Remember when there was debate about whether or not Bryce Harper would bounce back after a disappointing 2016 season by his standards? It’s still very early but Harper is off to an outstanding start and his Washington Nationals look like legitimate World Series contenders. Perhaps the craziest aspect of the Nationals hot start is the fact that Harper hasn’t even been the best player on his own team so far. Here is a look at the top early season candidates to win the National League MVP award.
1B: Ryan Zimmerman, Washington Nationals
Zimmerman has been Washington’s best player through the first few weeks of the 2017 MLB season. Zimmerman has hit a ridiculous .393 with 13 home runs and 34 RBI. His hard hit rate is the best in baseball right now. He’s a major luxury for a Nationals offense that already features Harper, Daniel Murphy, Trea Turner and Jayson Werth. It makes sense that Zimmerman’s production will eventually slow a little. Remember, he was an injury-prone player that had been viewed as a fading commodity coming into the season. Nobody was expecting this type of performance.
However, he is already two away from matching the 15 home runs he hit all of last year. As long as he continues to make solid contact, there is a good chance he will keep himself in the NL MVP conversation. To date, no player has made a better case for the award than him. He is the frontrunner as of right now.
OF: Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals
The fact that Washington has two players on this list isn’t even fair. Harper has hit .372 with 10 home runs and 27 runs scored through his first 113 plate appearances. Remember when people dodged him in MLB fantasy thinking that last year was an indication of what was to come? That has proved to be false as he’s having a very strong bounce-back campaign.
Harper and Zimmerman have the potential to match what Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant of the Chicago Cubs did a year ago. That has to be downright scary for their NL competition.
Another interesting note is that the Nationals went 16-2 in April when Harper recorded at least one hit while they went 1-6 when he didn’t. Washington’s offense is absolutely loaded from top to bottom but Harper is still a standout. With Zimmerman and Harper producing at an MVP level, the Nationals will be tough to beat in 2017.
OF: Eric Thames, Milwaukee Brewers
It should be absolutely no surprise that Thames is constantly being tested for PED use. After all, that’s what happens when you put up the kind of monster numbers he has recorded following his return from Korea. Thames, a former MLB journeyman who couldn’t earn a regular job, has hit .333 with 13 home runs, 33 runs scored and 25 RBI. Without question, he has been one of the best stories of the young baseball season. His 1.183 OPS is absolutely ridiculous and it’s a big reason why the Brewers have stayed above .500 this season.
Milwaukee will have its work cut out competing for a playoff spot out of the NL Central. However, as long as Thames continues to produce at an MVP level they can’t be completely overlooked. And even if he doesn’t win this award, Thames is the clear-cut frontunner to win the Comeback Player of the Year. There’s nobody with a better case for that award as of right now.
1B: Freddie Freeman, Atlanta Braves
Atlanta has won just 11 of its first 31 games, so that is definitely working against Freeman as an MVP candidate. However, it’s impossible to overlook his early season numbers as they are some of the best in the majors. Freeman has hit .336 with 12 home runs, 27 runs scored and 20 RBI. His 1.200 OPS is up there with the best in the NL. The fact that Freeman plays for a team that will more than likely miss the postseason by a wide margin hurts his overall MVP stock. However, if we base our assessment solely on his early season numbers, Freeman definitely deserves to be in the NL MVP conversation right now.
The MLB season is in full swing, so if you’re looking at betting lines, in-game betting and World Series futures, click here to bet on MLB (or any other sports) at BetDSI!
