2020 MLB Season: Top 5 NL East MVP candidates
Pete Alonso – New York Mets
Pete Alonso is the offensive heart and soul of the New York Mets. His rookie season was beyond legendary and he has shown that he can be a threat in this league, after leading the majors with 53 home runs.
After his monstrous 2019 campaign, the 2019 NL Rookie of the Year finished seventh on the MVP ballot. If the New York Mets finished better than third in their division or made the playoffs, Alonso would have had a better chance to win the award.
Alonso, 25, is expected to hit over 40 home runs this season and still score over 100 runs. His OPS. was .941, which is phenomenal for a rookie. He needs to continue to walk a lot and needs to focus on limiting his strikeouts, which will raise his batting average. Breaking pitches could be his kryptonite.
Alonso is an electric personality and is determined to continue building off his success. He does not want to settle. If the Mets make the postseason or win the NL East, Alonso will have a very strong shot to be the NL MVP, given his health. There is such a deep pool of players in the National League but if he is the home run king again, Alonso could walk away with the MVP award.