NEW YORK — Ronald Acuña Jr. was a unanimous winner of his first National League Most Valuable Player award on Thursday after changing into the primary large leaguer with 40 homers and 70 stolen bases in a season.
Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Otani gained the American League honor, changing into the primary two-time unanimous MVP. There have been 21 unanimous winners, and this yr marked the primary time two occurred in the identical yr.
Acuña, a proper fielder for the Atlanta Braves, obtained all 30 first-place votes and 420 factors in voting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
Mookie Betts obtained all 30 second-place votes and 270 factors, adopted by Los Angeles Dodgers teammate Freddie Freeman with 227 factors. Betts earned the 2018 AL MVP award with Boston and Freeman was the 2020 NL MVP with the Dodgers.
Acuña was second within the NL with a .336 batting common and led the foremost leagues with 149 runs, 217 hits, 386 whole bases and 73 stolen bases whereas hitting 41 dwelling runs with 106 RBIs. A four-time All-Star who turns 26 subsequent month, Acuña helped Atlanta to a significant league-best 104 wins earlier than the Braves misplaced to Philadelphia in an NL Division Series.
He set his profession finest for RBIs and matched his 2019 excessive for dwelling runs.
Acuña realized of the award whereas within the clubhouse of La Guaria, his group in Venezuela’s winter league.
Betts batted .307 with 39 homers and 107 RBIs, and Freeman hit .331 with 29 homers and 102 RBIs.
