Better Dodgers MVP candidate: Mookie Betts or Cody Bellinger?

New Los Angeles Dodgers teammates Cody Bellinger and Mookie Betts are both former MVPs, but who is more likely to win the award again in 2020?

The Los Angeles Dodgers landed 2018 AL MVP Mookie Betts in the offseason following a blockbuster trade with the Boston Red Sox, adding to a stacked lineup that already included 2019 NL MVP Cody Bellinger.

However, with so much talent on the roster, it’s no longer clear who the Dodgers’ best MVP candidate is. Finding the answer to such a question is complicated.

The two outfielders have comparable batting stats and each has a Gold Glove to his name (Betts has four), and both batted around .300 in 2019. In a 60-game season, the NL MVP may simply come down to who gets hot.

In that case, Bellinger looks to have the advantage. His home run and RBI numbers outpace Betts’, and a power-hitting streak could put him well ahead of his fellow Dodger in the NL MVP race. However, when taking a closer look at the race itself, other superstars stand out as threats to Bellinger’s crown.

Milwaukee Brewers slugger Christian Yelich won the award in 2018 and was Bellinger’s primary challenger in 2019. Atlanta’s Ronald Acuna Jr. and Washington’s Juan Soto cannot be ignored either. Both young players are coming off stellar seasons and still have more room to improve. Pete Alonso of the New York Mets could also be a dark horse candidate.

However, the favorite has to be Bellinger, at least at the moment. Looking at 2019, a similar hot streak to his early-season play would all but seal the award, and the 24-year-old has steadily improved in his three seasons in the league. Entering his fourth year, further improvement would not be a shock.

While Betts is arguably the better player at the moment, Bellinger’s 2020 ceiling is higher due to his potential for another hot streak from the batter’s box. The Dodgers may very well be the World Series favorite, and while Betts could elevate their play even further, the fact remains that he joined a team which was already among the league’s elite.

This is not to say that Betts deserves to be knocked down in the NL MVP hierarchy. If he puts together a season like 2018, he could very well bring home the award again. However, considering the circumstances of the 2020 season, Bellinger currently has the better opportunity to bring home the award.