Kyler Strickler
November 6, 2024
Next on the list is my NL MVP ballot. While the first few picks are just as cut-and-dry as the AL, I had a much harder time with the bottom of the list. For example, picking two between Chris Sale, Jurickson Profar, and Bryce Harper was extremely tough. Without further delay, lets get into the list.
1. Shohei Ohtani
Just like the AL, this MVP will be unanimous. While recovering from a torn UCL and relegated to DH, Shohei Ohtani put up the first 50/50 season in MLB history, leading the league in WAR (9.2), plate appearances, runs, home runs, RBI, OBP, slugging, OPS, and total bases. Just a year after Ronald Acuna put up likely the most complete offensive season we had seen since Barry Bonds, Shohei Ohtani not only one-upped it, but left it in the dust completely. As long as Ohtani is healthy enough to hit, he should be the MVP favorite for the rest of the 2020's.
2. Francisco Lindor
Before Ohtani went nuclear in September, many thought Francisco Lindor was having a season that rivalled him. While playing elite defense at shortstop, Lindor put up the best offensive season of his career, falling a single steal short of a 30/30 season and being the anchor of a Mets team that surprised many. Those in favor of a Lindor MVP campaign claim that the Mets would have been out of the playoffs completely without Lindor, and they are right. However, Ohtani simply was better in every category besides defense, and a difference of 2 WAR is nothing to scoff at.
3. Ketel Marte
2024 is the year the curse of "even-year Ketel" became a thing of the past. Ever since he broke out, in even years, Ketel Marte was an average player. In odd years (2019, 2021, 2023), he put up MVP-caliber production along with positional versatility. 2024 put an end to this trend, as Marte completed arguably his best season to date, all while staying healthy. Headlining the most powerful lineup this year, Marte hit nearly .300 while crushing 36 bombs, a personal high. On top of this, he played the best defense of his career since 2018, a massive return to form after struggling the previous few seasons.
4. Elly De La Cruz
While not the most valuable player, Elly De La Cruz is probably the most electric player in the league. After an up-and-down rookie season, Elly made progressions in 2024 that resulted in 5.2 WAR. The fastest man in professional sports swiped 67 bags and was truly a nightmare on the basepaths for opposing pitchers, causing havoc even when he wasn't stealing. While he did lead the league in strikeouts and errors, Elly is easily above average at the plate and in the field, and just slight fine-tuning could result in him being an MVP favorite going forward.
5. William Contreras
This is the year that William Contreras officially took the crown as the best catcher in the league. Getting better every single season, Contreras not only put up a 129 OPS+, he also played the best defense of his career, and even recorded 9 steals. The Brewers desperately needed this from Contreras after Christian Yelich went out for the season, and they got it. At this point, Contreras does not have any weaknesses in his game, and one can only wonder what the next step could be for the superstar who is just entering his prime at 26 years old.
6. Marcell Ozuna
Marcell Ozuna will probably never win an MVP. For one, he is permanently limited to the DH spot. However, for someone to win an MVP as a DH, they have to do something truly historic like what Shohei Ohtani just did, and Ozuna is simply not built for that. On top of this, Ozuna's past of domestic violence allegations and DUI charges do not do him any favors. However, beyond that, Ozuna put up a fantastic season. The Big Bear smashed 39 home runs to the tune of a .302 average, and was the driving force in a disappointing Braves lineup. Coming off his second-best offensive season,
Ozuna from the Braves at least deserves some consideration.
7. Mookie Betts
On my first draft of this list, I had Mookie Betts in fifth place. However, after further consideration, 116 games played is simply not enough. Had he played the whole year, I think that Mookie would have been in serious MVP consideration, as he filled in at every defensive position the Dodgers wanted him to play, including being the teams starting shortstop on opening day. While doing this, he put up fantastic production that included 4.8 WAR, 19 homers, and 16 steals. While he will have to compete with his teammate Shohei Ohtani going forward for MVP consideration, Mookie will always have a place on these ballots. He's simply too good.
8. Matt Chapman
Matt Chapman puts up odd season after odd season. For a 2-month stretch every year, he will supplement his all-world fielding skills at the hot corner with a bat that rivals the best players in the league, and then the rest of the year he will struggle. While that trend continued this year, his "struggle months" were average instead of horrific, leading to the third baseman putting up an astounding 7.1 WAR. By this metric, some would be surprised that he finished below Cruz, Contreras, Ozuna, and Betts on my list, but Chapman was just a solid player. He is truly special with the glove, but a 125 OPS+ is not MVP-caliber in my book. If he can get his OPS out of the .700s while continuing to dominate in the field, maybe that can change.
9. Jurickson Profar
I don't think a single soul saw this coming. Before this season, Profar had been considered a bust for literally a decade. The former Rangers number one overall prospect nearly doubled his career WAR this year, but WAR doesn't even do this season justice. By Win Probability Added, Profar was the most valuable player in the entire league after Shohei Ohtani. In high-leverage at-bats, he put up a 327 WRC+, nearly 100 points higher than the second place finisher in Juan Soto. Profar simply got massive hit after massive hit for a Padres team that needed the production. It will be interesting to see just how much money Profar made after this campaign.
10. Chris Sale
Another surprising one. Many, including me, thought Chris Sale was washed. The former superstar had not produced a good healthy season since 2018, and was traded to the Braves for basically nothing. However, Atlanta apparently saw something the rest of the league did not, as they immediately gave him an extension and slotted him into the top of their rotation. Sale responded by winning the triple crown, nearly matching Tarik Skubal's year exactly. 18 wins, a 2.38 ERA, and 225 strikeouts are simply fantastic in this era of starting pitching, and it cannot be stated enough how much Atlanta needed this performance after Spencer Strider's injury.
Just missed: Bryce Harper, Willy Adames, Jackson Merrill
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