Dark Horse Candidates for the 2021 NL MVP
Michael Conforto is heading into his last season before free agency. He is beyond motivated to perform well this season and he has a lot of other talented players around him in the New York Mets’ lineup. He hit .322 with a .927 OPS. in 54 games in 2020, as well as hitting 33 home runs in 2019.
Bryce Harper is trying to make the Philadelphia Phillies relevant again. It’s been a while since Harper played like an MVP candidate. In his third season with the Phillies, Harper is hoping to regain his power and his ability to hit for a high average. Harper is always a dark horse for the award because he has the potential to have an impressive season.
The newest Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher, Trevor Bauer, could win the award if he pitches like he did last season when he won the 2020 National League Cy Young Award. He should easily throw 200 innings and strike out 200 batters if he stays healthy.
Manny Machado is a sneaky candidate for this award. He is not even the favorite to be the best player on his team, but he has shown that he can be an MVP caliber player. Machado is a huge part of the turnaround of the San Diego Padres.
Trevor Story is now the best player on the Colorado Rockies and has the potential to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases if he stays healthy. Like Conforto, Story is also going to be a free agent after this season, which motivates him even more to put up crazy numbers. Story is one of the top shortstops in the league.