When the Baseball Writers Association of America pick the Most Valuable Player at the end of the season they usually look at a player who led their team to the playoffs.  Right now, though, only one of the top five players in the National League is on a first place team.  Does that make what they are accomplishing any less important?  No, I don’t believe so.  If the statistically best player in the league is on a last place team he still deserves to be recognized for his abilities.  

5. Paul Goldschmidt - Arizona Diamondbacks

Goldschmidt is a beast.  He is the only thing that makes the Arizona Diamondbacks worth watching this year and was my MVP last year, but as I pointed out earlier the writers likes players on a team that makes the playoffs.  He is having nearly as good a year this season hitting over .300 with over 30 runs and runs batted in, but he’s only good enough to be fifth in the MVP voting right now.  As bad as the Diamondbacks are, though, he’ll be lucky to finish this high when the actual voting happens.

4. Carlos Gomez - Milwaukee Brewers

Gomez is the best player on a first place team.  He does a little bit of everything and his production this season has led the Brewers to move him out of the leadoff spot and into the cleanup spot in the lineup.  He currently has 11 home runs and 11 stolen bases and has proven time and time again that he might be the best defensive center fielder in the game.  He’s good enough for me to make my top five, but the fact that Ryan Braun is on the same team as him is killing him in the all-star game voting and very well could hurt him when the time to vote for the MVP comes too.

3. Troy Tulowitzki - Colorado Rockies

If Tulo is healthy, he might be the best player in the entire game, and right now he is the best all-around player in the National League.  Why then do I have him as third on my MVP voting?  Because as good as he is there are two people you are just as good, if not better, right now who do not have the benefit of playing their home games in Colorado.  Tulo could easily change my mind, though, and the minds of the writers if he can keep that average up around .350.  We all believe he can do it, but he’ll have to stay healthy to do so and no one is really sure he can do that.

2. Yasiel Puig - Los Angeles Dodgers

Viva Puig is growing up before our eyes and becoming a leader.  While he’s growing up he is also continuing to catch the eyes of fans like he did a year ago when he debuted for the Dodgers.  He is trailing Tulo in average in the National League by seven hundredths with an insane average of .345 and unlike Tulo he is not playing all of his home games in Colorado.  While he is batting for a high average he is still driving the ball with 11 home runs and 40 runs batted in.  Usually a guy that is as flamboyant as Puig does not get a lot of love from the writers, but Puig is becoming a favorite of a lot of writers and that could help him when MVP voting time comes around.

1. Giancarlo Stanton - Miami Marlins

The Marlins are not in first place, but they are right there in the mix and it is thanks to a bounce back year from Stanton.  He leads the National League in home runs with 16 and runs batted in with 51, 11 more than second place (Puig and Ryan Howard with 40).  He is also hitting for average batting .308 which would be a career high, 18 hundredths higher than his previous career high in 2012.  It would be hard for any writer to argue against Stanton as the MVP because even if his team doesn’t make the playoffs he is clearly the best player right now.