Baseball season is just around the corner, with the beginning of the MLB season just starting in April.

The National League is set to be a competition filled with powerhouse teams and star players. The Washington Nationals, the surprise winners of the league and the World Series last season, have a strong roster, but do they have one of the league’s top MVP candidates?

Let’s take a look at the top three NL MVP candidates for the 2020 season.

Christian Yelich, Brewers

The 2018 NL MVP finished in second place in a close vote for the 2019 award, coming in just behind Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger. He looks to be one of the favorites for this year’s award.

The outfielder batted .329 last season with 44 home runs and 97 RBI despite only playing in 130 games due to injury. Expect more big production from the California native, who just agreed to a 9-year, $215 million extension with his team, in 2020. A great eye at the plate and a power surge that coincided with his trade from the Marlins to Milwaukee has turned him into one of the top players in the league, and expect his production to continue in 2020.

Mookie Betts, Dodgers

The biggest trade of the 2019-20 MLB offseason sent perennial All-Star outfielder Mookie Betts from the Boston Red Sox to the Los Angeles Dodgers, establishing a new big star in the National League.

Betts and Yelich were named MVPs in the same season, with the Nashville native having won the award in the American League during his tenure in Boston. A move to Los Angeles places the talented outfielder in the middle of a stacked lineup, which should lead him to drive in even more runs than he has in previous seasons.

Expect Betts to compete for the hardware in his first year as a Dodger.

Ronald Acuña Jr., Braves

Acuña is one of the top young stars in baseball. The Braves center fielder was exceptional in 2019 at the ripe age of 21, finishing the year with 41 long balls and 37 stolen bases.

Expect the young Venezuelan talent to continue his rise in 2020 for a team that looks to contend for a World Series title. Acuña improved his plate discipline in the 2019 season, a development that led him to post a higher-than-expected .365 on-base percentage along with his power production.

Power-speed combinations like Acuña’s are rare in today’s game and don’t be surprised if his gaudy home run and stolen base totals lead him to compete for the MVP Award.

The post NL MVP Candidates to Keep an Eye on in 2020 appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Milwaukee Brewers are on the verge of locking up one of the best players in baseball that will keep him with the franchise until the end of the decade at a cost of over $200 million.

Christian Yelich, who was acquired by the Brewers in a trade with the Miami Marlins prior to the 2018 season, has reportedly reached a deal with the team for a nine-year contract extension that will reportedly be worth $215 million.

The 28-year-old outfielder, who won the 2018 NL Most Valuable Player award and finished second in last season’s voting, has blossomed into one of baseball’s top stars since joining the Brewers.

Over the past two seasons, after showing potential as a young outfielder in Miami, but without becoming a star, Yelich has dominated pitching all over the league. He has hit .327 with 80 home runs and 207 RBI over the past two seasons, leading the Brewers to a playoff berth and two consecutive winning seasons.

The California native has been the NL batting champion in each of the past two seasons, establishing his status as one of the best hitters in the game.

Now, Yelich will have the chance to stay in Milwaukee in the long run and establish himself as one of the most legendary players in the history of the franchise.

The post Brewers, Christian Yelich Reportedly Nearing 9-Year, $215 Million Extension appeared first on SportzBonanza.

When Christian Yelich fouled a ball off of his kneecap last week and it was announced that he would be out for the rest of the season, most people immediately predicted that the Brewers have no chance. Losing your star hitter who is the reigning MVP and a top candidate for this year’s MVP, is not a great way to secure a playoff spot when your behind in the Wild Card race.

Meanwhile the Brewers went on a 7 game win streak, and just took 2 of 3 from the Cardinals in a pivotal series. Ryan Braun hit the go ahead grand slam in the top of the 9th while down to the last strike and the Brewers won the finale 7-6. While Braun is not what he was in his prime, he has stepped up big time since Yelich went down with the injury.

Braun’s homer also set the Brewers single season home run record which was previously held in 2007 when Braun and Prince Fielder led the team and were one of the best 3-4 hitters in baseball. After breaking the record and winning two exciting games in St. Louis, the Brewers are making up ground and seem to have momentum on their side.

Not only that, but Milwaukee has the easiest schedule out of any playoff contender, with their last 13 games all being played against sub .500 teams. Don’t give up yet on the resilient Brewers club looking to make it to the playoffs for the 2nd year in a row.

The post Can the Brewers Make the Playoffs Without Yelich? appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Milwaukee Brewers might have won their Tuesday night matchup against the Miami Marlins, but they probably suffered their worst loss of the season at the same time.

The 2018 NL MVP winner and one of the front-runners for this year’s award will miss the rest of the Brewers’ playoff push as well as any hypothetical playoff matchups after fracturing his right kneecap in the first inning of Milwaukee’s 4-3 win.

Yelich was in the box against Marlins pitcher Elieser Hernandez at the beginning of the game and fouled a pitch off of his knee. He writhed on the ground in agony for a couple of minutes until limping feebly off of the field.

The worst possible news was confirmed after the game by the Brewers.

The former Marlin, who is hitting .330 with 44 home runs and a league-leading 1.102 OPS on the season, will be hugely missed by his team as it attempts to find its way into the playoffs for the second consecutive season.

Milwaukee currently trails the Cubs by only 1.5 games for the NL’s second Wild Card spot.

The Brewers now face an extremely uphill battle as they look to make a late run into the playoffs, which will now be even tougher as they are missing their star and one of the league’s top players.

The post Brewers OF Christian Yelich to Miss Rest of Season With Fractured Kneecap appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Christian Yelich might’ve won the 2018 NL MVP Award in his first season with the Milwaukee Brewers, but it doesn’t look like he’s content with his achievement.

Yelich has begun the 2019 season by homering in four consecutive games, which ties an MLB record shared by Willie Mays (1971), Mark McGwire (1998), Nelson Cruz (2011), Chris Davis (2013), and Trevor Story (2016).

In addition to Yelich’s first inning home run off of Michael Wacha, he also hit a game-winning RBI double to beat the Cardinals in a walk-off win.

The Brewers took 3 of 4 games against St. Louis to begin the season last weekend, a strong start against a division rival. The team’s success in large part can be attributed to Yelich, who opened the season with a 6-12, 4 HR, 8 RBI, 6 walk weekend.

Yelich took home the 2018 NL MVP Award after putting up a .326/.402/.598 slash line with 36 home runs and 110 RBI.

The 27-year-old outfielder looks ready to come out swinging to defend his MVP crown and fight for another NL Central division title with his team.

The post Christian Yelich Hits Homer in 4th Consecutive Game appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Baseball season is just around the corner, with the beginning of the MLB season just starting in April.

The National League is set to be a competition filled with powerhouse teams and star players. The Washington Nationals, the surprise winners of the league and the World Series last season, have a strong roster, but do they have one of the league’s top MVP candidates?

Let’s take a look at the top three NL MVP candidates for the 2020 season.

Christian Yelich, Brewers

The 2018 NL MVP finished in second place in a close vote for the 2019 award, coming in just behind Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger. He looks to be one of the favorites for this year’s award.

The outfielder batted .329 last season with 44 home runs and 97 RBI despite only playing in 130 games due to injury. Expect more big production from the California native, who just agreed to a 9-year, $215 million extension with his team, in 2020. A great eye at the plate and a power surge that coincided with his trade from the Marlins to Milwaukee has turned him into one of the top players in the league, and expect his production to continue in 2020.

Mookie Betts, Dodgers

The biggest trade of the 2019-20 MLB offseason sent perennial All-Star outfielder Mookie Betts from the Boston Red Sox to the Los Angeles Dodgers, establishing a new big star in the National League.

Betts and Yelich were named MVPs in the same season, with the Nashville native having won the award in the American League during his tenure in Boston. A move to Los Angeles places the talented outfielder in the middle of a stacked lineup, which should lead him to drive in even more runs than he has in previous seasons.

Expect Betts to compete for the hardware in his first year as a Dodger.

Ronald Acuña Jr., Braves

Acuña is one of the top young stars in baseball. The Braves center fielder was exceptional in 2019 at the ripe age of 21, finishing the year with 41 long balls and 37 stolen bases.

Expect the young Venezuelan talent to continue his rise in 2020 for a team that looks to contend for a World Series title. Acuña improved his plate discipline in the 2019 season, a development that led him to post a higher-than-expected .365 on-base percentage along with his power production.

Power-speed combinations like Acuña’s are rare in today’s game and don’t be surprised if his gaudy home run and stolen base totals lead him to compete for the MVP Award.

The post NL MVP Candidates to Keep an Eye on in 2020 appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Milwaukee Brewers are on the verge of locking up one of the best players in baseball that will keep him with the franchise until the end of the decade at a cost of over $200 million.

Christian Yelich, who was acquired by the Brewers in a trade with the Miami Marlins prior to the 2018 season, has reportedly reached a deal with the team for a nine-year contract extension that will reportedly be worth $215 million.

The 28-year-old outfielder, who won the 2018 NL Most Valuable Player award and finished second in last season’s voting, has blossomed into one of baseball’s top stars since joining the Brewers.

Over the past two seasons, after showing potential as a young outfielder in Miami, but without becoming a star, Yelich has dominated pitching all over the league. He has hit .327 with 80 home runs and 207 RBI over the past two seasons, leading the Brewers to a playoff berth and two consecutive winning seasons.

The California native has been the NL batting champion in each of the past two seasons, establishing his status as one of the best hitters in the game.

Now, Yelich will have the chance to stay in Milwaukee in the long run and establish himself as one of the most legendary players in the history of the franchise.

The post Brewers, Christian Yelich Reportedly Nearing 9-Year, $215 Million Extension appeared first on SportzBonanza.

When Christian Yelich fouled a ball off of his kneecap last week and it was announced that he would be out for the rest of the season, most people immediately predicted that the Brewers have no chance. Losing your star hitter who is the reigning MVP and a top candidate for this year’s MVP, is not a great way to secure a playoff spot when your behind in the Wild Card race.

Meanwhile the Brewers went on a 7 game win streak, and just took 2 of 3 from the Cardinals in a pivotal series. Ryan Braun hit the go ahead grand slam in the top of the 9th while down to the last strike and the Brewers won the finale 7-6. While Braun is not what he was in his prime, he has stepped up big time since Yelich went down with the injury.

Braun’s homer also set the Brewers single season home run record which was previously held in 2007 when Braun and Prince Fielder led the team and were one of the best 3-4 hitters in baseball. After breaking the record and winning two exciting games in St. Louis, the Brewers are making up ground and seem to have momentum on their side.

Not only that, but Milwaukee has the easiest schedule out of any playoff contender, with their last 13 games all being played against sub .500 teams. Don’t give up yet on the resilient Brewers club looking to make it to the playoffs for the 2nd year in a row.

The post Can the Brewers Make the Playoffs Without Yelich? appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Milwaukee Brewers might have won their Tuesday night matchup against the Miami Marlins, but they probably suffered their worst loss of the season at the same time.

The 2018 NL MVP winner and one of the front-runners for this year’s award will miss the rest of the Brewers’ playoff push as well as any hypothetical playoff matchups after fracturing his right kneecap in the first inning of Milwaukee’s 4-3 win.

Yelich was in the box against Marlins pitcher Elieser Hernandez at the beginning of the game and fouled a pitch off of his knee. He writhed on the ground in agony for a couple of minutes until limping feebly off of the field.

The worst possible news was confirmed after the game by the Brewers.

The former Marlin, who is hitting .330 with 44 home runs and a league-leading 1.102 OPS on the season, will be hugely missed by his team as it attempts to find its way into the playoffs for the second consecutive season.

Milwaukee currently trails the Cubs by only 1.5 games for the NL’s second Wild Card spot.

The Brewers now face an extremely uphill battle as they look to make a late run into the playoffs, which will now be even tougher as they are missing their star and one of the league’s top players.

The post Brewers OF Christian Yelich to Miss Rest of Season With Fractured Kneecap appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Christian Yelich might’ve won the 2018 NL MVP Award in his first season with the Milwaukee Brewers, but it doesn’t look like he’s content with his achievement.

Yelich has begun the 2019 season by homering in four consecutive games, which ties an MLB record shared by Willie Mays (1971), Mark McGwire (1998), Nelson Cruz (2011), Chris Davis (2013), and Trevor Story (2016).

In addition to Yelich’s first inning home run off of Michael Wacha, he also hit a game-winning RBI double to beat the Cardinals in a walk-off win.

The Brewers took 3 of 4 games against St. Louis to begin the season last weekend, a strong start against a division rival. The team’s success in large part can be attributed to Yelich, who opened the season with a 6-12, 4 HR, 8 RBI, 6 walk weekend.

Yelich took home the 2018 NL MVP Award after putting up a .326/.402/.598 slash line with 36 home runs and 110 RBI.

The 27-year-old outfielder looks ready to come out swinging to defend his MVP crown and fight for another NL Central division title with his team.

The post Christian Yelich Hits Homer in 4th Consecutive Game appeared first on SportzBonanza.