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MLB awards watch: Bryce Harper rolls toward MVP

By John Buhler

May 29, 2017; San Francisco, CA, USA; Washington Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper (34) at bat against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
May 29, 2017; San Francisco, CA, USA; Washington Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper (34) at bat against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
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With the first two months of the 2017 MLB season in the books, let’s look at how the top-five in MVP voting could shake out if the MLB season ended today.

We are roughly a third of the way through the 2017 MLB season. Some teams have serious aspirations for a pennant, while others are starting to come to grip with reality that 2017 may not be their year. Any way, it’s been an exciting first two months in the big leagues.

Things are obviously going to change in the four months to come. However, we as human beings love to give athletes awards months before they actually win them. So why not decide right now who are the top-five finishers in the American League and National League Most Valuable Player races.

Here are the finalists for the 2017 AL and NL MVP through May.

May 23, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) throws in the fourth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
May 23, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) throws in the fourth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /

Fifth Place

American League

5

Miguel Sano

DH, Minnesota Twins

After a respectable 2015 campaign under first-year manager Paul Molitor, the Minnesota Twins quickly became the hottest of garbage in 2016. This was an atrocious baseball team only a year ago. Now it seems that the Twin Cities’ big league club has found itself with a 26-22 record through 48 games.

One player that has come up big for the Twins on many occasions is designated hitter Miguel Sano. Putting Sano in the field has not been a necessity, as he has been raking at the plate for the 2017 Twins. He is hitting .292/.406/.590 with 12 home runs and 39 runs batted in. Sano has scored 33 runs for the Twins and has a 2.0 WAR.

National League

5

Clayton Kershaw

LHP, Los Angeles Dodgers

He’s already won an MVP as the best pitcher to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers since Sandy Koufax. So why wouldn’t we want to put Clayton Kershaw back in the mix to win his second award as the National League’s best? Kershaw has been key in the Dodgers climb to the top of the tough NL West.

He boasts a 7-2 record on the year with a 2.37 ERA, a 0.947 WHIP and 78 strikeouts. Kershaw already has a WAR of 2.2. He has been a huge reason that the Dodgers find themselves in the postseason mix with the likes of Arizona and Colorado in the NL West at 33-20 through 53 games.

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