NL MVP Power Rankings: Kershaw rises to No. 1 with Stanton injury
Every week until the end of the season, we'll take a look at the top players in the National League and size up their candidacy for MVP.
NL MVP Power Rankings
| Rank | Player | Team | Prev. Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C. Kershaw | Dodgers | 2 |
Clayton Kershaw picked up two wins this week, including his league-leading 19th victory Sunday over the Los Angeles Dodgers in a huge divisional matchup against the San Francisco Giants. The lefty is absolutely on fire over his last five starts - all wins - going eight innings in each outing to lower his ERA to a sparkling 1.13 in September.
He's also No. 1 in this week's rankings because I feel threatened by his teammate Adrian Gonzalez.
Gonzalez on Kershaw as MVP: "If somebody even tries to mention someone else, they're an idiot." #Dodgers
— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) September 14, 2014
| Rank | Player | Team | Prev. Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | G. Stanton | Marlins | 1 |
Stanton held the No. 1 spot last week, but he was beaned by Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Mike Fiers on Thursday night, resulting in a trip to the hospital after he was bloodied by the pitch. With his season now in jeopardy, it puts a damper on his MVP chances. But don't be surprised if the Miami slugger still earns the honor if Kershaw fails to reach the elusive 20-win plateau.
| Rank | Player | Team | Prev. Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | A. McCutchen | Pirates | 3 |
The reigning NL MVP continues to bolster the Pirates' playoff push with his hot stick, hitting .414 over the last seven days with two home runs. Pittsburgh has a lot of work to do in order to catch the St. Louis Cardinals in the Central, but has a firm grasp on a wild-card spot. His second consecutive MVP selection likely rests on his ability to do something special over the final two weeks, and getting the Bucs back to the postseason.
| Rank | Player | Team | Prev. Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | B. Posey | Giants | 4 |
Posey helped pace the red-hot Giants to a 4-2 week and improve the team's playoff hopes. He's batting .350 over the last seven days and has 12 RBIs to his credit in September. He was also behind the plate for two San Francisco shutouts this week, proving he's still one of the best game-callers in the business.
| Rank | Player | Team | Prev. Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | A. Rendon | Nationals | - |
Rendon creeps into the rankings this week after putting on a show over a four-game set with the New York Mets, going 11-for-19 with two homers to help the Nationals lower their magic number to four. The infielder is now hitting .280 with 20 homers and 80 RBIs and is an obvious long shot, but he's clearly the catalyst for a strong Washington squad that is looking like a serious contender for a World Series title.