Padres' Top MVP Candidate Is The Most Clutch Hitter in the NL

Valentina Martinez | Sep 3, 2024

Aug 20, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres left fielder Jurickson Profar (10) celebrates after hitting a three-run home run against the Minnesota Twins during the eighth inning at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports / Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

San Diego Padres outfielder Jurickson Profar is making a case to collect votes on the National League MVP ballots this month.

The obvious front-runner to win the NL MVP award is Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani. However, Profar stands not far behind him based on a few key statistics.

With runners in scoring position, Profar is slashing .347/.449/.558. In a late and close situation, the outfielder is slashing a whopping .436/.529/.873.

Furthermore, in a high leverage scenario, Profar is slashing .405/.506/.797.

His stellar statistics don't end there. Win Probability Added is another crucial figure for Profar's case to place second in the NL MVP race.

To find a player's WPA is based on the percentage the player moves a team's win probability during any given plate appearance.

The WPA leaderboard is typically filled with the best players in the league. Profar ranks atop the National League WPA leaderboard with 4.8. Not far behind him is Ohtani at 4.3. Marcell Ozuna (3.9), Joc Pederson (3.5), Brandon Nimmo (3.3), and Ketel Marte (3.1) follow suit.

Profar's rank atop of the WPA leaderboard indicates that he is one of the most clutch players in all of baseball. Profar joins elite company in Ohtani and Juan Soto (5.1) as the players ranking highest on the WPA leaderboard in MLB.

It's evident that the Padres have a rare gem in Profar. The club can count on him for a big hit in light of a close game.

Profar is the type of player San Diego needs if they want to play deep into the postseason — a fact that shouldn't be ignored in comparison to other NL MVP candidates.

Profar has been a consistent force for the Padres this season. The outfielder recently played almost 60 straight games for San Diego. The last time Profar was out of the starting lineup was on June 22. Since then, the outfielder played every game for the Padres until Monday.

The final month of baseball demands a perfect performance from the Padres. The club is currently five games behind the Dodgers, leaders of the National League West, with the Arizona Diamondbacks lurking only a game behind.

Another key competitor for San Diego returned to the lineup Monday against the Detroit Tigers. Fernando Tatis Jr. was activated from the injured list after spending 72 days away from the team.

The Padres went 38-21 without the star right fielder.