NL MVP race is latest chapter in Ronald Acuña-Freddie Freeman friendly rivalry

Braves’ Ronald Acuna Jr. and Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman are going head to head in the NL MVP race in 2023. Who’s coming out on top?

As the NL MVP race heats up this season, one current Braves player and one former Braves player could wrestle for the coveted award. The rumored favorite since April has been Braves slugger Ronald Acuna, but his former teammate, Freddie Freeman, just might steal the trophy from right under Acuna’s nose.

In truth, there’s a case for both Acuna and Freeman to win NL MVP, and it’ll come down to how each player finishes their respective seasons.

For the Braves, Acuna leads the league with a whopping 53 stolen bases; he’s slashing .339/.421/.582 this year.

For the Dodgers, Freeman leads the league in OPS (1.012) and OPS+ (169), has the same number of runs scored as Acuna (99), and is slashing .340/.418/.595.

All the rest of the NL can say is thank goodness Acuna and Freeman aren’t on the same team anymore.

The Braves’ last MVP winner happened to be Freeman back in 2020; after a strong surge in July, Freeman is building a fortified case for himself to beat out Acuna and win his second NL MVP compared to Acuna’s none.

Braves’ Ronald Acuna and Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman reignite rivalry

Ever since Acuna’s icy comments about Freeman following Freeman’s signing with the Dodgers, we’re pulling for the L.A. hero.

In 2023, Acuna may still be considered the frontrunner in the MVP race, as he’s stayed consistently productive on offense and also plays a tougher defensive position at right field. Freeman could hardly be called the underdog — that distinction goes to other players like his replacement for the Braves, Matt Olson, fellow Dodger Mookie Betts, and Padres’ Juan Soto — but he does seem more prone to regression than his ex-Braves teammate.

However, if Freeman continues his tremendous July outing, he could blow past Acuna at the last minute (like the Freeze) and deliver an absolute stunner for Braves fans everywhere. Talk about conflicted feelings.

So, the MVP field appears to be more or less set in stone: Acuna and Freeman as the marquee gladiators with their footmen, Olson and Betts, trailing behind them.

That means the MVP award will most likely be awarded to a Brave or a Dodger in 2023, but it also complicates the voting just a tad. If Olson or Betts continue their hot streaks, a two-candidate platform (Acuna-Olson or Freeman-Betts) could split the vote for either the Braves or Dodgers and lead to the rival team running away with a winning number of votes. Votes are weighted, and right now Acuna and Freeman are the clear-cut MVP nominees for each team, but it’s still something to take into consideration.

May the odds be in both stars’ favor.