3 Braves stars who could win NL MVP this season

Ronald Acuna Jr.

Freddie Freeman spent the last 11 years building up to his NL MVP. Ronald Acuna Jr. is already in the thick of it entering his fourth year in the majors.

The 23-year-old outfielder was Rookie of the Year in 2018. He finished fifth in MVP voting while picking up All-Star and Silver Slugger honors in 2019. He kept it rolling in 2020 by leading the national league in at-bats per home run. He ranked fifth in runs scored and eighth in on-base and slugging percentages, both of which were career highs.

Basically, Acuna is just getting started. His best is yet to come, which means more MVP consideration is in his future. He’s already among the oddsmakers’ favorites to bring home the award.

Projection models are even more bullish on Acuna. Fangraphs expects him to blast 40 home runs and steal 30 bases. A 40/40 season is on the table if he lives up to his potential. After all, he nearly did it in 2019 with 41 homers and 37 steals. The more experienced he gets, the more his wild talent can mix with baseball savvy. The result should be a thing to behold.

Star power is on Acuna’s side here.