No Pitching? No Problem for Ohtani: Sock’s MVP Rankings

A lot has changed in my MVP rankings. Let’s see who has moved up and down!

NL MVP Rankings

On the Bubble: Jurickson Profar, Will Smith, Elly De La Cruz, CJ Abrams, Bryce Harper

5. William Contreras – MIL: Last Week’s Ranking: On the Bubble
Contreras almost made my rankings last week, and I give him the nod this week. Many players could have had the number 5 spot, but Contreras and his .329/.406/.511 slash line gives him the slight edge. He also has 5 home runs and 29 RBIs while playing good defense behind the dish.

4. Alec Bohm – PHI: Last Week’s Ranking: #2
Like Contreras, Bohm has a great .346/.413/.549 slash line despite having a slow past 7 days. Bohm has been dealing with a hip issue, and his numbers have dropped slightly. He may have slipped in my rankings but is still in the top 5.

3. Marcell Ozuna – ATL: Last Week’s Ranking: #4
Usually, DHs don’t find themselves this high, but when you are hitting .315/.396/.646 with an NL-leading 12 home runs and 38 RBIs, you find yourself high on the list. Ozuna is slugging .778 with 3 home runs in his last 18 at-bats. He is an elite hitter.

2. Shohei Ohtani – LAD: Last Week’s Ranking: #5
Nobody is hotter than Shohei Ohtani right now. Ohtani is hitting .355/.425/.678 this season with 11 home runs and 27 RBIs. In his last 6 games, he is hitting .476/.577/1.048 with 4 home runs. That is right, his OPS is 1.625. I’ll have to put him number one if he keeps hitting like that.

1. Mookie Betts – LAD: Last Week’s Ranking: #1
That being said, I still have Betts as number one. Betts is still doing well in his own right, hitting .346/.451/.556 with 6 home runs and 27 RBIs. He had a slow week, but because he is a shortstop, I give him the edge over his teammate for now.

AL MVP Rankings

On the Bubble: Bobby Witt Jr, Ryan Jeffers, Jose Altuve, Steven Kwan, Isaac Paredes

5. Gunnar Henderson – BAL: Last Week’s Rankings: #5
Henderson still has the AL lead in home runs despite only hitting 1 over the past week. Henderson is hitting .271/.344/.563 with 11 home runs and 25 RBIs. He has a .812 OPS over his last 5 games, which is solid, but it is not enough to move him up on the list.

4. Tyler O’Neill – BOS: Last Week’s Rankings: Outside the Bubble
O’Neill returned from the IL after his collision with Devers. He wasn’t qualified before, but he is now. In 28 games, O’Neill is hitting .283/.393/.606 with 9 home runs and 13 RBIs. He is ranked 2nd in the AL in OPS, but his lack of games played keeps him at number 4 for now.

3. Salvador Perez – KCR: Last Week’s Rankings: #2
Perez is still having a great season despite having a .568 OPS over his last 19 plate appearances. He is batting .326/.387/.558 with 8 home runs and 31 RBIs across 129 at-bats. He is still playing great defense and is number 3 on my list.

2. Kyle Tucker – HOU: Last Week’s Rankings: #4
Tucker is batting .176 over his last 17 at-bats. His OPS is 1.006. Those three hits he had were all home runs. He has been hitting .276/.390/.575 this season with 11 home runs and 25 RBIs. He’ll need to hit more home runs if he wants to keep his spot on this list.

1. Juan Soto – NYY: Last Week’s Rankings: #1
Soto is still my MVP through the 9th of May. He has a .980 OPS over his last 5 games, his OPS is still over 1.000, and he has 9 home runs. Naturally, he still leads the AL in OBP with a .437. He is still the clear favorite to me.