Ronald Acuna Jr. vs. Mookie Betts: The battle for NL MVP

The 2023 NL MVP race is heating up as the top two contenders for the Award have stood out above the rest. Los Angeles Dodgers OF/2B Mookie Betts and Atlanta Braves OF Ronald Acuna Jr. have had seasons for the ages and both are more than deserving of the award. 

Let’s look at their cases.

OF/2B Mookie Betts 

While Betts came through the minors as an infielder, his best defense in the big leagues has always been in right field. But with injuries and a surplus of outfielders on the Dodgers roster, he has become a utility defender and has played great defense all around the field. 

At the plate, he has been extremely hot. On the year, he is slashing .316/.410/.615 with an NL-leading 1.025 OPS and 172 OPS+. In terms of WAR, he has been worth 7.9 wins for the Dodgers in 2023. 

With 38 HR and 99 RBI on the year, he will almost certainly get past 40 and 100 in the categories, all while striking out just barely more than he draws walks. 

His August was especially good, as he had a 1.355 OPS throughout the month, his third straight month with an OPS above 1.000. Catching fire at the tail end of a season is always the best time for award voting, as it is fresh in the minds of those who pick the winner.

OF Ronald Acuna Jr.

Not far behind Betts, Acuna Jr. slashes .335/.416/.578 with a .994 OPS and 163 OPS+. He has 32 HR and 85 RBI, all while having just four more strikeouts than walks. 

But what puts Acuña’s case right around or even above Betts' is his value on the bases. With an MLB-leading 63 stolen bases, he is just eight HR and seven stolen bags away from a potential 40-70 season, a mark that likely guarantees the award for the Braves star.

He is already the first player to be in the 30-60 club, so making it to an even harder to achieve club all but seals it. 

Verdict

It is Acuña’s award to lose. Making history, like Judge did last year with the AL HR record, is usually a good sign for a player to take home the MVP. If he achieves the 40-70 milestone, it's a complete wrap. If not, it will still take a month like August for Mookie to out-hit him enough to take home the hardware. 

While both teams are good, the Braves are also the best in baseball at 90-46, compared to the Dodgers at 84-52, so Acuna's team is strengthening his case, if only slightly.

With a month to go, the pick is Acuna Jr.