Cody Bellinger was widely considered a lock fo National League MVP through much of the first half of the 2019 season. However, as the Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star began to experience some regression, the door opened for other candidates.
Bellinger’s primary competition came from Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich, who of course was last year’s MVP. Washington Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon also entered into the conversation as he helped spark a midseason turnaround.
The three wound up NL MVP finalists and the likes of Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. remained on the periphery. Acuña wound up finishing fifth in MVP voting and throughout the year saw firsthand how much of an impact Bellinger can have.