The NL MVP & Triple Crown Race Is Officially On

Last night against the Pirates, Joey Votto concluded the game with a 12th inning walk-off home run, giving the Reds a still not-quite-so-comfortable 7 game lead in the NL Central over the Cardinals. It was Votto’s first walk-off homer in his career, but it could be just the beginning of what will be an amazing race to see who wins the National League MVP. It also could give him the push he needs to battle back into this Triple Crown race we have goin’ on.

While Joey Votto might not lead the National League in any of the 3 Triple Crown categories, he is the only one of the 3 candidates (Votto, Pujols, C. Gonzalez) who is in the top 3 in all 3 categories.Votto is currently ranked third in batting average, third in home runs, and second in RBI.

Pujols currently leads the National League in home runs and RBI, while Rockies outfielder, Carlos Gonzalez, who by the way just came the f**k out of no where, is leading the league in batting average right ahead of teammate Troy Tulowitzki, and is third in RBI.

So while we only have less then a month left in the regular season, never in my life have I seen a Triple Crown/MVP race this close. With the Cardinals falling further and further back in the Central (7 games), and Colorado still sitting in third place in the NL West (2.5 game back), it would appear that Votto probably has the edge as of right now in the MVP race. Not only is he having one of the best seasons a Reds player has had in God knows how long, but with Cincinnati currently looking as if they might make the playoffs for the first time since 1995, Votto, as of right now, should probably start clearing some space off on his mantle for a nice, new trophy.

As far as the Triple Crown goes, it’s going to be an absolute shoot-out. You know that Pujols isn’t going to back down. He should finish with at least 43-45 home runs and somewhere around 120 RBI, but his batting average is way below that of Gonzalez’s right now, so catching up in that category might not be possible. The Rockies always seem to be able to pull some s**t out of their ass in September, so who knows what kind of numbers Car-Go will end with. He could finish with a .340 batting average, 40-42 home runs, and 120-ish RBI as well. Votto, assuming the Reds don’t completely choke as still somewhat expected, could finish anywhere from .320-.330 in average, 40-42 home runs, and right around 120 RBI, much like Pujols and Gonzalez.

So just from looking at the current numbers, throw in a little crystal ball magic, and the Triple Crown race could end up going to a kid in Colorado who just all of a sudden decided he wanted to be a star in Major League Baseball. As mentioned before, the Rockies always seem to play well in September, and with the way the ball just seems to fly out of Coors Field, it would appear that Gonzalez could have the best chance at winning it.

But could it even be possible that the person that ends up winning the Triple Crown actually not win MVP? What if the Rockies just barely miss the playoffs, and the Reds end up somehow  going deep into the playoffs, could that situation actually happen? If these guys finish the regular season the way they have played the first 6 months, we sure as hell might find out.