Arizona Diamondbacks

National League MVP Candidates on Possible Last Place Teams

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 2:10 p.m. ET

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Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Can the National League MVP Award end up in the hands of a guy on a last place team? If it does, there are a few candidates to consider.

When it comes to the MVP vote, should a team's place in the standings matter? Some say yes. Others argue that since it is an individual award, the team's winning percentage is meaningless.

Last year the National League MVP winner, Kris Bryant, was a member of the World Series champion Chicago Cubs. The Cubs' success certainly aided in his victory, but his numbers also support the win. He had by far the best WAR. It certainly helped that he was on the league's best team. Yet, if the Cubs had come up short, he would have been the easy victor.

Over in the American League, Mike Trout took home the MVP award. His Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim didn't even crack the .500 mark. Like Bryant, Trout seemed a pretty easy choice even with some strong contenders.

Wins hardly matter when it comes to selecting the league's best player. Last year proved this with Trout's victory. Baseball is one of those sports where one player cannot turn a franchise around. Many times, the worst teams in baseball employ terrific talent which goes wasted in a losing campaign.

When the 2017 season begins, the story will remain the same. Potential last place teams will continue to give at-bats to guys whose talents go unseen in the win column because of how poorly the rest of the roster was built. Specifically in the National League, there are a few players who look capable of winning the MVP award despite suiting up for a team that has a chance to finish at the bottom of the league.

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Joey Votto

The Cincinnati Reds will not win too many games in 2017. They are in a slow rebuild with some talented young players still in need of experience before contention is even possible. Despite the team's struggles, first baseman Joey Votto should again compete for the National League MVP.

Votto already has one MVP award. He took this home in 2010 in the same year he earned his first All-Star appearance. Ever since, he has regularly been in MVP consideration. In 2015 he finished in third place. Last year, Votto ended the season as the seventh place finisher in the MVP vote. In both years he was passed up for the All-Star Game whilst playing for one of the worst teams in the league.

A mixture of power, run production, and his incredible ability to get on base helps make Votto one of the league's best hitters. The Reds can lose 100 games and Votto will stay productive. If Votto can start the year off strong, a second MVP might belong to him.

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Paul Goldschmidt

Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt enters the 2017 season with four consecutive All-Star selections. While he has yet to win the National League MVP, Goldschmidt already has two runner-up selections. These came in 2013 and 2015 when he settled for a Silver Slugger and Gold Glove Award.

It remains quite unclear where the Diamondbacks will finish in the standings. After the disaster that was 2016, they could fall just about anywhere in the National League West. Thankfully for Goldschmidt, much of their dismay is based on how poorly the pitching has performed. Goldschmidt will get plenty of help from the offense as Arizona looks loaded with positional talent. This should boost his numbers, especially with A.J. Pollock back for a full year.

In many regards, Goldschmidt is the right-handed version of Votto. He also has good power and a great eye. He already has a home run title which he won in 2013 with 36 bombs. Last season, he led the league with 110 walks. For those MVP voters who value OBP, Goldschmidt should get some extra consideration regardless of how his team does.

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Freddie Freeman

Are the Atlanta Braves ready to crawl out of last place? A much better starting rotation along with a lineup with some additional major league talent should help. If not, first baseman Freddie Freeman may still see the 2017 season end with an MVP trophy even with the Braves finishing in last place.

When it comes to the MVP vote, Freeman has been overlooked. The seven-year veteran has never finished higher than fifth. Even last year, with the league's second best WAR, Freeman settled for sixth place. This could change as Freeman is about to enter his age-27 season, which for many is the prime of their career.

Freeman set a new high with 34 home runs last season. Unfortunately, this did not translate into more RBI. The often pitiful lineup around him did not get on base often. This wasted Freeman and his .302/.400/.569 batting line. Freeman is clearly getting better and his attempt to capture the MVP is one storyline to watch in Atlanta this year.

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Ryan Braun

The Milwaukee Brewers are one of MLB's teams with no intention of winning in 2017. This is not the best news for Ryan Braun and his hopes of winning a championship. However, it should not affect him in an attempt to take home his second MVP award.

Braun is well past the best years of his career. His 2011 National League MVP award is in the distant past, as is his 2012 runner-up nomination. After a few disappointing seasons in Milwaukee both in the standings and on his own stat sheet, 2017 could end much better for Braun.

The 23rd place finish in the 2016 MVP voting was hardly brag-worthy for Braun. However, it was a hint that he is back on track. He hit 30 home runs for the first time since 2012. He also hit a strong .305 during a year when the Brewers were playing for very little. Braun could see his name removed from this list by midseason. The Brewers fire sale does not seem over yet, which could land Braun on a winning team for the first time in years.

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Nolan Arenado

Nolan Arenado continues to develop into one of the best hitters in the National League. The Colorado Rockies third baseman certainly gets a little help from Coors Field. This is hardly the lone reason why he has been one of the league's best for the past two seasons, as Arenado is also a terrific defensive player who has developed into a patient hitter as well.

The last two seasons have ended with Arenado as the league's top home run hitter. In addition to the four-baggers, he was the league leader in RBI and total bases in 2015 and 2016. These terrifying (for pitchers) numbers make Arenado a serious contender for his first MVP.