CLEVELAND, OHIO – AUGUST 22: Second baseman Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers fields a … [+] ball hit by Steven Kwan #38 of the Cleveland Guardians to end the third inning at Progressive Field on August 22, 2023. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Getty ImagesMookie Betts of the Los Angeles Dodgers is in pursuit of his second Most Valuable Player Award. Whether he is playing right field, second base, or shortstop, Betts blends comfort with confidence. Besides versatility, composure has been an integral ingredient in Betts’ success and will serve him well over the final month of the season.
The gap between Betts and Ronald Acuña, Jr. of the Atlanta Braves has disappeared in the race for the National League’s Most Valuable Player Award. A 25-year-old right fielder, Acuña, Jr. has been the favorite to win the award for most of the season. Thanks to Betts’ offensive exploits throughout the month of August, many are wondering if we are witnessing the greatest race for a Most Valuable Player Award in either league since 1931 when the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) became caretakers of the voting process.
The 30-year-old Betts was named the National League’s Player of the Month. Over 28 ball games in August, he posted a .455 batting average complemented by 51 hits and 11 home runs over 126 plate appearances. According to MLB Stats, Betts is only the third ball player since 1900 who has eclipsed at least a .450 batting average, 50 hits, and 10 home runs in a single month. The other two are Hall of Famers Babe Ruth (1923, 1924) and Lou Gehrig (1930).
Acuña, Jr. has been named the National League’s Player of the Month in April and June. In each of the five months this season to date, he has posted an on-base plus slugging (OPS) of at least .900 and stole a minimum of 10 bases according to Baseball-Reference. His best overall performance in a month occurred in June with a 1.111 OPS. August was also a spectacular month for Acuña, Jr. thanks to his 1.006 OPS, but Betts raised the bar to an impressive level with a 1.355 OPS.
A winner of the American League’s Most Valuable Player Award in 2018 with the Boston Red Sox, anticipation has been building for Betts to be mentioned in the same breath as Hall of Famer Frank Robinson. He is the only ball player who has won the Most Valuable Player Award in both leagues. In 1961, Robinson won the National League’s Most Valuable Player Award while playing for the Cincinnati Reds. A triple crown winner in 1966, Robinson was unanimously voted the American League’s Most Valuable Player Award winner while a member of the Baltimore Orioles. After Betts’ arrival in Los Angeles courtesy of a February 2020 trade, he solidified his future in the National League by signing a 12-year, $365 million contract extension with the Dodgers.
According to the BBWAA, Betts is the first ball player who has won a Most Valuable Player Award in one league and runner up in the other. In 2020, Freddie Freeman won the National League’s Most Valuable Player Award while playing for the Braves and Betts was the runner up in his first season with the Dodgers. According to Baseball-Reference, there have only been five ball players who have won a Most Valuable Player Award with two different ball clubs since 1931: Barry Bonds, Jimmie Foxx, Bryce Harper, Frank Robinson, and Alex Rodriguez.
DENVER, CO – AUGUST 29: Ronald Acuña Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves slides into first base during the … [+] game between the Atlanta Braves and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Tuesday, August 29, 2023. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
MLB Photos via Getty ImagesThe excitement that normally surrounds Acuña, Jr. has returned thanks to health and determination. It has taken time for him to recover from July 2021 right knee surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament. After confronting feelings of doubt throughout the rehabilitation process, Acuña, Jr. has become the first ball player in major league history to hit at least 30 home runs and steal 60 bases in the same season. Acuna, Jr.’s return to elite status is evident in his barrels, hard hit percentage, and average exit velocity. Presently, Acuna, Jr. has achieved the highest exit velocity for the 2023 season at 121.2 mph and is tied for the major league lead in barrels (70) through September 6th according to Statcast data.
Betts isn’t the only one chasing historical significance in the race for the National League’s Most Valuable Player Award. Acuña, Jr. wants to become the 31st ball player since 1947 to win both the Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year Awards. Only Fred Lynn of the Boston Red Sox (1975) and Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners (2001) have won both awards in the same season according to the BBWAA. In 2018, Acuña, Jr. won the National League’s Rookie of the Year Award. There has been at least one Most Valuable Player Award winner each season since 2019 who has also won a Rookie of the Year Award.
When one thinks of the greatest races for the Most Valuable Player Award over the past nine decades, there are a handful that usually come to mind. The competition between New York Yankees’ teammates Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris in 1960 and 1961 has achieved legendary status with Maris winning on both occasions. Some will point to the only tie in BBWAA voting history in 1979 between Willie Stargell of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Keith Hernandez of the St. Louis Cardinals. Others will focus on the mistakes made by voters or the difference between two worthy ball players coming down to 10 or fewer points.
On rare occasions, the difference has been separated by one point. The most famous of these instances had occurred in 1947 for the American League’s Most Valuable Player Award. Two of baseball’s greatest icons battled it out as Joe DiMaggio of the New York Yankees defeated Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox. Williams won his second triple crown (1942, 1947) while leading Major League Baseball in several offensive categories. Based on Baseball-Reference’s calculation of Wins Above Replacement (bWAR), DiMaggio’s 4.7 bWAR paled in comparison to Williams’ 9.5 bWAR.
The race for this year’s Most Valuable Player Award in the National League is special because of two key factors: talent and passion. However, there is something to be said about how a ball player embraces pressure. While the difference between Ronald Acuña, Jr. and Mookie Betts could come down to a few points, expect consistency and composure in the final month of the season to play a significant role in how the 30 BBWAA members cast their votes. In the case of Betts, comfort and confidence will serve him well thanks to experience.