MLB MVPs
There has been a bunch of movement in this offseason, but we are not here to discuss it. Instead, let’s look at the award winners, especially the MVPs. In this article, we will look at the best MVP winners from the last ten years. Note that this is NOT a prediction of who wins MVP in the next ten years. The picks here are entirely my own and no other ill intentions are intended if I didn’t pick your favorite player.
2023: Ronald Acuña, Jr. We start with last year’s MVP winner because nothing like his season ever happened before. Hitting 40 home runs is a great feat in itself, but stealing 70 bases in the same year? Doubly impressive. It blows Jose Canseco’s idea of 40/40 into the stratosphere. Ronald, as the catalyst for much of the past 5 years for the Braves, has really put himself on the map. He was greatly missed in their last two playoff runs and many wonder if he can really put up those great numbers again this year. There’s a lot of pressure on this club to get over the hump and beat the Phillies in the playoffs. The $64,000 question ultimately becomes if they can, or if they trip over themselves.
2015: Bryce Harper. His first MVP winning season was a magical thing to behold. Bryce hit .330 for a Nationals club which was swooned by the spell of Dusty Baker to win a World Series but lose in the NLDS for what appeared to be 4 times in 6 years. Bryce helped back up a prime Anthony Rendon and was the bane of any National League hitter. His 1.149 OPS+ and an OBP of .460 shows how critical he was to the Nats. His presence in the clubhouse for the Nationals helped make the club noticeable and not a laughing stock. His trade to the Phillies sent waves in the baseball world, and his continued impact on the field begs one question: can he win it again?
2021: Shohei Ohtani. Why am I putting the Japanese wúnderkind on here? Well, no one has really seen the likes of him in the modern era. You can argue that BAbe Ruth did it first, and Babe is better than Ohtani. But let’s look closer: a .257 average and 46 home runs with a 3.18 ERA in the same year is a site to behold. We saw it Babe and with a lesser known player of double duty fame in the form of Ted “Double Duty” Radcliffe, a great Negro League catcher. Babe Ruth walked so Shohei could fly. You can argue that this is undeserved but let’s be honest: When will we ever see a season like this again?
2022: Aaron Judge. We continue with the reason why there’s a new American League single season home run hitter. Aaron Judge is what happens when Randy Johnson picks up a bat and bludgeons you to a pulp with it. Hitting 62 home runs is a power show in itself; doing it while playing for the Yankees and having a contract year makes it even better. The Yankees are in a pickle with Aaron. Aaron is the team captain for a reason, and he showed why. When you hit .311 and 111 walks with a 1.111 OPS+, you get big bucks and a “C” on your chest for a reason. The question is not if he can continue his dominance like that: it’s if he can stay healthy and not have toe issues to hinder his future performances.
By: Dave Hummel