Is the biggest threat to Ronald Acuna's MVP run on his own team?
Ronald Acuna Jr. may be the runaway favorite to win National League MVP, but recently, a competitor from his own team has emerged for the hardware.
Since the All-Star break, Braves first baseman Matt Olson has been on a tear, catapulting himself squarely into the MVP conversation. Olson homered twice on Saturday against the New York Mets, taking the MLB lead with 42. Meanwhile, Olson added four RBI to his league-leading total of 105.
Not only did Olson post his seventh multi-home run game of the year, but he's also approaching the Braves franchise record of 51 long balls, set by Andruw Jones in 2005.
Unsurprisingly, Olson's resurgence down the stretch has improved his chances of winning MVP. According to Oddschecker, Olson has the third-best odds (+3000).
Meanwhile, there's a scenario where neither Acuna nor Olson come away with MVP. While Olson has thrown his hat in the MVP ring, a familiar face, Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, has too.
While it's hard to believe now, many were concerned about how the Braves would replace Freeman after he left for L.A. in 2022. Two seasons later, Freeman is battling with his replacement for MVP.
Like Olson, Freeman has entered the race due to a hot second half. Since the All-Star break, Freeman is slashing .434/.517/.758 with six home runs, 20 RBI and 13 extra-base hits. Along with 23 homers and 83 RBI on the year, Freeman leads the majors in batting average (.344) and is second in on-base (.420) and slugging percentage (.597).
Freeman has the second-best odds (+400) of winning NL MVP, and if Olson and Acuna take votes away from one another, the award could be there for the taking.
However the MVP race shakes out, Acuna will be tough to beat out, no matter how hot Olson and Freeman stay. Amid a breakout season, Acuna is sporting a .338 batting average, 1.002 OPS with 26 home runs and 70 RBI while leading the league in stolen bases (54) and runs scored (102).
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