by Quintin Blake
The bats were on fire for the Atlanta Braves on September 7, 2023, when the Braves hosted the St. Louis Cardinals, and their star players, National League candidates Ronald Acuña Jr. and Matt Olson, hit three home runs.
The National League (NL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) race is coming to a close finish.
Los Angeles Dodger star Mookie Betts has been a close second behind Acuña while having a very productive season. He has played as their starting outfielder and has filled in as a middle infielder in some games for the Dodgers. Betts has hit 38 home runs and collected 99 runs batted in (RBIs) while batting .314.
Meanwhile, Acuña and Olson have played exceptionally well this season for the Braves. Acuña has put up 34 home runs, drove 88 RBIs, and recorded a .331 average. Also, he has the hardest-hit baseball this year, with an exit velocity of 121.2 MPH. He hit the hardest ball and has put up four home runs in his last six games.
Matt Olson is hitting the long ball well this year, posting 47 home runs and 116 RBI. While his batting average is not above .300, he has hit one home run in his last four games.
Despite these stars playing incredibly this season, Greenfields students, from baseball to non-baseball players (including faculty), have an overwhelming opinion. According to the poll around the school’s campus, 69.2% of students believe Ronald Acuña Jr. must be the National League MVP.
When asked about his thoughts on the close MVP race, Josh Brown, Greenfield’s senior starting second baseman, said, “I think it could be either one. Mookie has the better individual stats. Since Ronald's on the better team, they'll probably lean towards giving it to him. ”
Senior Josh Brown was adamant and strongly felt Betts should win the title, and he believed that Betts could help his team more than Acuña could during the postseason: “Betts is a veteran… Acuña was injured when the Braves won the World Series. He does not have that much experience. Mookie will help his team out more in the playoffs.”
In the American League, there is little debate on who the MVP will be, with many sources, such as MLB Network, speculating that Shohei Ohtani will win unanimously because of his pitching and hitting performance this past year.
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