MLB’s 2021 Opening Day has come and gone and the grind to a full 162 game schedule has finally begun! It will be a long road for each and every player full of ups and downs along the way. Keeping up an elite pace all season long will be a big challenge to even the best in the league. So many players come to mind when we talk about who can be an MVP this year. Here are my top three predictions for the MVP in both the American League and National League.

American League

3. Alex Bregman

He may not be the fan favorite on this list for many... reasons, but it is hard to deny the raw talent that Alex Bregman does have. Yes, Bregman was a part of the Astros team that cheated to win a World Series, but he is still legit. Bregman is coming off of a somewhat weak 2020 season for his standards, but it’s hard to believe that during a 162 game season that Bregman won’t get hot at some point. This is a guy that cranked out 41 big flies in 2019, barely losing out on his first MVP season. Expect Bregman to have a big 2021.

2. Aaron Judge

You can make the argument that Judge should have won his first MVP already back in 2017, but he didn’t. Who is to say that 2021 won’t be his year? Judge looked like the clear MVP front runner in 2020, but his season was cut short once again due to injuries. The injury bug has plagued Judge’s career. When he is on the field though, Judge is easily one of the most dangerous hitters to step into the batter’s box. Judge will have an on-base percent around .400 as he is a lock to hit at least 35 home runs if healthy, and he will be elite at right field. If healthy, it is hard to argue against Judge winning the MVP this season.

1. Mike Trout

When isn’t Mike Trout the favorite to win MVP? Seriously, if healthy a full season, Mike Trout is guaranteed to finish at least second in the MVP voting. Mike Trout’s resume will go down as one of the best in the game’s history, and he may well be the greatest player anyone has ever seen. Mike Trout has a career OPS of 1.000, an on-base percentage of .418 and he averages 39 home runs per 162 games. Mike Trout is a lock for the MVP conversation every year, but who tries to take it from him is what is worth watching for.

National League

3. Mookie Betts

A top-two player in the game is coming off an outstanding regular 2020 season where he finished second in the NL MVP voting. He also had an outstanding 2020 post-season. Mookie has been sensational since joining the Dodgers. He could steal 30 bases, he can hit 30 plus home runs, he has a career .301 batting average. He can do it all. And those stats don’t tell you the full picture. Betts can create runs with his awareness on the base paths. Expect Mookie to lead this Dodgers team back to the postseason, and maybe even to another World Series.

2. Ronald Acuna Jr.

2020 was a weird year for everybody, Acuna included. That does not mean he had a bad year, but we know the sky is the limit for him. In his first full MLB season in 2019, Acuna hit 41 home runs and stole 37 bases. Acuna was that close to a 40-40 season! There is no doubt in my mind that if Acuna is healthy, he will have at least another 30-30 season. He can challenge for that 40-40 season. Acuna will most likely be the centerpiece for the Braves to win another division title. He will have a monster 2021 season. 

1. Juan Soto

Who is a better hitter than Juan Soto? Nobody is. This is Juan Soto’s year to win the NL MVP. Last year, Juan Soto led the National League in batting average, on-base percentage, OPS and OPS+. If Juan Soto never had the coronavirus in 2020, he probably would have been the NL MVP for that season. He is healthy now, and ready to expand on the great 2020 season. The Nationals should be better than what they were last year, and Soto is going to be the biggest reason for that. 

Expectations for these six players are respectively high. There are so many big names that have been left off this list. Many former MVPs can possibly return back to that form. Giancarlo Stanton, Cody Bellinger and Christian Yelich are a few players that immediately come to mind.

If any of the players written about in this article can stay healthy, then expect them to be making headlines all season long. 

The league is filled with more studs now than ever.