National League MVP: Corey Seager, shortstop, Los Angeles Dodgers
Like Sanchez, Seager is a 2016 rookie. So, we’re definitely expecting a youth movement in 2017.
The Los Angeles shortstop thrived in 2016, winning the National League Rookie of the Year Award unanimously.
In fact, he finished behind only Kris Bryant and Daniel Murphy in MVP voting.
Seager hit .308/.365/.512, slugged 26 home runs, drove in 72 runs and scored 105. He did all of this while playing at the traditionally offensively light position of shortstop.
That’s not bad for a debut. Imagine how good Seager can be now that he’s fully acclimated to Major League Baseball.
Of course, Seager has more working in his favor.
He plays in a big market. With that, Seager is not going to fall off of the radar of any voters. He also plays for a loaded team that will at worst qualify for a Wild Card spot in the National League.
All of that will help his cause in the eyes of the voters.
Also helping Seager is the likelihood that two (or more) players on a stacked Cubs team will split votes. Even if that doesn’t happen, Chicago was baseball’s most hyped team in 2015 and 2016, and figures to be again in 2017. Traditionally, even if the attention is well deserved, it leads to voter fatigue.
So Seager has many factors leaving the door open for him to win an MVP in 2017. Look for him to surge through that door.