Ronald Acuna Jr is the favorite in the National League MVP race. Los Angeles Dodgers stars Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts also may be in the conversation. However, does Acuna Jr's Atlanta Braves teammate Matt Olson have a chance of surprising everyone and winning the award?

Olson is in the midst of a fantastic 2023 campaign. Still, it feels like he tends to get overlooked with superstar first baseman such as Freeman, Paul Goldschmidt, and Pete Alonso in the National League. Olson has always been a consistent power threat, but his game is balancing out this season. That said, his power numbers are as good as ever.

Without further ado, here's why Braves star Matt Olson can win the 2023 NL MVP over Ronald Acuna Jr, Freddie Freeman, and Mookie Betts.

Braves: Matt Olson's MVP case

Matt Olson still strikes out quite a bit. In fact, his current 25.6 percent strikeout rate is the highest it has been since 2020, per Baseball Reference.

His walk percentage, however, is the highest it's ever been for Olson in seasons where he's played at least 60 or more games. Olson's respectable 14.6 percent walk rate is impressive, helping lead to a career high .375 OBP as of this story's publication. Overall, Olson is slashing .265/.375/.600 with a .975 OPS. He also leads the league in slugging percentage, home runs, and RBI.

Still, he's up against no shortage of competition. Often times the case can be made for players based on their teams. One might argue that the Braves wouldn't be where they are without Olson's contributions. However, the same can be said about Acuna Jr.

Does Olson have any chance of winning the NL MVP over Ronald Acuna Jr?

Matt Olson has admitted to being quite impressed by his superstar teammate. Acuna has been fantastic in 2023 hitting over .340 with a league-leading OBP and jaw-dropping 1.010 OPS. His 53 stolen bases also lead the NL.

Olson's odds of winning the NL MVP race over Acuna Jr are slim. He will probably need to blast 50-plus home runs and lead the league in RBI to even finish as an NL MVP finalist with Freeman and Betts in the mix. Additionally, Juan Soto of the San Diego Padres may also have a case.

Even then, defeating Acuna Jr will still be challenging. Acuna Jr has been reliable in almost every facet of the game. Both Olson and Acuna Jr are key pieces to the puzzle for a Braves team with legitimate World Series aspirations.

Keep an eye on Olson down the stretch for Braves

Despite Matt Olson's superb 2023 season, he wouldn't win the NL MVP if the season ended today. But it doesn't. He still has almost two months to continue his power surge and overall tremendous year.

As long as Olson stays healthy and continues to put up elite numbers, it will be impossible to ignore him in the NL MVP conversation. In the end, his main focus is on helping Atlanta reach the playoffs and potentially make a World Series run. He can certainly do that by continuing to perform at a high level though.

For now, Olson's chances of taking home MVP honors appear to be slim. He will be a dark-horse candidate at season's end, however. Fans should keep an eye on the Braves star first baseman as he looks to power his way to an NL MVP award.