The National League MVP was Bryce Harper's to lose last season, and he was clearly the best player from start to finish last season. Many would argue that it's his award to lose again this year, but there are plenty of worth candidates who could steal the award away from him. Here are the top five NFL MVP frontrunners coming into the 2016 season:
5) Buster Posey, C, San Francisco Giants
The Giants will continue to balance Posey's time at catcher and first base, but that's going to dull his overall impact. He's the best all-around backstop in the league -- combining clutch at-the-plate production, excellent pitch framing and defense, and the innate ability to read his pitchers and adjust his calls accordingly.
4) Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, Arizona Diamonbacks
Paul Goldschmidt doesn't get the publicity of the other nine names on this list, but he's still a baseball cyborg. Gold Glove? Check. #2 in Major League Baseball with a 1.005 OPS. Check. Membership in the exclusive 30/100 HR/BB club? CHECK. There's plenty of other stats for you to freak out over, but just know this -- Goldschmidt is a generation-defining player in the making, and almost no one is talking about him.
3) Adrian Gonzalez, 1B, Los Angeles Dodgers
Quietly, Gonzalez was challenging for the NL Triple Crown stats for the first half of the season before falling apart late. Don't expect that to happen again. Hitting in the heart of the order for the Dodgers team not short on star power, Gonzalez has established himself as the biggest threat in a lineup seemingly full of them.
2) Giancarlo Stanton, RF, Miami Marlins
Injuries may be the only thing that has kept Stanton from winning an MVP to this point in his career, and if he can stay healthy, he'll be right at the forefront of the conversation. A true power hitter, Stanton blasted 27 home runs and 67 RBI's last season - in just 74 games. His defense is also vastly improved to make him a well-rounded player.
1) Bryce Harper, RF, Washington Nationals
Equal parts swagger and insane production, Harper singlehandedly kept the Nationals around in the NL East race until the last couple weeks of the 2015 MLB season. His .649 slugging percentage outpaced the entire MLB field by 59 points. His 1.109 OPS was over 100 points clear of second-place finisher Paul Goldschmidt. He also led the Majors in WAR (9.9) and on-base percentage (.460), doing things no pre-25 year old has done since Ted Williams. Expect an encore performance from him this year.
Back to the MLB Newsfeed