By Miguel Mike Medina
April is coming to an end. The first month of baseball is coming to its conclusion, and it’s time to see who some of the NL MVP candidates of the season are so far.
1) Fernando Tatis Jr, San Diego Padres
Tatis Jr. is beginning to play like the superstar that he is again. When the 26-year-old is healthy, he’s an absolute menace on the field. Tatis is one of the most significant factors in the Padres’ early success. Tatis Jr. is batting .333 with eight homers (tied for fourth), 17 RBIs, and a 1.029 OPS (seventh).
Padres are in first place in the NL West with a 17-8 record.
2) Pete Alonso, New York Mets
It’s been a rocky off-season for Alonso. There were no guarantees that he would return to the Mets. Now that he’s back with the Mets, he went to this season with a chip on his shoulder, and we knew that he would be excited to have a big year.
Alonso struggled at the plate this season, which cost him some money during free agency. However, he looks focused, determined, and motivated to not only produce but also help the Mets compete and reach the World Series.
The 30-year-old is hitting .341 with six home runs, 26 RBIs and 31 hits, 11 doubles, and a 1.122 OPS. The Mets are 18-7 (first place in NL East) and currently riding on a 7-game winning streak.
3) Francisco Lindor, New York Mets
Lindor would’ve taken home last year’s NL MVP honors if it weren’t for Shohei Ohtani. His performance this season proves that last year wasn’t a fluke.
The 31-year-old shortstop is hitting .309 with five home runs, 14 RBIs, and 30 hits. Not bad for a guy that started the season going 0-for-11.
Lindor hit his first career walk for a home run in the second game of a four-game series against the St Louis Cardinals this season.
4) Kyle Tucker, Chicago Cubs
The Cubs need to extend Tucker, and it should be a no-brainer. Tucker will be a free agent after this season and will make $16.5 million this season.
The Cubs acquired Tucker through a trade from the Houston Astros. Tucker was part of the 2022 team that’s in the World Series.
Tucker’s impact has been massive in his first season with the Cubs. He’s a big reason the Cubs are the highest-scoring team in the league this season.
Tucker’s numbers are staggering, with a slash line of 302/.404/.615 with eight doubles, six homers, and more walks (17) than strikeouts (14).
The Cubs are first in the NL Central with a 16-10 record. When a player like Tucker is partially responsible for the team’s success, you must stick with him. He’s a winner and has tremendous discipline on the plate.
Miguel Mike Medina is the publisher of The MMM Journal. He can be reached at medinamiguelmike@gmail.com and themmmjournal@gmail.com
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