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MLB awards watch: MVP races

By John Buhler

May 20, 2017; San Diego, CA, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (44) hits a two RBI single during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
May 20, 2017; San Diego, CA, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (44) hits a two RBI single during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports /
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We’re about halfway through the 2017 MLB season. Let’s look at the top-five MVP candidates in each league through June. Who are the perceived leaders?

It’s been an exciting first few months of the 2017 MLB season. As June is coming to an end, we’ve started to see some teams start to separate from the pack. The Houston Astros are by far and away the best team in the American League. It might be their year. To date, Houston has never won a World Series.

In the National League, the National League West looks to be getting three teams into the postseason. While the Colorado Rockies have cooled off a tad in the last week, the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Los Angeles Dodgers certainly have not. Sure, the Milwaukee Brewers and the Washington Nationals are good as well, but the NL pennant might be coming from out west this fall.

With the 2017 MLB All-Star Game only a few weeks away in sunny South Florida, let’s take a moment at look at who are the top-five MLB candidates in both leagues through June.

Fifth Place

American League

5

Xander Bogaerts

SS, Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox are the best team in the Junior Circuit not named the Houston Astros. They lead the American League East at 43-34. This looks like a team that can go very far in October with their excellent combination of starting pitcher and timely hitting.

The one player that is putting together an MVP caliber season through three months is shortstop Xander Bogaerts. He is hitting .318 with an on-base percentage of .373 and a slugging percentage of .467. Bogaerts has a 2.1 WAR with 92 hits, 48 runs scored, five home runs and 34 runs batted in.

National League

5

Cody Bellinger

1B/LF, Los Angeles Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers are the best team in the National League. They have great pitching and the bats are starting to come alive in Los Angeles. The Dodgers will have tough competition from the Diamondbacks and Rockies throughout the summer, but this could be the year Clayton Kershaw plays in a World Series.

A big surprise for the Dodgers has been the elite play of rookie slugger Cody Bellinger. He feels like a runaway favorite to win Rookie of the Year in the National League. Though he is hitting .273 with a .347 on-base percentage, his slugging is through the roof at .668. That’s because Bellinger is crushing the baseball with 24 home runs and 56 runs batted in. He also has a 2.5 WAR as a rookie.

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