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The race for the Most Valuable Player Award in the National League was wide open, with several players vying for the honor.
The Baseball Writers' Association of America had 30 first-place votes. The vote tally adds points for second- and third-place finishes, as well as six first-place votes for Soto and two for Tatis. Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Trea Turner got one of the four first-place votes.
The Philadelphia Phillies were in the hunt for the playoffs until the very end of 2021, thanks to the brilliance of a player who was a unanimous Most Valuable Player. He led the NL in batting average and park-adjusted batting average, and he was second in the NL behind Turner.
In the second half, he hit.338/.476/.713 to win the award. The Nationals team that spent most of that stretch out of contention was the reason why Soto was hurt.
The NL's leader in home runs and stolen bases was Tatis, who played the more demanding position of shortstop. His San Diego Padres faded dramatically down the stretch, and his numbers fell off just enough to deny him an award he appeared to be running away with by the All-Star break.
The major league's leading hitter with a slash line of.......................
