The MLB season will be getting started very soon and I want to give some predictions on who I think will be the best players this year. To get started I’ll list the top 3 from the National League. 

1. Ronald Acuna Jr.

The reigning NL MVP will look to repeat after one of the best seasons in MLB history. Last year he became the first player in MLB history to hit 40 home runs and steal seventy bases. He definitely has the talent to win 2 MVPs in a row and will come into the season angry after his Braves had a tough ending to the season. 

2. Mookie Betts

Mookie Betts was the second best player in the NL and he would have won the MVP if the first guy on the list didn’t exist. He has been dominating the MLB for his whole career. All the signs point to him and the Dodgers having a great season. He will be ready to go like he always is and should dominate again.

3. Corbin Carroll

This may be a surprise to some to not see Shohei Ohtani on this list, but since he can’t pitch, I don’t see him winning the MVP this year. Now onto Corbin Carroll he won the rookie of the year last year and had a bit of a slower second half but was still good. He should take leaps and bounds this year since he will be a second year player with lots of talent. He might not win the MVP, but he should be in the conversation.

Now I’ll get onto the AL MVP candidates which is a bit tougher of a decision for me.

1. Juan Soto 

He has never won an MVP but definitely has the talent to do so because is the modern day version of Ted Williams. He has been traded two times in his young career and has played for three teams. He will be playing in the AL for the first time for the Yankees. The reasons I have as the AL MVP favorite is due to how talented he is and the fact that the Yankees stadium allows lefties like him to hit lots of homers. He should be in the home run race towards the end of the season and will likely be the MVP or close to it. 

2. Corey Seager

He was the second place finisher in the MVP last season and likely would have won if not for Shohei Ohtani. He also was that good in only playing 119 games and if he played a full season he would have been another level then some players in this league. This season he should ride off the momentum from last season's playoffs when he won world series MVP and his Rangers won it all. He has been an all star 4 times and is still only 29 years old and in his prime. He will look to carry the Rangers to back to back world series titles and win himself some hardware.

3. Adley Rutschman 

There are a lot of options for the number three spot with players like Aaron Judge, Julio Rodriguez, and lots more but I decided to go with another young superstar for a great team similar to Corbin Carroll. Adley is very young and talented; he was the number one pick and has lived up to all of the hype so far. He is good behind the plate, hits for a good average, and can hit the homer when needed. He is in his third year and I expect for him to have a breakout year as he gets older and better. He will lean on experience this year and be a superstar for the Orioles.

Sources:https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/seageco01.shtml https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rutscad01.shtml