May has come and gone, meaning it’s time to check back in on the National League MVP race. Who are the new faces who have jumped into the running?
*All stats as of May 26, 2019. All NL ranks unless said otherwise.
The first National League MVP award race column featured Cody Bellinger leading the charge. Christian Yelich and his Barry Bonds-like stretch came in second, New York Mets rookie sensation Pete Alonso was third, the Washington Nationals’ slugging third baseman Anthony Rendon was fourth and the Chicago Cubs’ slick fielding infielder Javier Baez rounded out the list.
Like the stock market, value fluctuates daily. One slump can derail a player’s success and drop him out of the list. Or, a player can jump ranks with a hot streak.
Currently, the National League landscape is right around where most people believed it would be at this time.
The Philadelphia Phillies hold a slim lead in the NL East as the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets follow closely behind. Baez and his Cubs hold a narrow lead in the NL Central as Yelich the Brewers nip at their heels. Bellinger’s Los Angeles Dodgers hold a commanding lead in the NL West, but the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks are playing well.
Beneath the division and Wild Card leaders, there are a bunch of teams either playing .500 ball, or a few games on either side of it. Who is helping their team the most?