Can the Chicago Cubs’ Anthony Rizzo win the 2015 NL MVP?

2014 was an impressive, breakthrough campaign for the Chicago Cubs’ young first baseman, Anthony Rizzo.  For the majority of the season, he was only 24 years old — he turned 25 in August — and posted career highs across the board.  His .286 batting average, .386 on-base percentage, .527 slugging percentage and gaudy .913 OPS (on-base + slugging) have become new benchmarks in the early stages of the career for the former sixth-round pick.  His 32 home runs far surpassed 2013’s 23 dingers despite playing in 20 fewer games.  For the sabermetric nerds among us, his WAR (Wins Above Replacement) rating ballooned from 2.6 in ’13 to 5.1 in ’14.  He is already the most valuable player to the Cubs, what will it take to become the most valuable player in all of baseball?

Those accolades earned the young slugger his first All-Star nod — thanks to Cubs fans flooding the ballot box like only Chicagoans know how with the All-Star Final Vote.  The MLB world took notice as Rizzo finished in the top 10 for National League MVP voting at season’s end.  One great season and Rizzo was already in the discussion.  Now we’re left to wonder if he has what it takes to have his name uttered in the same breath as Clayton Kershaw, Andrew McCutchen and Giancarlo Stanton.

Only one player in the N.L. hit more long balls than Rizzo last season, and that was the behemoth in Miami known as Giancarlo Stanton (37).  Stanton’s quest for the 40-home-run plateau was cut short by a gruesome facial injury as he managed to play in only 145 games.  Similarly, Rizzo only played in 140 games — had both players managed to stay healthy all season long, they could have both surpassed 40 home runs in what would have been a spectacular battle for the power-hitting crown.  As unpredictable as injuries can be year to year, look for baseball fans to get treated to an epic power battle between these two this season in what ultimately could be the deciding factor in MVP voting.  Chicks aren’t the only ones who dig the long ball — voters do, too.

After a career year in 2011, McCutchen has been firmly entrenched in the MVP debate every season.  He has finished top three in voting for the past three seasons including winning the award in 2013.  The accolades are building up for Pittsburgh’s superstar center fielder as his mantle boasts a Gold Glove and multiple Silver Slugger awards as well.  An all-around game is vital for any MVP hopeful and McCutchen is the type of star Rizzo should mold himself after. Rizzo has the ability to bring home his first Gold Glove of his career in 2015 — he was named a finalist for the award but was unfortunately snubbed in 2013 — so the talent is certainly there.  Placing his name in the conversation for a multitude of awards can muster up the spark needed to become a legitimate MVP-caliber player.

Admittedly, if Rizzo or anyone else wants to win the National League’s MVP, Clayton Kershaw needs to not pitch like a cyborg pitching demigod again this summer.  What helped Cy Kershaw’s case exponentially for his unprecedented MVP nod was he pitched for the N.L. West Division champions as the Dodgers finished with the second-best record in the league.  21 of the Dodgers’ 94 wins last season were credited to Kershaw  as he sported a disgusting 1.77 ERA and minuscule 0.86 WHIP.  239 at-bats ended with Kershaw making a Major League player look silly and striking him out — the dude was flat-out filthy.

Some people like to debate whether or not it matters if a player is on a winning club for awards like the MVP.  The argument is simple: it absolutely does.  It has been almost three decades since a player won the MVP in the National League while being on a team that finished below .500 — Andre Dawson took home the honor despite the Cubs finishing with a 76-85 record in 1987.  “The Hawk” was the first and only player to win the MVP while playing for a last-place team.  If the Cubs can take the illusive leap forward like many in the baseball world believe they are capable of with Joe Maddon at the helm, new veteran additions and young prospects on the horizon; Anthony Rizzo has the opportunity to establish himself as an elite player in the MLB.

Rizzo is without a doubt the face of the franchise and a guy the Cubs want to market their team around.  He graces the cover for this year’s RBI Baseball video game and has the backstory and work ethic any ball club would be proud to boast about to the sports world.  Already the unquestioned leader of the team, his proclamation that the Cubs would win the Central Division this year had fans clamoring for the season to begin.

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For this dream to become a reality, Rizzo will have to raise his totals in three important statistics: batting average, walks and RBI.  With an average flirting or above .300, he will subsequently raise his hits total as well as doubles and inch his OBP closer to the elite level of .400.  An increased amount of walks will obviously help this extravagant goal — Ryan Braun‘s .397 OBP in 2011 is the lowest an N.L. MVP player has garnered since 2007.  Rizzo’s keen eye at the plate is already a major plus as he finished 9th in the N.L. with 73 free passes in 2014 — a spike would land him at the top of the list.

When it comes to RBI, the issue isn’t Rizzo.  He finished with only 78 in 2014 — a number actually lower than his 80 in 2013 — and will need the help of those hitting ahead of him in the lineup.  He can mash as many blasts past the ivy as he wants this summer, if no one is on base, his RBI totals will remain mediocre.  As a power bat in the middle of the lineup, 100 RBI is an absolute must to earn first-place votes.  Once again, an improved Cubs team is pivotal for Rizzo’s MVP hopes.

Spring Training is a time for renewed hope.  Predictions can be as absurd as they want and outlandish proclamations are generally not only accepted, but encouraged.  I think I speak for most baseball fans when I say the season can’t start quickly enough.  The Cubs are a team on the rise and any sort of playoff hunt could be exactly the traction needed for Rizzo to become a legitimate MVP.