National League MVP Race: Acuna or Betts? Consistency Factor
Mookie Betts had an absolutely insane August in order to truly put his name in the hat for MVP. Outside of that, this Award has been Acuna's since the first month of the season. Mookie had to have one of the greatest months of all time to "pull even" with Acuna.
Don't overlook the value of Acuna's consistency. He has been so consistently great it's almost been boring, so to speak. He is the ultimate set it and forget it. Betts' fantastic August made up for an average April.
Betts hit just .235 in April.
Acuna's worst month was in May when he hit .298.
Betts' .781 OPS in April was his worst month of the season.
July was Acuna's worst month. His OPS was .918.
While their season-long numbers look similar, Acuna has been more consistent and reliable. That has real value. Streaks can kill in baseball. A cold streak at the wrong time is one of the most terrifying things in baseball. I don't think there has been a more consistently great player in the game than Ronald Acuna Jr. He simply hasn't had a cold streak. He's been a .917-1.100 OPS hitter (monthly) all season long!
Advantage: Acuna