NL MVP Race: Who Are the Favorites in Wide Open Field?

At the end of the season, the debate will surely be endless in the National League. Who really deserves to be the MVP?

It is not that there is necessarily a lack of qualified recipients. The problem really is that there are a handful of athletes who could very well be deserving. It also does not help that they have a variety of skills and talents that make them hard to compare head-to-head.

Therefore, let me show you five of the top competitors for this honor and why each of them deserves the crown.

Jose Reyes, New York Mets

Right now, Reyes leads the National League in batting average with a very solid .336. This speedy shortstop from the Big Apple is leading the National League with 16 triples as well. He also has 34 stolen bases and 80 runs scored. He has clearly been the best leadoff man in baseball this year.

An obvious problem for Reyes is that he is currently on the DL. He went down with a hamstring injury and isn't expected back until late August. This will put a dent into his production and could very well knock him out of the race for the MVP.

Nevertheless, he deserves to be in the top five. As of right now, when looking at the Mets roster, it is obvious how valuable he has been in all of their success. If he returns immediately after his tenure on the DL is up, it is definitely possible that he could produce enough to stay in consideration for the MVP.

Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers

Braun is the centerpiece of the first-place Milwaukee Brewers. In terms of batting average, he is only behind Jose Reyes as he is batting .329. He is definitely of a different mold than Reyes. He combine his high average with a blend of power and speed rather than just blazing speed.

He has 23 home runs, 78 RBI, and 23 stolen bases so far. He can hit and run which is a very rare combination. For a power hitter, he does not strike out very much and draws quite a few walks. His on-base percentage right now is .398.

Braun is the type of player every manager wants. He can do a little bit of everything, and he does all of it very well. It kind of goes without saying that he deserves consideration in this race.

Matt Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers

Kemp is not all that different from Braun in terms of providing a very solid all-around package. He can do everything, and in actuality, most of his numbers are even better than Braun.

He is batting .320 which is slightly lower. However, he has 28 home runs, 89 RBI, and 32 stolen bases. These numbers are also impressive because he has played in every game this season for the Dodgers. That durability also makes him valuable even though it is hard to put an exact number on what durability means.

Kemp has been a great center fielder for the Dodgers who have admittedly had some problems so far this season and sit in fourth place. He has been a bright spot on this team, and he should definitely receive a lot of consideration for MVP this season.

Prince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers

I know, I said that Braun was the centerpiece of the Brewers, so how can I say that Fielder even deserves consideration to pass him by for this award? Well, quite simply, Fielder has been impressive, and he has contributed a substantial amount in terms of offense.

He is hitting .305 with 27 home runs and 89 RBI. He also has walked more than he has struck out, so that fact demonstrates that he just doesn't always look to crush the ball. He is patient, and all of that discipline has paid off with an on-base percentage of .417.

Fielder is one of the preeminent sluggers in baseball. However, as a first baseman, he has been overshadowed by Albert Pujols and Ryan Howard. Maybe this is time to finally burst out and win some very valuable hardware.

Lance Berkman, St. Louis Cardinals

Even though Berkman is not the power hitter he was earlier this decade, he has been having an exceptionally strong year. Last year must have been a bit of a disappointment, but he looks like he has rebounded to become a solid bat again.

Even though he only has a .292 batting average (I should not be saying "only", but I'm doing so because it is lower than everyone else on this list), he more than makes up for it by drawing so many walks. His on-base percentage is way up at .406, and he is currently tied for second in the league in home runs with 28. He has driven in 76 runs and has been a solid partner for Pujols in the lineup.

Berkman had some amazing years in Houston, but an MVP trophy had always eluded him. Maybe this is finally the time that he can cash in on his success.