The National League is loaded with tons of young talent, who will continue to change the game for a long time. Guys like Ronald Acuna Jr, Juan Soto, and Fernando Tatis Jr are bound to win an MVP at least once in their career, and there is no doubt about that. With this being said, however, there are plenty of names that may not seem as exciting but have a real chance at MVP in the near future. There were tons of names to choose from, but I am going to go over three guys that come to mind in the NL when I think of dark horse MVP candidates:
1. Michael Conforto
The New York Mets lineup in 2021 will be absolutely loaded, and Michael Conforto will be right in the center of production. Conforto had an outstanding 2020, as he hit .322 with 9 home runs, 31 runs batted in, and a .927 OPS. Additionally, in 2019, Conforto 33 home runs, driving in 92 runs, and finishing with an OPS at .856. Even in a seemingly down year for Conforto, he still was able to hit 28 homers, drive in 82 runs, and carry an OPS just below .800. If the New York Mets do end up making a deep postseason run, I assure you that Michael Conforto will be a big reason why.
2. Mike Yastrzemski
Mike Yastrzemski has some pretty big shoes to fill as the grandson of former Red Sox OF Carl Yastrzemski, but I’d say he is on the right track thus far. In his first full MLB season in 2019, Yastrzemski hit 21 homers, driving in 55 runs, and inducing a .852 OPS. In 2020, he had an even better year in the shortened season, as he hit 10 homers, driving in 35 runs and finishing with a .968 OPS. He even finished 8th in MVP voting in the National League and was one of the bright spots on the 2020 San Francisco Giants. Although we have not seen a lot of him thus far, Yastrzemski has a lot of potential, and I am excited to see what kind of numbers he can put up in a hopefully full 2021 season.
3. Will Smith
Speaking of players that we have not seen a lot of yet, let’s take a look at Dodgers young catcher Will Smith. Smith has only played a combined 91 games in 2019 and 2020, but he has been so good in those 91 games it is impossible for me to leave him off this list. In 54 games in 2019, he hit 15 home runs, drove in 42 runs, and had an OPS over .900. To follow up that impressive rookie campaign, he had an OPS at .980 in 2020, paired with 8 home runs and 25 runs batted in. Will Smith, in my opinion, has already established himself as a top 10 catcher in the game of baseball, and I think it is only a matter of time before he becomes #1.
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