Cody Bellinger captured his first National League Most Valuable Player Award on Thursday, beating defending champion Christian Yelich and eventual World Series champion Anthony Rendon.
Bellinger and Yelich finished tied in FanGraphs wins above replacement with 7.8 apiece. Yelich posted slightly better offensive numbers, batting .329/.429/.671 with 44 home runs and 30 stolen bases, but Bellinger was the better defensive player, winning a Gold Glove in right field while also displaying Gold Glove-caliber defense at first base and center field.
Yelich also played in 26 fewer games, largely because of a fractured kneecap that put him on the shelf for the season's final three weeks.