Every National League Team's Top MVP Candidate at the All-Star Break
By Reed Wallach
The All-Star break is here and it's time to take stock in the MVP picture.
Paul Goldschmidt is the current NL MVP favorite at consensus sportsbooks, but let's look at the big picture and determine who has been the engine behind each team through the first half of the season.
From the Los Angeles Dodgers to the Washington Nationals, we got you covered with who the most valuable players to each team.
1. Arizona Diamondbacks: Ketel Marte (+50000)
The Diamondbacks are last in the competitive NL West, 40-52, as the offense performs at a bottom-5 level. However, the team's brightest start at the moment has done his best to lift the lineup.
Marte is hitting .271 with eight home runs and 29 runs batted in.
2. Atlanta Braves: Austin Riley (+1400)
In my eyes, Riley is one of two best bets to win NL MVP with former Braves star Freddie Freeman.
While Paul Goldschmidt is the heavy favorite right now, Riley is running him down. He is third in the NL in WAR, second in home runs and sixth in RBI's for one of the hottest teams in baseball that are sure to be in the mix come October.
3. Chicago Cubs: Seiya Suzuki (N/A)
The Cubs are in the early stages of a rebuild, so there isn't much to get excited about, but Suzuki is a promising piece of the future.
Despite missing some time due to injury, Suzuki has been a stalwart of the Cubs lineup, hitting .272 with six home runs and 26 RBI's.
4. Cincinnati Reds: Brandon Drury (N/A)
The Reds were once 3-23, but now they are pushing out of the basement of the NL Central. Yes, they are 34-57, but it's much better than where they started.
Look at Brandon Drury for a big reason why. In his first season with the club, the right hander is hitting .278 with 18 home runs with 52 RBI's.
5. Colorado Rockies: C.J. Cron (+8500)
Cron has raked in his second season at Coors Field, crushing 21 home runs with 69 RBI's. However, it's not just the power for the first baseman, he is hitting .298/.350/.552 for the Rockies.
Cron was selected to his first All-Star Game this season and despite another down year for Colorado, is a worthy participant with his hitting metrics.
6. Los Angeles Dodgers: Freddie Freeman (+1500)
Mookie Betts still has better MVP odds than his first year teammate Freeman, but it's the ladder that is the more formidable MVP candidate.
Freeman is fifth in offensive WAR and third in on-base percentage. He is trailing Goldschmidt in batting average by .09 and has two more hits than him. On the NL's best team, Freeman has the leg up right now and is a worthy bet at these numbers.
7. Miami Marlins: Sandy Alcantara (+10000)
The odds on favorite to win National League Cy Young (-130), Alcantara has been sensational this season. He has an MLB best 1.76 ERA over the most innings pitched this season (138.1). He has the highest WAR in baseball and has pitched seven or more innings in 13 straight starts.
No, he won't actually receive MVP recognition because the Marlins are below .500, but Alcantara has been the most dominant player in baseball this season.
8. Milwaukee Brewers: Corbin Burnes (+25000)
The 2021 Cy Young winner has been fantastic for the NL Central leading Brewers. He has a better ERA this season, 2.14 vs. 2.43, and has struck out the most batters in baseball (144).
Burnes is being outpaced by Alcantara in the Cy Young race, but he is still as dominant as ever, leading Milwaukee back to the top of the division.
9. New York Mets: Pete Alonso (+800)
The Mets lead the NL East and are one of the most complete rosters in baseball, a true NL Pennant contender. Alonso is at the middle of one of the most potent lineups in baseball, driving in the most runs in the NL, his 78 RBI's is eight more than the next closest in Goldschmidt.
Alonso is also third in home runs with 24 and is hitting a career best .265.
10. Philadelphia Phillies: Kyle Schwarber (+2100)
With injuries to the likes of Bryce Harper, the Phillies have remained in the playoff picture due to the heroics of Schwarber, who has an NL high 29 home runs.
In the month of June, the first year Phillies slugger hit .272 with 12 home and 27 RBI's.
11. Pittsburgh Pirates: Ke'Bryan Hayes (N/A)
The Pirates are starting to build towards something with their young prospects showing promise and there are many options for their team MVP, but I landed on Hayes, who leads the team in WAR.
Hayes is going to play 100-plus game for the first time in his short career and has looked the part, hitting .251 with 28 RBI's atop the Pirates lineup. He also has a team high 81 hits.
12. San Francisco Giants: Carlos Rodon (N/A)
The Giants have fallen out of the Wild Card race for now, but not due to a stellar year from offseason signing Carlos Rodón.
Rodon has a 2.66 ERA (and the lowest FIP in the big leagues) while striking out nearly four batters to every walk he dishes out. Overall he is tied for fifth in WAR, second in strikeouts per 9 innings.
13. San Diego Padres: Manny Machado (+550)
Machado had an ankle injury earlier in the season, but he has remained firmly in the NL MVP race.
He is fourth in WAR while placing in the top 10 in nearly all hitting metrics, including batting average (7th), on-base percentage (5th) and WAR (4th).
14. St. Louis Cardinals: Paul Goldschmidt (+105)
The current betting favorite, Goldschmidt is enjoying the best season of his career.
He is hitting .330 with a WAR of 4.8. He is tied for sixth in home runs and second in RBI's. If there is a hitting category, Goldschmidt is at the top of the list.
Will his MVP case hold? The Cardinals have slid into a tie for the final Wild Card spot heading into the All-Star break, will team success factor into this vote even if he is the best hitter?
15. Washington Nationals: Juan Soto (+5500)
Soto is playing for a poor team and now the subject of trade rumors from the rebuilding Nationals, but boy can he play.
Soto is hitting only .250, but his on-base percentage is a astronomical .405 as he has drawn the most walks in baseball. He has 20 home runs and 43 RBI's as well. He is arguably the most talented hitter in baseball.