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The National League MVP race is decidedly more crowded than the one in the American League, where it appears Aaron Judge is the runaway winner. For a while, it looked like St. Louis Cardinals star Paul Goldschmidt was headed for a Triple Crown and a shoo-in MVP win. He did not win the elusive award and has steep competition for the MVP award now, too.
The National League featured quite a few big names having stellar years and any of them could have been the favorites in a given year. Baseball fans were treated to a show all season in the NL, but which player should be named the best at year's end?
National League MVP candidates, including Paul Goldschmidt, Manny Machado and more
5) Francisco Lindor
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After a rather disappointing season with the New York Mets, Francisco Lindor bounced back in a big way. He posted 6.8 WAR (Fangraphs), which was good for fifth in the National League and sixth overall. He was a big reason the Mets surpassed 100 wins this season and will probably get at least a little bit of attention from MVP voters as a result.
4) Freddie Freeman
Freddie Freeman left the Atlanta Braves and proceeded to put up a stellar season, which would be his second. He slashed .325/.407/.918 in an incredible season. He also recorded a .996 fielding percentage; he was solid defensively, too. Freeman led the charge on one of the best regular season teams in modern baseball history as well. It wouldn't be a surprise to see him win the prestigious award.
3) Nolan Arenado
If not for his Cardinals teammate, Nolan Arenado would be getting a lot more attention. He slashed .293/.358/.891 and played a sterling third base. His 19 defensive runs saved were fourth in all of baseball at any position and the most at third base by a wide margin. One reason he and Goldschmidt might not win is simply due to competing with one another.
2) Manny Machado
Manny Machado, rather quietly, put together an impressive season. His 7.4 WAR led all NL players and his 152 wRC+ was sixth in baseball and third in the National League. His triple slash of .298/.366/.897 is also very impressive. The San Diego Padres' stunning run to the NLCS will also be fairly fresh in voters' minds.
1) Paul Goldschmidt
Despite not winning the Triple Crown, Goldschmidt is still the NL MVP favorite. His 7.3 WAR is only slightly below Machado's for the NL lead and his slash line of .317/.404/.982 is among the best in the league. He was an above-average defender at first base, with two defensive runs saved. It was a career year for "Goldy" and he may win his first MVP as a result.
