As the shortened Major League Baseball season comes to a close, the league’s top stars from the campaign are starting to gain recognition as players who could take home their respective circuit’s MVP trophy. In this condensed 60 game season, we watched as familiar faces shined, and as new stars stepped into the limelight. However, only one player from each league can win the MVP trophy, and here are the favorites to do so. 

National League

Mookie Betts

The Stats: .292/.366/.562, 16 HR, 39 RBI, 10 SB

His Impact: After coming to LA in a blockbuster trade over the offseason, Mookie did usual Mookie things and asserted himself near the top of the MVP race. His ability to hit for average and power, his speed, and his defense are all top tier, and they all shined through in this year’s campaign. Betts may lead his team to a World Series this season, and has individual hardware on his mind as well.

Freddie Freeman

The Stats: .341/.462/.640, 13 HR, 53 RBI, 1.102 OPS

His Impact: Freddie continues to show that he will never stop hitting the ball at an elite level, as he led the league in extra base hits while coming second in slugging. His consistency, ability to spray the ball to all fields, and not to mention his improving defense at first base highlight the reasons why Freeman is to be considered this year. 

Fernando Tatis Jr. 

The Stats: .277/.366/.571, 17 HR, 45 RBI, 11 SB 

His Impact: Regarded to be at the top of all of baseball from the months of June-August, Tatis brought his electric bat, glove, and speed to the showcase and emerged as a top star in the league. While he struggled mightily in September, it is just too difficult to overlook his contributions to a playoff Padres team this season, which is why he will get serious consideration as well. 

Honorable Mention: Juan Soto 

American League

Jose Abreu

The Stats: .317/.360/.617, 19 HR, 60 RBI, .987 OPS

His Impact: It should be known that Jose Abreu is finally gaining recognition for his outstanding bat, as he never usually did in the past. He flat out mashed the ball over the course of the season, hitting the second most home runs in all of baseball and having an OPS approaching 1.000. He led the league in RBI’s, and sat in the middle of the order in a stacked White Sox lineup. He is my pick for the AL this year. 

Mike Trout

The Stats: .281/.390/.603, 17 HR, 46 RBI, .993 OPS

His Impact: I think by now we all know what Mike Trout does on the field, and it is just ridiculous how he does it year after year. He still hits with the very best in all of baseball, gets on base efficiently, and his glove is still elite out in center field. The future hall of famer already has 3 MVP awards under his belt, and he may see a 4th depending on how the voters look at it. 

Shane Bieber

The Stats: 12 GS, 8-1, 1.63 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 122 K

His Impact: Here we see the only pitcher who has a legitimate chance to take home an MVP. Bieber’s stats this year spoke for themselves. He led the league in wins, ERA among starters with at least 10 GS, and strikeouts. He took home the pitching triple crown this season, and there is no denying that he and his stellar performances could take home another accomplishment this season. 

Honorable Mentions: The talented Yankees duo of Luke Voit and DJ Lemahieu

This is how I see the MVP races in each league stacking up, but there are a vast majority of voters who may disagree. The winners are announced November 2nd, so stay tuned to find out who takes home the hardware.