2023 AL MVP Power Rankings: Surprise dark horses join familiar leaderboard

It’s never too early to take a look at players who could win MLB’s NL and AL MVP awards.

Every year, Major League Baseball names two Most Valuable Players, one for the American League and one for the National League. The award is voted on by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Last season, outfielder Aaron Judge took home the MVP award for the American League and first baseman Paul Goldschmidt received the honor for the National League.

There’s a lot of baseball still ahead in 2023, but the MVP race has started to take shape now that we’re over two months into the MLB season. Several MVP candidates have been impressive during the first third of the season. Frontrunners have taken off and dark horses have quietly chipped away to put together their own campaigns.

Inevitably, there will be surprises along the way. Summer hot streaks will take off, underrated players force their way into the picture, and injuries can keep players down. Sometimes players get off to a slow start but pick things up throughout the season and make up lost ground. Other times, players who start off well hit a mid-season rut.

Here are predictions for who will make up the 2023 top five AL MVP list at the end of the season.

2023 AL MVP predictions: Honorable mentions

Vladimir Guerrerro Jr., Adley Rutschman, Mike Trout, Randy Arozarena, Marcus Semien, Matt Chapman, Yandy Diaz, Jose Ramirez

2023 AL MVP predictions: 5. Bo Bichette (Toronto Blue Jays), the dark horse

Bo Bichette is a dark horse in the AL MVP race. There are a lot of players being talked about more than him, but he’s pushed his way into the conversation. Two other Toronto Blue Jays, Vladimir Guerrerro Jr. and Matt Chapman, are also in the conversation. Right now, Bichette is sitting ninth in the MVP odds according to DraftKings Nation. If Bichette puts together a strong summer, he’ll find himself higher up in the odds.

Bichette led the American League in hits in 2021 and 2022, and he’s continued to find success at the plate in 2023. According to FanGraphs, Bichette is tied for first in MLB in offensive WAR and third in the AL in fWAR. He leads the MLB in hits with 85 through the first two months of the season. He also leads the AL in batting average with .331 and is fourth overall across MLB. Bichette had a red-hot May, slashing .350/.386/.542.

The shortstop has been solid defensively for the Blue Jays this season. What kept him lower in MVP voting in previous years was his fielding, but that’s changed so far this year. He’s shown defensive improvements with just four errors. Last year, his fielding % was .958. So far this year, he’s fielding at .979%. Between his improved fielding and his phenomenal hitting, Bichette has emerged as one of the top shortstops in the MLB.

At just 25 years old, Bichette is already developing into a leader in the Blue Jays clubhouse. His voice is important to the team. Toronto is sitting fourth in the AL East. One would think they’d be higher up than that, especially considering they have three MVP-caliber players on their roster, but the Blue Jays are in the toughest division in baseball. Bichette will need to keep grinding in order to help his team make the playoffs. It’s about time that Bichette gets recognized as one of the most valuable players in the American League.