NATIONAL LEAGUE MVP FINALISTS
- Kris Bryant, 8.1 WAR (1st in WAR)
- Corey Seager, 6.8 WAR (2nd in WAR)
- Daniel Murphy, 5.1 WAR (14th in WAR)
Notable combined WAR candidates not included among the finalists: Freddie Freeman (6.3 WAR, 3rd), Clayton Kershaw (6.1 WAR, 4th), Noah Syndergaard (5.9 WAR, 5th).
Daniel Murphy was so good at the plate, with a .347/.390/.595 batting line, that it may be surprising to see him finish in 14th place in combined WAR in the National League. His low finish can be attributed to missing 20 games and being a negative on defense. If had played another 10 games at the same level, he would have finished right around fifth in combined WAR and would have been in the conversation for third place. Even with a full season, his value doesn’t get to the level of Bryant or Seager, though.
Freddie Freeman had a much better year than many people realize. He was the third-best player in the NL based on the averaging of Fangraphs and Baseball-Reference WAR. His season may have flown under the radar because he played for Atlanta in a rebuilding year. Clayton Kershaw had an amazing season, but was limited to just 21 starts. Even pitching two-thirds of a season, he was a top five player in the National League. Noah Syndergaard finished in a virtual tie with Max Scherzer and Nolan Arenado in combined WAR.