs of slowing down any time soon, as evidenced by his .354 average that leads the NL by a wide margin. The 31-year-old has been the Nationals’ best player, and has been even more productive than Bryce Harper. Could Washington have back-to-back MVP winners? Murphy certainly has done enough to deserve the award.
All these three players have done enough to be crowned as the NL’s MVP at the end of the year. A strong second half to the regular season would certainly strenghten their cases, however. So don’t expect any of them to slow down.