We're about one-third of the way through the Major League Baseball season, so it's time to figure out who the frontrunner is for the NL MVP Award.
The National League has not exactly broken the way many fans and experts expected prior to the start of the 2023 season.
The San Diego superteam looks lost, the St. Louis Cardinals are NL Central cellar-dwellers, and the only thing the New York Mets inflated payroll has done is secured them the exact same win-loss record as the Cincinnati Reds.
But, the 2023 season has provided some surprises as well. Nobody expected the Pittsburgh Pirates to be atop the National League Central, and even fewer folks predicted the Arizona Diamondbacks would be ahead of the all the California teams in the NL West.
But some the production we've seen from these surprise ball clubs, and others, has been due in part to the superior play of several NL MVP candidates. So who reigns supreme at the moment, and who else in the conversation?
5. NL MVP Power Rankings: Zac Gallen, Arizona Diamondbacks
I'm not one to typically include pitchers among the MVP candidates. Let's face it, they only take the mound once every five days, and hurlers have their own award called the Cy Young.
But it's not without precedent that the occasional pitcher will take home both the Cy Young and MVP Awards in the same year. Clayton Kershaw did just that back in 2014.
Now, Zac Gallen is not having that same type of year, but he should still be on the peripheral of the NL MVP conversation at the moment. While Marcus Stroman of the Chicago Cubs leads the NL in ERA, Gallen has fewer walks and more strikeouts.
Zac Gallen is 7-2 with a 3.09 ERA. That earned run average will have to come down in order for Gallen to receive more love from the voters, but his team's success can't be ignored. Gallen's D-Backs are leading the way in the NL West, and whether or not you agree, a team's win-loss record factors into the equation.
4. NL MVP Power Rankings: Luis Arraez, Miami Marlins
The Miami Marlins swung a trade with the Minnesota Twins prior to the 2023 season in order to bolster their lineup. It's safe to say that the Miami front office feels pretty good about their acquisition.
Luis Arraez is threatening to do something that we haven't seen since Ted Williams was playing – hit over .400. His chances have taken a hit in recent days, as Arraez's batting average dipped below .400 over the weekend.
Batting average isn't all the rage it used to be. Today's game centers more around power and slugging, but a hitter like Arraez cannot be ignored. Just as the case is with the aforementioned Zac Gallen, team success matters, and the Marlins are competing in the very crowded NL East.
3. NL MVP Power Rankings: Ronald Acuña Jr., Atlanta Braves
If there's one player on this list that could vault to the front of the line rather quickly, it's Ronald Acuña Jr. The outfielder is the best player on the best team in the National League, though his teammate Sean Murphy should be garnering plenty of attention as well.
Acuña Jr. now appears to be fully healthy following the knee injury he suffered in 2021. The slugger currently trails two of his teammates (Matt Olson and Ozzie Albies) for the team lead in home runs, but his .965 OPS is third-best in the National League this season.
As Ronald Acuña Jr. goes, so go the Atlanta Braves, who are currently tied for the best record in the NL. The most impressive stat for Acuña Jr. at the moment may be his strikeout-rate. After a career that's seen the 25-year-old strikeout about once every four at-bats, Acuña Jr.'s strikeout-rate currently sits at 13.2-percent according to FanGraphs.
2. NL MVP Power Rankings: Corbin Carroll, Arizona Diamondbacks
I don't know about you, but I certainly didn't expect this type of production from Corbin Carroll. Sure, Carroll was bound to be in the NL Rookie of the Year conversation, but the Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder is squarely in the conversation for the NL MVP as well.
Carroll is among the Top 10 in the league in doubles (17), stolen bases (19), batting average (.308), on-base percentage (.389), slugging percentage (.579), and OPS (.968).
Carroll's D-Backs are also tied with the Braves for the best record in the NL. Not since Ichiro Sukuki in 2001 has a player won both Rookie of the Year honors and the MVP trophy.
1. NL MVP Power Rankings: Freddie Freeman, Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers had their fair share of struggles to begin the 2023 season, but the team has righted the ship and matching the Arizona Diamondbacks stride for stride in the NL West.
Freddie Freeman has been a big reason why, and the former NL MVP will be looking to add another trophy to his wall. The six-time All-Star finished fourth in the MVP voting last year and currently leads the league in OPS (.999).
Freddie Freeman (3.3 bWAR) currently leads the league in offensive WAR according to Baseball Reference, just ahead of both Ronald Acuña Jr. and Corbin Carroll (3.1 bWAR).
