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MLB: National League most valuable player candidates so far

By Phil Akre

May 23, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon (6) and first baseman Ryan Zimmerman (11) celebrate after defeating the Seattle Mariners 10-1 at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
May 23, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon (6) and first baseman Ryan Zimmerman (11) celebrate after defeating the Seattle Mariners 10-1 at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jun 4, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Washington Nationals designated hitter Ryan Zimmerman (11) hits a three run home run during the eighth inning against the Oakland Athletics at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports /

Ryan Zimmerman

If it were 2009-2010, Ryan Zimmerman would surely be a regular on a list like this. The third baseman turned first baseman was one of the league’s best hitters. Since then, though, he’d been on the decline.

From 2011-2014, Zimmerman hovered around the .280 mark. However, as his age rose, his average and home run totals began to fall.

It’s 2017 and Zimmerman is hitting like never before. The 32-year-old is hitting a scorching .365 with a 1.105 OPS. He is sixth in the NL in RBI (49), third in doubles (19), and seventh in WAR (2.4).

Thanks to Daniel Murphy, one of the league’s best overall hitters, Zimmerman has been able to adapt to the league’s newfound look on analytics.

Zimmerman isn’t the flashiest name for the MVP award, so he may not be the top overall choice for the award itself. However, he is almost certainly a shoo-in for Comeback Player of the Year.

Whatever the case is, he’s been the most valuable player on a loaded Washington Nationals team.

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