Last season, Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich won the National League MVP Award after a breakout season in which he nearly won the Triple Crown.
Yelich led the NL in batting average (.326), finished second in RBIs (110) and third in homers (36) while posting a 166 wRC+, also tops in the league and fourth in baseball. This included an absurd 220 wRC+ in the second half, which was easily the best in the MLB.
In his first season with Milwaukee, Yelich's otherworldly second half propelled the Brewers to their NL Central title since 2011.
With the Brewers looking to retain control of the division, Yelich is likely to be in the mix all season, but other superstars will be right on his tail.
Here are the five most candidates to win the National League MVP Award
(Note: This list will exclude Bryce Harper, as despite the likelihood that he will sign with a National League club he still remains unemployed as of Feb. 24)
5. Jacob deGrom
Not only did deGrom win the NL Cy Young Award last season, but he also finished fifth in the MVP voting. He likely would have finished higher if not for a 10-9 record as a result of just 3.49 runs in support in his starts.
The 30-year-old posted the sixth-best ERA since 1969 with a 1.70, and finished just behind Max Scherzer in strikeouts and innings pitched.
But for all of his dominance last season, I have deGrom as a leading candidate for exterior reasons.
For starters, the Mets have had one of the best offseasons of any team in baseball while the impending arrival of slugging prospect Peter Alonso alongside new additions Robinson Cano and Wilson Ramos could provide ample more run support for deGrom and the rest of the staff.
In fact, the Mets could be a dark horse to win the NL East if they see continued growth from the likes of Amed Rosario, Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil. Given that deGrom finished fifth in the voting on a losing team, he stands a great chance at winning the award if individual brilliance is backed by team success.
Secondly, deGrom has made it clear that he wants an extension. With another year of arbitration in the cards before he is scheduled to hit free agency in 2020, you can expect deGrom to do everything he can to increase his value this season regardless of whether or not he signs an extension with the Mets.
4. Christian Yelich
Although the Marlins were expected to deal Giancarlo Stanton last offseason, Derek Jeter surprised many in baseball when he also shipped away Marcell Ozuna and Yelich.
He then had to watch as a former Marlin won an MVP Award for the second straight season.
Yelich was simply unconscious in the second half of the season, and for good measure he torched the Cincinnati Reds for the cycle…twice.
The 27-year-old is only just now entering the baseball prime of his life, which is a terrifying proposition for opposing pitchers. Despite this, it is hard to imagine Yelich replicating the feat this season.
Yelich benefitted tremendously from an extremely underrated season from teammate Lorenzo Cain–who posted a 5.7 fWAR–as well as the slugging of Jesus Aguilar.
Sandwiched between the two in the batting order, Yelich had plenty of protection, forcing pitchers to attack him in the strike zone.
I think it is likely that both Cain and Aguilar regress, which could have an impact on Yelich as well.
Still, Yelich is proving to be one of the most dangerous hitters in the league. He could become the first back-to-back winner since Miguel Cabrera in 2012 and 2013.
When you have led the National League in homers in three of the last four seasons while playing steady Gold Glove defense at the hot corner, you deserve MVP recognition.
Arenado has posted a better finish in MVP voting in his last three seasons, moving from fifth to third in a span of three years as the Colorado Rockies have emerged as contenders in the NL West.
And–for reasons similar to deGrom–this could be his best season yet.
The 27-year-old is set to be a free agent after this season, and just set an arbitration record with a one-year, $26 million settlement. The Rockies have engaged Arenado in extension talks, but he might be motivated to wait out his market in free agency after seeing the record-breaking deal that was recently handed to Manny Machado.
In a contract year, expect Arenado to have a statement season. Sure, the arguments will be made about the Coors effect, but Arenado just posted the highest OPS+ (which adjusts for a player's home ballpark) of his career.
This could be the season that Arenado proves he is the best player in the National League.
Did you know that Goldschmidt ranks fourth in the MLB in fWAR from 2012-2018? On top of that, he has three top-three finishes in MVP voting, including runner-up seasons in 2013 and 2015.
And much like Arenado, Goldschmidt is one of the best defenders in the game, with three Gold Gloves to his name.
With the Arizona Diamondbacks in the midst of a roster overhaul, they traded the slugger to the St. Louis Cardinals, which may be the greatest development yet in Goldschmidt's career.
St. Louis is one of the best markets in baseball, and with the addition of Goldschmidt and Andrew Miller, the Cardinals are legitimate contenders in the National League.
Although Busch Stadium was the seventh-highest pitcher-friendly park in baseball last season, Goldschmidt will be joining a far more potent offense that features the likes of Matt Carpenter and Marcell Ozuna, amongst others.
And, like Arenado, Goldschmidt is on an expiring contract, so he could be primed for an explosion of production.
Do not be surprised if Goldy has a career year that propels St. Louis to a division title, which would make him a favorite in the MVP race.
1. Kris Bryant
Bryant had quite an introduction to the big leagues, winning the NL Rookie of the Year in 2015 and following that up by winning the NL MVP and helping the Cubs break a 108-year title drought in 2016.
After an equally productive 2017, Bryant experienced his first brush with adversity in 2018, playing in just 102 games and posting career lows in every major statistical category.
To make matters worse, Bryant was anemic for the Cubs down the stretch. He struck out in nearly one-third of his plate appearances in the final month, including a 1-6 performance in a Wild Card loss to the Colorado Rockies where Bryant had three punch-outs.
In spite of philosophical differences with former hitting coach Chili Davis and a shoulder injury that heightened Bryant's discomfort at the plate, he is as determined as ever to have a massive 2019 season.
Bryant went 2-2 in Chicago's Cactus League opener on Saturday afternoon, including a homer in his first at-bat. After the game, he was quick to tell that the scrutiny surrounding his abilities has him more motivated than ever before.
This is an extremely definitive season for Chicago's young core. If Bryant returns to form and helps quash any doubts surrounding the Cubs while helping to lead the team back to a division title, he should be the leading candidate for the MVP Award.
Honorable mentions: Manny Machado, Anthony Rendon, Javier Baez, Freddie Freeman, Bryce Harper
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