Will an Atlanta Braves player be named MVP?

The Atlanta Braves have two legit players who could easily be named the 2020 National League MVP.

At the onset of the season, most thought Atlanta Braves superstar Ronald Acuna was among the three or four favorites to win the award, but injuries and droughts battling with the strikeout bug have derailed those plans.

Instead, both Freddie Freeman and Marcell Ozuna have emerged as the two main players in this record breaking Atlanta Braves offense and possibly have inserted themselves as the two favorites to take home the honors here in 2020.

Is this the first time since 1999 when Chipper Jones won the award, that an Atlanta Braves player takes home the award? Of course, I’m a little biased but the numbers do not lie. I certainly think it is, and again, I could also see both players finishing first and second.

I’m on the record as to saying Freddie Freeman was my MVP last year, once you calculated his defense metrics in and where would the Atlanta Braves have been without him last season. The bone spurs over the last few weeks ultimately took away and chance he had at being given the honor though.

I think here in 2020, he is even more deserving though.

As of yesterday, Sporting News has Freddie Freeman as their choice to win the NL MVP for the first time.

Let’s do not forget to give Marcell Ozuna all the love either as he has come in on his 1 year deal and has been an absolute monster.

A quick glance of some statistical categories will show you why they are the two favorites at the moment.

NL AVG-

• Freddie Freeman is second
• Marcell Ozuna is sixth

NL RBI-

• Marcell Ozuna is first
• Freddie Freeman is second

NL OBP-

• Freddie Freeman is second
• Marcell Ozuna is fifth

NL SLG-

• Freddie Freeman is second
• Marcell Ozuna is third

Lastly, OPS-

• Freddie Freeman is second
• Marcell Ozuna is third

This does not even include the National League home run leaderboard, where Marcell Ozuna currently sits at the top of the board.

It is easy to see why these two should be mentioned hand in hand when it comes to the MVP talk.

The difference is defense.

Freddie Freeman is a top three first baseman defensively in the entire game, while Marcell Ozuna leaves a lot to be desired in the outfield and has been primarily a DH this season. Yes, the MVP talk is always centered around offense but some form of defense needs to be played to be the total package and I believe that is where Freddie steps away from Ozuna just a little.

I think it is fair to say that Fernando Tatis was the clubhouse leader for the majority of the year but Freddie and Marcell have both passed him by in the last week or two. Mookie Betts, Juan Soto, and Manny Machado certainly have a case to enter their names in the hat, but at the end of the day the MVP should go to Freddie Freeman with Marcell Ozuna finishing second.

After all, where would the Atlanta Braves be without the VALUE of both after the pitching debacle’s this season?