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Chicago Cubs: Is Javier Baez ready to make another run at NL MVP?
Chicago Cubs: Bellinger, Yelich both off to strong starts
Bellinger, the right fielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers, is off to a scorching hot start. As of Wednesday, he leads the NL in WAR (4.7), oWAR (3.6), on-base percentage (.487), slugging percentage (.783), OPS (1.271) and ranks second in home runs at 17.
If the season ended today, Bellinger would deserve two MVP trophies for his performance. This production cannot possibly be maintained through 162 games. The Dodgers standout is a career .283 hitter and is currently at .404. His at-bats are appointment television because of his unique and powerful swing, but I do not see his batting average, OBP or OPS holding up based on his career and who he is as a hitter.
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Prediction: Cody Bellinger will not be a top-three finalist in this year’s NL MVP race.
Christian Yelich has become a familiar foe to Cubs fans since joining the Milwaukee Brewers. We have gotten to see this stud perform quite a bit over the last couple seasons. Yelich enters the 2019 season as the defending NL MVP and has continued that extraordinary stretch he had late last year.
Yelich has proven he can produce like this over an entire season, which leads me to think he has a very good chance at winning MVP once again.
He currently ranks second in every single category that Bellinger leads. WAR (3.0), oWAR (2.7), OBP (.440), slugging percentage (.732) and OPS (1.172) – while setting the pace with a league-leading 19 long-balls.
Yellich is putting up monster numbers again, but he’s had his time with the trophy. He will finish second to the one and only El Mago.