MLB's Best Players, 2021

For the first time since 1987, we're guaranteed to have both MVP's come from teams that missed the playoffs.  In fact, none of the six finalists played for a playoff team.  Which means none of the top three players in either league made the playoffs.  Which doesn't mean they aren't deserving of being finalists.  It's just quite the switch in what the definition of "most valuable" is.

Although, who are we kidding?  No matter how good a season anyone else had, Shohei Ohtani was going to win AL MVP.  He didn't just have one of those special seasons.  He had a historic year we're gonna be talking about for a long time.  What Ohtani did in 2021 is on par with Joe DiMaggio's 1941 or Mark McGwire's 1998.  Actually, no it isn't.  Ohtani did something special this season that's unlikely to be repeated anytime soon (unless he does it again in 2022)!

I've been known to have my share of doubts about Ohtani and the lasting power of this hitting and pitching thing in the past.  But his 2021 season was simply remarkable!  And it really is mind-blowing to think someone could hit 46 home runs, drive in 100, steal 26 bases AND go 9-2 with 156 strikeouts as one of the best starting pitchers in the league!  You see that in Little League and high school, maybe even into college.  But in the Majors?  Incredible.

While I'm still skeptical about how long he'll be able to pull off this double-act (and, yes, I'm still mad about the Rookie of the Year vote in 2018), there's no denying that this season was something special.  And it really was an amazing thing to watch!

At the All-Star break, it looked like Ohtani would actually get some competition for MVP from Vladimir Guerrero Jr.  And, if not for Ohtani, Vladito would be the clear MVP!  (Heck, if he played in the National League, he'd be the clear MVP!)  But, despite Vladito's .311 average, 48 home runs and sheer dominance for a Blue Jays team that just missed the playoffs, Ohtani pulled away in the second half and everybody knows it.  So, Guerrero's only reward for his outstanding season will be a unanimous second-place finish.

Finishing third was Guerrero's Blue Jays teammate Marcus Semien.  Frankly, I'm not sure how.  Semien had a strong season.  I'm not denying that.  But where's Salvador Perez?  I was fully expecting his name to be announced as the third finalist.  Salvy led the league in both home runs and RBIs while playing 161 games.  At catcher!  (Granted, he DHed a bunch, but the thought of a catcher playing 161 games is simply mind-boggling!)

Also, let's give some love to guys whose teams actually made the playoffs.  Jose Abreu won last year and followed it up with a 30 HR-117 RBI season.  Rafael Devers had an absolutely absurd year in Boston.  And Carlos Correa might've been the Astros' best player this year.  I'd even say that the numbers put up by Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Staton are worthy of MVP consideration.  Let's not forget Teoscar Hernandez, either.  He could easily give the Blue Jays three top 10 finishers.

Since the vote is 10-deep, I'm sure they all earned down-ballot consideration.  But 1 and 2 will both be unanimous.  How it shakes out after that is the real question (although we know Semien was third).  My list looks like this: 1. Ohtani, 2. Guerrero, 3. Perez, 4. Devers, 5. Semien, 6. Judge, 7. Correa, 8. Hernandez, 9. Stanton, 10. Abreu.

Over in the National League, it's down to Bryce Harper, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Juan Soto.  Harper single-handedly kept the Phillies in contention in the second half.  Tatis missed 30 games and still dropped 40 and 100.  And Soto's the only player you've ever heard of who's still on the Nationals.

People don't like to admit it, but Harper is the best all-around player in the National League.  Sorry, but it's true.  His second half, especially, was incredible, which is how the Phillies were able to stay in the NL East race.  Harper hit .309 and crushed 35 homers.  He also had 42 doubles and slugged .615.  Would more people have noticed if the Phillies had made the playoffs?  Probably.  But, production-wise at least, he's giving them everything they expected with that monster contract.

Last year, when they finalists were announced and Manny Machado was on there, I was like, "they've got the wrong Padre."  This year Tatis IS a finalist after hitting 42 homers and tallying 97 RBIs in just 130 games.  He also stole 25 bases and was only caught four times.  He struggled a little bit at shortstop so they moved him to the outfield, which only increased his MVP case by showcasing his versatility.  And, had he not missed 30 games, maybe San Diego doesn't incredibly underachieve this season.

Finally we've got Juan Soto, the new Face of the Washington Nationals.  What makes Soto's numbers more impressive is the fact that, once everybody else got traded, he got the Barry Bonds treatment.  Soto walked 145 times!  He had nearly as many walks as hits (and was walked almost once per game)!  Yet, despite nobody actually pitching to him for the final two months of the season, he still managed to hit .313 with 29 homers and 95 RBIs.

How's this three-horse race gonna turn out?  Honestly, I don't know.  Because it's not like any of them have making the playoffs as a deciding factor.  Had Tatis played a full season and had a chance to add to his numbers, I'd say he has the edge, but he didn't.  Which is why I'm slightly leaning towards Harper picking up his second career MVP award.

As for the other contenders, there are two guys who really stand out to me: Austin Riley and Nick Castellanos.  We all know about all the moves the Braves made to get better at the trade deadline (acquiring an entirely new outfield, etc.), so it's easy to overlook Riley's season-long contributions.  All he did was hit .303 with 33 homers and 107 RBIs while playing 160 games.  Castellanos, meanwhile, went .309/34/100 for a surprisingly good Cincinnati team.

Brandon Crawford was the best player on a Giants team that won 107 games, while Pirates center fielder Bryan Reynolds is the subject of a lot of trade talk mainly because of his 2021 numbers.  Manny Machado and Paul Goldschmidt had their typically strong seasons.  So did Joey Votto and Nolan Arenado.  And his World Series struggles might've masked it, but Ozzie Albies had quite a year, too!

None of them won, obviously.  Either Harper, Tatis or Soto did.  Which one?  Your guess is as good as mine!  As for my choice, I think I'm going with Harper.  1. Harper, 2. Tatis, 3. Soto, 4. Castellanos, 5. Riley, 6. Crawford, 7. Machado, 8. Goldschmidt, 9. Reynolds, 10. Albies.