All Rise, The Judge is Back: Sock’s MVP Rankings

This was a difficult week in which to rank the AL. Who will find themselves number 1?

NL MVP Rankings

On the Bubble: Alec Bohm, Jurickson Profar, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, Elly De La Cruz

5. Bryce Harper – PHI: Last Week’s Ranking: On the Bubble
Harper started his year out slow but has been on a tear lately. Over the past 7 days, Harper is hitting .318/.400/.545 with 1 home run. He has been hitting .271/.387/.528 during the season, with 10 home runs and 32 RBIs. I remember when he was hitting around the Mendoza line. Now, Harper is in the MVP talks.

4. Marcell Ozuna – ATL: Last Week’s Ranking: #3
Ozuna had an excellent week, hitting .400/.458/.450 in 20 at-bats. He had no home runs but stays relevant in the MVP conversation. Yes, he moved down in my rankings, mainly due to the DH tax and the guy I ranked before him.

3. William Contreras – MIL: Last Week’s Ranking: #5
Speaking of the guy I placed in front of him, William Contreras is playing fantastic baseball. Over the past week, Contreras is hitting .478/.556/.783 with 1 home run. He raised his batting average from .329 to .359, his OBP from .406 to .434, and his SLG from .511 to .562. He deserves number 3 on my list.

2. Shohei Ohtani – LAD: Last Week’s Ranking: #2
Ohtani still has no problem hitting. Over his last 21 at-bats, Ohtani is hitting .429/.478/.667 with a home run. There’s not much else to say about Ohtani; he is incredible. He is hitting .364/.431/.676 with 12 home runs. Absolutely fantastic. 

1. Mookie Betts – LAD: Last Week’s Ranking: #1
Ohtani may be hitting well, but Betts is still my NL MVP. Betts hit .360/.407/.600 over his last 25 at-bats with a home run. On the season, he is hitting .348/.445/.619 with 7 home runs. He struggles a little at shortstop, but his efforts and slash line keep him number one.

AL MVP Rankings

On the Bubble: Gunnar Henderson, Josh Naylor, Issac Paredes, Tyler O’Neill, Ryan Jeffers

5. Jordan Westburg – BAL: Last Week’s Ranking: Outside the Bubble
Overtaking his teammate, Jordan Westburg, skyrockets into my top 5. Over the past week, Westburg is hitting .421/.500/.737 with a home run. During the season, Westburg has been hitting .301/.354/.534 with 7 home runs and 28 RBIs. A lot of contenders for the fifth spot in my rankings, but Westburg was the hottest.

4. Juan Soto – NYY: Last Week’s Ranking: #1
Soto falls from one to four after a poor week, having only 3 hits in 25 at-bats. His season totals drop to .302/.403/.517. It was a bad week for him, but he stays in the top five.  

3. Aaron Judge – NYY: Last Week’s Ranking: Outside the Bubble
Soto’s teammate has a different story; Aaron Judge has been fantastic for the Yankees. He is hitting .450/.593/1.000 over his last 20 at-bats with 2 home runs. This is the Aaron Judge we are used to hearing about. He is hitting .262/.393/.555 with 11 home runs and 29 RBIs. Welcome back to the MVP conversation.

2. Salvador Perez – KCR: Last Week’s Ranking: #3
Perez had a solid week, hitting .286/.400/.476 over his last 21 at-bats. His numbers have mostly stayed the same as he went from .326/.387/.558 to .323/.390/.542. He moves up due to Soto having a lousy week.

1. Kyle Tucker – HOU: Last Week’s Ranking: #2
Tucker has been great for Houston, and he had a great week. He hit .375/.545/.938 with 2 home runs over his last 16 at-bats. During the season, Tucker is hitting .279/.403/.597, with an AL-leading 13 home runs. You may not hear much about Tucker, but you will now, as he is my AL MVP as of May 16th.