Los Angeles Dodgers superstars Mookie Betts (32) and Shohei Ohtani (30) are in a tight race for the National League MVP.
“Several players have gotten off to MVP-worthy starts to the season,” said MLB.com, the official site of Major League Baseball. We’ve gathered votes from 45 experts for our first MVP mock poll of the season. Experts voted for their favorite MVP candidates from first through fifth place. First place is worth five points, second place is worth four points, and so on,” said the MVP mock poll.
In the National League, Betts, who switched positions to shortstop this season, was the top vote-getter. Forty-one of 45 voters cast their first-place votes for Betts. Betts is batting hot, hitting .355 (33-for-93) with six home runs, 19 RBIs, 24 runs scored, five doubles and a 1.103 OPS in 24 games.
As MLB.com notes, “Betts finished second in MVP voting last year behind Ronald Acuña Jr. (Atlanta). But this season, he’s off to the best start of his career. Betts isn’t just leading the National League in most metrics, he’s leading both leagues. He ranks first in bWAR (wins above replacement, 2.2 per Baseball-Reference), on-base percentage (.469), OPS, batting average, runs scored, walks (20), and RBI (59). He also has a wRC+ (adjusted runs created) of 204, 토토사이트 which is unbelievable. For comparison, Acuña Jr. had a wRC+ of 170 last year, when he won the MVP award after a historic season,” said Betts, highlighting Betts’ incredible performance.
“The Dodgers lineup is already loaded with MVP winners,” said MLB.com, “but Betts has been a standout so far this year and is showing early-season signs of becoming a two-time winner alongside teammate Ohtani.” Betts won the American League MVP award in 2018. The National League has yet to honor an MVP.
Betts isn’t the only MVP winner in the Dodgers lineup.
Ohtani and Freddie Freeman. Shohei won the American League MVP in 2021 and 2023, while Freeman won the National League MVP in 2020. Ohtani is expected to continue his stellar play this season and compete with Betts in the MVP race.
Ohtani, known as a two-hitter, underwent elbow surgery last September and will not be able to pitch this season. Since returning to the batter’s box for the first time, Ohtani has been on fire this season, batting 35-for-55 with five home runs, 13 RBIs, 19 runs scored, five doubles and a 1.094 OPS in 95 games. He finished second in the MVP voting behind Betts.
“Don’t leave Ohtani out of the MVP conversation,” said MLB.com, “He’s still amazing, even if he’s only one part of a two-hitter in 2024 due to elbow surgery. Ohtani leads the majors in hits, doubles (11), RBIs, and runs batted in (63). He also ranks in the top 1 percent in on-base percentage (.370), slugging percentage (.701), and barrel bat percentage (20.8 percent).”
“The only reason Ohtani isn’t the No. 1 MVP candidate this year is because he doesn’t pitch,” MLB.com said, noting that “even if Betts has an amazing season, if Ohtani is average on the mound, it’s a sure thing that Ohtani will win his third MVP in the last four seasons,” 파워볼사이트 and that this is Betts’ best chance to overtake Ohtani for the award.
Betts and Ohtani were followed by Acuña Jr. (Atlanta, two first-place votes), Marcell Osuna (Atlanta, one first-place vote) and Fernando Tatis Jr. (San Diego), according to MLB.com. In the American League, Juan Soto (Yankees, 38 first-place votes) topped the list, followed by Bobby Witt Jr. (Kansas City, three first-place votes), Mike Trout (Angels, four first-place votes), Jose Altuve (Houston), and Gunner Henderson (Baltimore).