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Aug 28, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Colorado Rockies third baseman N. Arenado (28) gestures on the field before playing the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. The Pirates won 5-3. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
The bottom line
The bottom line is that Nolan Arenado will not win the National League MVP this year. Put differently — I will be shocked if he wins. But then again, on a smaller scale, I never thought DJ LeMahieu would win the Gold Glove at second base in 2014, and now we’re here.
[ Related: Bye bye for yet another season , Coors Field! ]
Bryce Harper has been the best player in the National League this year, and he deserves the MVP. Despite the stupid Papelbon drama and some of the mindless fallout from that, Harper is not a villain — and he’s the best player in baseball.
This isn’t me stumping for him; I’d be giddy if Arenado won, especially because of his special defensive play at third base in addition to the power surge we’ve all enjoyed this year. But I’m also a realistic dude living in reality, and here in the real world, the best player in the National League this year is Bryce Harper.