Top 10 National League MVP Candidates in 2016

By Jacob Kornhauser

It has been quite some time since there was so much young talent in one league of MLB. In the National League, the MVP award is going to be an extremely hard award to win in 2016. Here are the 10 superstars best primed to win the award in the upcoming season.

Top 10 National League MVP Candidates in 2016

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3B Corey Seager - Los Angeles Dodgers — Projected Stat Line: .298 batting average, 25 HRs, and 84 RBI. Seager certainly isn't the most proven hitter in the Dodgers lineup, but he does have the highest ceiling of any offensive player on the team. If all goes well, he will be right in the MVP discussion, because he can hit for power and average while also displaying plus speed.

OF Yoenis Cespedes - New York Mets — Projected Stat Line: .278 batting average, 29 HRs, and 91 RBI. Cespedes will carry the Mets offensively in 2016 like he did last year, but he can't possibly produce like he did down the stretch in 2015. Since the offense will only go as far as he does, if he has another great season, he will be in the MVP discussion at season's end.

C Buster Posey - San Francisco Giants — Projected Stat Line: .286 batting average, 22 HRs, and 94 RBI. Posey is one of the best hitters in the National League and he's also one of the league's best leaders. He's on one of the best teams in the NL and will be a big part of their success or failure this season. Therefore, if he's central to them making the playoffs, he's going to get MVP consideration.

1B Joey Votto - Cincinnati Reds — Projected Stat Line: .284 batting average, 30 HRs, and 93 RBI. Votto doesn't have a whole lot of help in the Reds' lineup, but his patient approach will ensure that doesn't ruin his numbers. He's going to draw his walks and make pitchers pay when he makes mistakes. Playing for a bad team, it will be tough to get serious consideration, but his numbers will speak for themselves by season's end.

3B Kris Bryant - Chicago Cubs — Projected Stat Line: .285 batting average, 37 HRs, and 118 RBI. In his rookie season, Bryant established himself as a star while winning the NL Rookie of the Year award. In a better lineup, he's going to become a bona fide superstar. His power numbers are only going to improve and his strikeout numbers should come down with a more mature approach.

OF Giancarlo Stanton - Miami Marlins — Projected Stat Line: .288 batting average, 35 HRs, and 99 RBI. Stanton would easily be in the top three on this list if his health were dependable, but he's been fragile the last couple seasons. If he stays healthy, he's going to be a superstar. If not, he's going to be a disappointment in Miami.

OF Andrew McCutchen - Pittsburgh Pirates — Projected Stat Line: .294 batting average, 31 HRs, and 108 RBI. McCutchen has established himself as a perennial MVP candidate and you shouldn't expect that to change anytime soon. He's multi-talented and is the leader of the Pirates. If they reach the playoffs again in 2016, it will be in large part because of him.

1B Anthony Rizzo - Chicago Cubs — Projected Stat Line: .283 batting average, 41 HRs, and 131 RBI. Rizzo has been in the MVP discussion in the past, but this is the first year he can legitimately win the award. Hitting in the National League's best lineup, he's going to have a ton of RBI chances and will take advantage of them. The lefty leader of the World Series favorites looks ready to win the award for the first time.

OF Bryce Harper - Washington Nationals — Projected Stat Line: .315 batting average, 51 HRs, and 114 RBI. Harper had a strong season a year ago and he's actually ready to build on it from a power standpoint in 2016. He might just be the best pure power hitter in the game and he's going to show it by eclipsing the 50-home run mark in 2016. It's just a matter of whether or not that will be enough to win him his second straight award.

1B Paul Goldschmidt - Arizona Diamondbacks — Projected Stat Line: .327 batting average, 47 HRs, and 138 RBI. Goldschmidt has been a tough-luck loser of the award multiple times in his career already, but this is finally the season he breaks through. Even without A.J. Pollock in front of him for a while (fractured elbow), he's ready to have another monster year. Bryce Harper is the defending champ, but Goldschmidt should be considered the player to beat for the award this year.

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