MLB Awards Watch: Top 5 NL MVP candidates thru April

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Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

The first month of the season is always a strange one en route to the MLB awards showdowns. You have perennial All-Stars that seemingly fall off a cliff, newcomers exploding onto the scene and a few veterans begin what will become career seasons. It’s a time for simultaneous over-reaction and skepticism, doubt and hope. It’s also a time when a few players show that they’re going to take a run at the most coveted personal award of the regular season. The NL MVP race has begun, and it’s fast and furious one.

Notably missing from the early action is Paul Goldschmidt, the man who has been runner-up two out of the last three years. Goldy started the season extremely slow, hitting just .229 through the first two weeks; a far cry from the .321 he put up last year and his career average of .297. Don’t count him out just yet though, as the past ten games he has turned a corner, hitting .300/.523/.633 with an incredible 16 walks. Goldschmidt will find his way back into the race as the days get longer and the months get hotter.

After signing late into February, Dexter Fowler is actually the NL leader in fWAR heading into May, slashing a blistering .347/.474/.613 and more than making up for the Cubs early loss of Kyle Schwarber. However, with his .426 BABIP and a high home run rate sure to come down significantly over the next few months, it will be hard for the 30-year old to sustain his productivity levels.

Similar things can be said about young Mets phenom Michael Conforto. After showing off his power in a 56 game sample last year the future might hold a few more kicks at the proverbial MVP can down the road. He’s off to a .365/.442/.676 start and has established himself quite firmly in the World Series finalist’s lineup.

With that said, there are a number of other players tearing up the senior circuit through April. Let’s take a look at the Top 5 NL MVP candidates.

Honorable Mentions: Trevor Story (COL) and Neil Walker (NYM)

Next: Number 5

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