MLB Awards Watch: The Explosion of Bryce Harper

6 of 7

Washington Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper (34) hits a three run home run during the seventh inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports /

NL MVP

Bryce Harper, OF Washington Nationals – Two weeks ago, Bryce Harper was nowhere near the NL MVP race. Now? He leads the way by a considerable margin. Since May 6, the brash outfielder is hitting .564/.653/1.385 (not a misprint) with 9 home runs in only 49 plate appearances, and that two-week stretch has basically carried Harper to the top spot. On the whole, the 22-year-old has blasted an NL-leading 14 home runs, and with a 21.2% walk rate lifting his on-base percentage (.476) to astronomical levels, Harper has made “the leap”.
Anthony Rizzo, 1B Chicago Cubs – The Cubs are playing quite well, and their best offensive player is one of the main reasons for that strong start. Rizzo has 8 home runs and 8 stolen bases (!) in 37 games, and when paired with a .344/.470/.603 slash line, that is the work of an MVP candidate. I wouldn’t expect the speed to continue at this rate, but his plate discipline has been quite impressive (more walks than strikeouts) and the power has always been there for Rizzo.
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B Los Angeles Dodgers – Gonzalez is the only NL player (sans Harper) with a wRC+ of over 200, and while much of that work was done quite early in the season, they all count. The veteran first baseman maintains a 40-home run pace with a sky-high .681 slugging percentage in 36 games, and Gonzalez is a hot streak away from an ascent back to the top spot.

Next: AL MVP

Home/MLB