Ronald Acuña Jr. has the kind of statistics that would seem to make the young Atlanta Braves star a no-doubter for the National League MVP award.
Then again, so do Los Angeles Dodgers standout Mookie Betts and his teammate, Freddie Freeman.
It’s getting close to the postseason for Major League Baseball, which also means it’s close to time for the votes to be cast for league awards, which are based on regular-season performances. Some of the races are tighter than others, and it appears the NL MVP contest is a particularly epic chase.
Acuña has been the favorite for months. He’s the catalyst for a robust lineup that leads the majors by scoring an average of nearly six runs per game. The 25-year-old right fielder from Venezuela even created his very own club this season, becoming the one and only player in MLB history with at least 30 homers and 60 stolen bases.
Who could beat that?