Which MLB Stars Are on the Shortlist for The 2021 MVP Award?
And just like that, the 2021 MLB season was over. What started all the way back in April, with 30 teams all aiming to make it to the playoffs, ended with just 8 sides left by October. From there, the likes of the Boston Red Sox, the LA Dodgers, the San Francisco Giants and the Tampa Bay Rays all fell by the wayside, as just two teams made it to the World Series; the Houston Astros, and the Atlanta Braves.
Game 1 saw the Braves take an early lead in the series, before the Astros fought back in game 2. From there, the Braves really did take control of things, as they won both game 3 (2-0) and game 4 (3-2), giving Houston an absolute mountain to climb. The Astros went down swinging, winning game 5 (9-5) to at least make things interesting, but in the end it simply wasn’t enough. The Braves weren’t messing around in game 6, as they ran away with it, with the final score 7-0 to the side from Atlanta.
It was their first World Series title since 1999, and their 4th overall. For the Astros, who won the World Series in 2017, as well as making the 2019 final, it was a case of what could have been. Both sides did well, and for fans looking for free baseball picks, we expect both of these teams to be strong challengers yet again next season, when the 2022 campaign kicks off again in April. It’s never too early to start looking at betting odds for next year.
While the season is over, there are still several individual awards yet to be decided. This week sees the announcement of several top prizes, such as the Rookie of the Year, Manager of the Year, the Cy Young Awards, and most importantly, the MVP awards. All of these categories are split between the National League and the American League, so on the 18th of November, we will finally know which 2 players have been crowned as this year’s most valuable player. All good betting sites will offer odds on all of these awards.
Want to know who is on the shortlist for each MVP award? Let’s take a look at the players who could be walking away with the most coveted individual prize in the world of baseball.
American League
Given that they made it all the way to the World Series, it is interesting to note that none of the nominees for the American League MVP come from the Houston Astros. In fact, none of the 3 players shortlisted even appeared in the playoffs, but their regular season performances were considered strong enough to warrant inclusion.
2 of the 3 players represented the Toronto Blue Jays, who finished 4th in the American League East; Vladimir Guerrero Jr, a 1st baseman, and Marcus Semien, a 2nd baseman. Guerrero made the list because he was the best hitter in the entire American League (169 OPS+) and was tied with Salvador Peres of the Kansas City Royals for the most number of home runs hit this season, with 48.
Semien is considered as one of the best free-agent signings of the last year. He played all 162 games, and hit 45 home runs, which is a record in a single season for a 2nd baseman. He also won a Gold Glove Award. Not bad considering he usually plays shortstop.
The 3rd name on the American League shortlist is Shohei Ohtani. A jack of all trades for the Los Angeles Angels, where he is both a pitcher and a designated hitter. 2021 saw him pick up 46 home runs and 26 steals as a hitter, whilst managing 156 strikeouts over 130.3 innings in 23 starts as a pitcher.
National League
Over in the National League, again it is slightly odd to not see a single Braves player featured. Instead, this year sees Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies, Juano Soto of the Washington Nationals, and Fernando Tatis Jr of the San Diego Padres make the 3 man list. Harper previously won the award in 2015, and has had another good season this year, leading the league in slugging (0.615) and OPS (1.044).
Soto, meanwhile, at the age of just 22, hit 29 home runs in 1515 games. He also reached base in more than half of his appearances after the All-Star break, and batted with a 3.48 average.
Tatis Jr, another 22 year old, nearly became the first player since Chuck Klein to lead his league in home runs and steals. In the end, he finished first in the National League for homers with 42, and third in stolen bases (25).
Who will win?
As always it is a tough one to call, as all 6 men would be deserved winners. Who is our money on? If we had to pick just two, we’d go for Ohtani in the American League, and Harper in the National League.
