National League outfielders Yoenis Cespedes from the New York Mets and Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals are both having great seasons. Both players are legitimate candidates for the National League MVP. Cespedes, who was acquired by the Mets at the Major League Baseball trade deadline on July 31, has torn it up since joining the Mets. But since Cespedes played the majority of his season with the Detroit Tigers, an American League team, many people question whether it is fair to give the NL MVP to a newly transferred player. With about two months left in the regular season, Cespedes has a 290 batting average with 35 home runs, 105 runs batted in and 101 runs scored. Since joining the Mets, Cespedes has had a .286 batting average with 17 home runs and 44 runs batted in, while only playing 56 games with the team. These are very impressive numbers in 56 games. Not to mention that Cespedes has been a huge reason why the Mets were able to clinch the NL East over Bryce Harper and the Nationals. Lastly, since Cespedes joined the Mets, they have had a 5-0 head-to-head record against the Washington Nationals.

But 22-year old-Bryce Harper has continued to prove that he is perhaps the best player in all of baseball, and the numbers don’t lie. In 2015, Harper is hitting .330 with 42 home runs and 99 runs batted in. Although it has been a rough season for the Nationals, Harper has shown that he is deserving of the NL MVP award. He is leading the NL in the following categories: home runs (42), runs scored (118), slugging percentage (.649) and OPS (on base percentage plus slugging 1.109).

Many of the baseball writers who vote for the MVP award, however, believe it should be given to a player whose team made the playoffs. Cespedes falls under this category. Cespedes has had outstanding numbers against the rest of the League, but one criticism for his candidacy for NL MVP is that he hit just .254 with four home runs, eight runs batted in and 19 strikeouts in 63 at bats against the Mets. Cespedes has definitely made the NL MVP race very close and interesting, but Harper’s overall numbers this year are just too good. And it probably won’t be the last time Harper receives the award. At just 22-years-old, Harper could be one of the youngest players to ever get the honor of being an MVP.