Ranking the Top 10 MLB MVP Candidates in AL and NL Right Now
The only player in MLB history who has won MVP in both the American League and National League is Hall of Famer Frank Robinson.
This year, a pair of Los Angeles Dodgers teammates—Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani—have a chance to change that. Each is off to a strong start in 2024 and already has at least one AL MVP on their resume.
Meanwhile, a slew of other stars—some established and others emerging—have also played at very high levels early in this campaign.
Here's an early look at the top 10 AL and NL MVP candidates in descending order.
AL Nos. 10 and 9
1 of 10
10. Marcus Semien, 2B, Texas Rangers
Semien has been an AL MVP finalist three times in his career—2019, 2021 and 2023. Perhaps his strange trend of only being an MVP candidate in odd years will come to an end in 2024.
Semien continues to be an ironman, having played in every game this season after leading the AL in games played in each of the last three seasons. The former Gold Glove winner also continues to be one of the best defenders at second base, as evidenced by the 12 defensive runs saved and 10 outs above average that he's already racked up this season.
9. Ryan Jeffers, C/DH, Minnesota Twins
One of the most pleasant surprises of the year so far, Jeffers is currently the AL leader in slugging percentage (.617) and OPS (.988), and he's second in OPS+ (179). The biggest question for the 26-year-old is going to be his ability to sustain things.
Jeffers has played in parts of five MLB seasons, but he has never played more than 96 games in a single season.
AL Nos. 8 and 7
2 of 10
8. Josh Naylor, 1B/DH, Cleveland Guardians
Naylor has been one of the best run producers in baseball this season. Through 39 games, he has 11 home runs, 30 RBI and a .919 OPS.
Still only 26, Naylor has developed into a core piece for the Guardians. He's one of the biggest reasons why they've overperformed preseason offensive expectations to this point.
7. Tanner Houck, RHP, Boston Red Sox
Houck and Kutter Crawford have shockingly formed one of MLB's best one-two pitching punches so far this season. Houck pitching at this level was impossible to predict.
Last season, he posted a 5.01 ERA and 4.43 FIP across 106 innings (21 starts). This year, Houck has a 2.24 ERA and 2.16 FIP over 52.1 innings pitched. He's allowed only one home run over his first eight starts, and he already threw a complete-game shutout.
AL Nos. 6 and 5
3 of 10
6. Tarik Skubal, LHP, Detroit Tigers
If you were wondering whether Skubal could replicate being the best pitcher in baseball over the final three months of last season, he's more than answered that question so far in 2024.
Skubal is 5-0 with an AL-low 0.857 WHIP and an MLB-best 2.06 FIP. He's the early favorite to win the AL Cy Young Award.
5. Salvador Pérez, C/1B/DH, Kansas City Royals
A year after winning only 56 games, the Royals have gotten off to a tremendous start, and their longest-tenured player is a major reason why. Eight-time All-Star Salvador Pérez has eight home runs and ranks second in the junior circuit with 33 RBI.
Though Perez also seen time at first base and DH, he remains the primary catcher for the Royals. The 34-year-old has gotten better defensive marks behind the dish this season than he has in recent years, too.
AL Nos. 4 and 3
4 of 10
4. Kyle Tucker, RF, Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are off to a disastrous start this season, but Kyle Tucker has been one of their few bright spots. He appears well on his way to his third consecutive All-Star selection with an MLB-leading 13 home runs, 30 walks and a .987 OPS.
Tucker can't become a free agent until after the 2025 season, and general manager Dana Brown has suggested the Astros don't plan to sell in advance of the July 30 trade deadline. But if their results don't improve, it bears watching whether the Astros would listen on Tucker, who is among a slew of intriguing trade candidates in Houston.
3. Gunnar Henderson, SS, Baltimore Orioles
Henderson won't even turn 23 until late June, but he already has a growing list of MLB accomplishments. Last season, Henderson won AL Rookie of the Year, and claimed the Silver Slugger Award for shortstops in the junior circuit. Could an MVP be next up?
Henderson already has 12 home runs and a 2.4 WAR, the latter of which is the second-best mark among all position players in the AL, per FanGraphs.
AL Nos. 2 and 1
5 of 10
2. Bobby Witt Jr., SS, Kansas City Royals
Salvador Perez and Cole Ragans have been great, but Witt is the face of the Royals franchise, and he has performed accordingly this season. After the Royals rewarded him with an 11-year, $288.8 million deal this offseason, he has done a little bit of everything.
Witt leads all AL position players in stolen bases (15) and WAR (2.8), according to FanGraphs. He also leads MLB with 37 runs scored.
1. Juan Soto, RF, New York Yankees
Predictably, Soto has been a smashing success with the Yankees. Soto currently leads the AL in RBI (34) and on-base percentage (.414). Ryan Jeffers and Kyle Tucker are the only two players in the AL with a higher OPS than Soto's .954 mark.
For all that Soto has already accomplished in his career, he's never won an MVP. He finished as the runner-up in the NL in 2021 while playing for the Washington Nationals.
It would be fitting for Soto to finally get over the hump in his contract year, setting him up to get a record-shattering contract next winter in free agency.
NL Nos. 10 and 9
6 of 10
10. Tyler Glasnow, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers
During the parts of six seasons that Glasnow spent with the Tampa Bay Rays, he was hardly viewed as an ironman. The 120 innings he pitched last season were his previous career high.
But so far during his first season with the Dodgers, Glasnow has combined his dominance with a heavy workload, which Los Angeles has badly needed with a slew of notable pitchers on the injured list to open the season. It's not surprising that Glasnow leads MLB with 73 strikeouts, but he also has logged the most innings (57) of any starter in the NL to this point.
9. Shōta Imanaga, LHP, Chicago Cubs
One of the reasons why the Cubs have been able to overcome injured-list stints from Justin Steele, Cody Bellinger and Seiya Suzuki is because Imanaga has burst onto the scene in his first MLB season.
After signing a complicated contract to come to MLB from Japan, Imanaga has a 5-0 record with a minuscule 1.08 ERA and 2.37 FIP across his first seven starts for the Cubs. Now that Steele is back, the Cubs have one of the best one-two starting rotation punches in MLB.
NL Nos. 8 and 7
7 of 10
8. Ketel Marte, 2B, Arizona Diamondbacks
The reigning NL-champion Diamondbacks haven't yet hit their stride, but that isn't because of Marte. Last year's NLCS MVP has already homered nine times while posting eight defensive runs saved and six outs above average at second base.
Marte finished fourth in NL MVP voting in 2019, and his hot start suggests he could be a dark-horse candidate for the award in 2024.
7. Ranger Suárez, LHP, Philadelphia Phillies
Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola headline one of MLB's best rotations, but Suárez has been the best pitcher for the Phillies thus far. He's arguably been the best pitcher in baseball, period.
While pitching with the demeanor of someone listening to the waves crash onto the beach, Suárez is 7-0 with a 1.50 ERA, 2.62 FIP and a complete-game shoutout. The 28-year-old consistently grades out as one of the best pitchers in baseball, with three defensive runs saved so far this season.
NL Nos. 6 and 5
8 of 10
6. Marcell Ozuna, DH, Atlanta Braves
Ozuna revived his career with a 40-home run, 100-RBI campaign last season, but it was almost lost in the shuffle on a Braves team that had a historic offense. However, with reigning NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. and 2023 MLB home run leader Matt Olson both off to slow starts, Ozuna's monster power production has hardly been an afterthought so far this season.
The two-time Silver Slugger winner leads the NL in both home runs (12) and RBI (40) while possessing an OPS north of 1.000. He is almost exclusively a DH at this point of his career, but that plays with this type of run production.
5. Alec Bohm, 3B, Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies' starting pitching has been elite, but so has Bohm. His power production (four home runs) pales in comparison to Ozuna, but he's hitting .338 with 32 RBI and 15 doubles, the latter of which is tied for the NL lead.
For some perspective on how much of a step forward Bohm has taken, his 2.1 WAR so far this year is already a single-season career-high.
NL Nos. 4 and 3
9 of 10
4. William Contreras, Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers acquired Contreras in the three-team deal that sent All-Star catcher Sean Murphy from the Oakland Athletics to the Atlanta Braves before the 2023 season. He won a Silver Slugger in his first year in Milwaukee, and he hasn't skipped a beat in his second season with the Brewers.
Contreras is hitting .346, has driven in 30 runs and has a .954 OPS. Post J.T. Realmuto's peak, he's emerged as the best catcher that the senior circuit has to offer.
3. Elly De La Cruz, SS, Cincinnati Reds
If you were wondering before the season whether De La Cruz was a great player or just a great athlete, he's ended that debate. He's homered nine times, driven in 21 runs and leads MLB with 25 stolen bases.
De La Cruz has a star-power element that gives him the chance to be one of the next faces of the sport, and perhaps a future NL MVP.
NL Nos. 2 and 1
10 of 10
2. Shohei Ohtani: DH, Los Angeles Dodgers
This was supposed to be the year that Ohtani didn't win an MVP since he's not pitching as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. Someone forgot to tell the two-time AL MVP, apparently.
Ohtani is slashing .352/.423/.667 with 11 home runs, 15 doubles and an MLB-best 1.090 OPS. No full-time DH has ever won an MVP other than Ohtani, who was a two-way player in 2021 and 2023 for the Los Angeles Angels. He might change that in 2024.
1. Mookie Betts: SS/2B, Los Angeles Dodgers
Betts won the AL MVP as a member of the Boston Red Sox in 2018, and he has twice finished as the runner-up for NL MVP (2020, 2023) since joining the Dodgers.
In his first time playing shortstop professionally on a full-time basis, Betts has five defensive runs saved, which is a rather remarkable accomplishment. He's also leading the NL in walks (30), is hitting .339 and has an MLB-best 2.8 WAR.
All statistics via FanGraphs or Baseball Reference and are current through Sunday, May 12, unless otherwise noted.
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