The case for each 2023 MVP Award finalist

This year's two MVP races each feature a matching storyline: Teammates trying to best a perceived favorite.

In the American League, Corey Seager and Marcus Semien recorded huge numbers before leading the Rangers to their first World Series championship. But is two-way star Shohei Ohtani destined for his second MVP Award?

In the National League, the Dodgers' Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, previous MVP winners, put up some of the best stats of their storied careers. But can either top Ronald Acuña Jr. and his unprecedented season?

We will find out the answers soon. Here's a look at the case for each of the six MVP candidates before the winners are announced Thursday on MLB Network at 6 p.m. ET.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Shohei Ohtani, DH/RHP, Angels

Simply put, there’s nobody else quite like Ohtani.

So it takes an extraordinary year from another player to defy the odds and overtake him for AL MVP honors, much like how Yankees slugger Aaron Judge did in 2022, when he smashed 62 homers to set the AL record. But Ohtani won the award unanimously in 2021, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he did it again in ’23.

Ohtani had another season for the ages despite ending the year on the injured list with both a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow in August and a strained right oblique in September. But he essentially ran away with the award with an incredible June and was named an All-Star as both a starting pitcher and a designated hitter for the third straight season.

Ohtani, who is now a free agent, slashed .304/.412/.654 with 44 homers, 26 doubles, eight triples, 20 stolen bases and 95 RBIs in 135 games. He led the AL in homers, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS (1.066) and total bases (325). And he was again an ace in 23 starts on the mound, going 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts in 132 innings. He had the lowest batting average against (.184) among all AL pitchers with at least 130 innings.

Rangers teammates Corey Seager and Marcus Semien both had strong seasons and were rewarded with October glory in the form of a World Series title. But neither had a special enough regular season to overcome what Ohtani did at the plate and on the mound. He should win this award easily for the second time in three years.

-- Rhett Bollinger

Corey Seager, SS, Rangers

Seager already won his second World Series MVP as he led the Rangers to the first title in franchise history, but there’s no doubt he did enough in the regular season for consideration for his first MVP Award.

Seager played in just 119 games after spending time on the injured list with two injuries, but he still accumulated 33 home runs and 96 RBIs. He posted career highs in batting average (.327), on-base percentage (.390), slugging percentage (.623), bWAR (6.9), fWAR (6.1) and OPS+ (170). His slugging and OPS (1.013) ranked second in MLB, and Seager fell only three percentage points short of an AL batting title after going hitless in game 162.

Seager’s business-like approach to the game has fundamentally changed the Rangers' clubhouse since his arrival in 2022. He’s been a vital part of building a winning environment in Texas and has shown it each and every day on the field.

He doesn’t have the flair of players such as teammate Adolis García, or even the pure superstar aura of Ohtani, but Seager has been more valuable to the Rangers than almost any other player to any other team in baseball in his short time in the organization.

-- Kennedi Landry

Marcus Semien, 2B, Rangers

His stats don’t exactly blow you away like Seager’s, but make no mistake, Semien has been the engine that keeps the entire Rangers operation going in all facets of the game.

The club's personal ironman, Semien played all 162 games during the regular season, as well as all 17 games in the Rangers’ run to the World Series. He slashed .276/.348/.478 with 29 homers, 40 doubles and 100 RBIs. He led the team in fWAR (6.3) and bWAR (7.4), both of which trailed Ohtani for the American League lead.

He paced the AL with 122 runs and 185 hits, while his 73 extra-base hits and 320 total bases were the most among second basemen. He also drove in 100 runs for the second time in his career.

Despite a few slumps at the plate this season, Semien provided value in many other ways on the field. He played Gold Glove-caliber defense -- and was a finalist for the award -- and added value on the basepaths every day.

And truthfully, the best ability is availability. Five of the Rangers’ six All-Stars -- including Seager -- landed on the injured list at various overlapping times throughout the second half of the season. Semien was the lone player on the entire roster to post up for all 162 games.

-- Kennedi Landry

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Ronald Acuña Jr., RF, Braves

Acuña led the NL in runs, hits, stolen bases, on-base percentage and OPS. He ranked second in hits, slugging percentage and batting average. His home run and RBI totals ranked among the top six in the league. And, oh yeah, he did the previously unthinkable by becoming the first player to hit 40-plus homers and tally 70-plus steals in a season. Nobody had previously notched more than 46 steals during a 40-homer season. This was also the first time anybody had more than 52 steals during a 30-homer season.

With this record-setting production, he was the catalyst for a Braves team that won an MLB-high 104 games on the strength of an offense that became the first AL/NL club to produce a .500 slugging percentage. Critics have said too much value is being placed on his stolen base total, especially with the rule changes implanted this year to benefit basestealers. But no other NL player tallied more than 54 steals and with these stolen bases, the Braves outfielder positioned himself to score 18 more runs than any other Major Leaguer.

The Venezuela native finished his MVP-caliber season hitting .337 with 41 home runs, 217 hits, 80 extra-base hits, 106 RBIs, 149 runs, a 1.012 OPS and 84 strikeouts. He joined Lou Gehrig (1927), Chuck Klein (‘30) and Joe DiMaggio (‘37) as the only players to hit at least .335 with 40 home runs, 215 hits, 80 extra-base hits, 100 RBIs, 145 runs and a 1.000 OPS with fewer than 90 strikeouts.

Doing something the game hasn’t seen since 1937 is MVP-worthy. And that doesn’t even account for any of Acuña’s franchise-record 73 steals.

-- Mark Bowman

Mookie Betts, RF, Dodgers

Over the years, it’s been difficult for voters to nail down the definition of MVP. If the award is who posted the best individual numbers, then it’s hard to argue with Acuña. Now, if voters want to get literal with the definition of the award, there was perhaps nobody more “valuable” to a team than Betts.

Over the past decade, Betts has established himself as the best defensive right fielder in baseball. After securing a Gold Glove at the position in six of the previous seven seasons, he was passed over in 2023. The reason? He spent a lot of his time at second base, and some at shortstop, this season.

Betts has long said he prefers to play the infield. That’s where he grew up playing, and it’s where he envisioned himself as he came up through the Red Sox farm system. In ‘23, with the Dodgers desperately needing a shortstop following injuries to Gavin Lux and Miguel Rojas, it was Betts who stepped up in a pinch. Then, after Miguel Vargas struggled offensively, Betts slid over to second to allow Jason Heyward to get into the lineup against righties, giving the team its best offensive unit.

Betts' ability to move around and play a couple of positions at a high level defensively allowed the Dodgers to field their best team. That definitely should give him some added consideration for the award. If you’re more into the numbers, Betts had that, too. He finished with a career-high 39 homers. Unfortunately for Betts, his season ended on a sour note, going hitless in the postseason for the first time in his career. But this is a regular-season award, and not many players were better than Betts this season.

-- Juan Toribio

Freddie Freeman, 1B, Dodgers

Dodgers fans knew Freeman was a good hitter. They watched him terrorize L.A. for more than a decade while he was with Atlanta. But over the past two seasons, it’s been impossible to miss that Freeman isn’t just a good hitter. He’s elite.

Freeman set a new Dodgers record with 59 doubles this season and fell one shy of becoming the first player to hit 60 in a single season since 1936. To go along with that, Freeman also hit 29 homers, finishing with a .331 batting average. Oh, and he recorded 211 hits, eclipsing the 200-hit mark for the first time in his career.

Ever since Freeman became a Dodger, the 2020 NL MVP has changed the team's culture. His offensive approach has become infectious in the clubhouse and constantly encourages his teammates to focus on using the entire field, not just selling out for power. Freeman’s impact also comes from the fact that he wants to be in the lineup every day.

This season, Freeman played in 161 games. The only game he missed was the day after the Dodgers clinched the NL West, and even that came with a long discussion between him and manager Dave Roberts. Freeman’s greatness seems to go under the radar often, but the first baseman put together a historic season in ‘23.

-- Juan Toribio