This week marked the start of 2010 Major League Baseball and unofficially, the bigtime matchups on Monday was the “real” Opening Day.<\/p>\n
View The MLB Cappers Leaderboard For 2009 \u00a0– Picks Packages for 2010 On Sale Now! \u2014\u2013><\/strong><\/p>\n Stop reading. The NL MVP is a slam dunk \u2013 Jason Heyward. OK, maybe I\u2019m ahead of myself. We\u2019d better look at the top 10 National League MVP candidates after all…<\/p>\n 1. ALBERT PUJOLS (+100 to win)<\/strong><\/p>\n He got a head start on the field after just one game this season, clubbing two homers on Opening Day. We know what we get with Pujols: the most elite hitter of his generation, a guy with unmatched plate discipline and back-to-back MVP awards to his name. He\u2019s in a class of his own.<\/p>\n 2. TROY TULOWITZKI (+300 to win)<\/strong><\/p>\n Champion, meet Challenger. In addition to performance, MVP awards are about opportunity. In Colorado, Troy Tulowitzki is expected to be\u00a0the <\/em>guy for the Rockies this season. He\u2019s batting cleanup and fresh off a powerhouse 2009 season in which he posted an OPS north of 1.000 after the All-Star break.<\/p>\n 3. HANLEY RAMIREZ (+200 to win)<\/strong><\/p>\n Hanley certainly has the talent and numbers to win the award, as he\u2019s one of the few guys in the game with the potential to lead the league in batting average, stolen bases and even homers if he decides to swing for the fences a bit more. If the Marlins surprise and challenge for a playoff spot, HanRam\u2019s odds would skyrocket.<\/p>\n 4. CHASE UTLEY (+300 to win)<\/strong><\/p>\n He\u2019s the thinking man\u2019s ballplayer. Not only is he an extremely tough out with great power for a second baseman, he\u2019s baseball\u2019s cleverest base runner, having gone 23 for 23 on steal attempts last season. If only Utley didn\u2019t have so much support on the Phillies, he\u2019d get more attention in the MVP race.<\/p>\n 5. RYAN BRAUN (+120 to win)<\/strong><\/p>\n Based on his consistently gaudy power numbers, Braun appears as the No. 2 favorite in most sportsbooks right now. But I don\u2019t recommend betting on him. The Brewers will be hard pressed to finish above .500 and he plays below-average defense.<\/p>\n 6. RYAN HOWARD (+250 to win)<\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019m not sure if anyone in the game has more pure power than Ryan Howard. His career\u00a0lows <\/em>for a full season: 45 homers and 136 RBI. Just ridiculous. That said, Howard and teammate Chase Utley have the potential to split MVP votes, which doesn\u2019t bode well for either guy\u2019s award chances. 7. PRINCE FIELDER (+400 to win)<\/strong><\/p>\n He\u2019s already mashing better than his daddy, Big Daddy, and the scary part is that Prince still has potential to improve at just 24 years old. But he and Braun face the same problem that Utley and Howard face in Philly: splitting voters.<\/p>\n 8. MATT KEMP (No odds listed)<\/strong><\/p>\n He\u2019s the total package \u2013 a power hitter who runs very well and plays great defense on a contending team. If Kemp can take his already-strong game up one more level and the Dodgers return to the playoffs, he\u2019ll garner serious MVP consideration.<\/p>\n 9. JOEY VOTTO (No odds listed)<\/strong><\/p>\n Votto is only getting started. The kid is a pure hitter with potential to win multiple batting titles down the road while still driving in boatloads of runners. He won\u2019t get much attention until the Reds become competitive, however.<\/p>\n 10. PABLO SANDOVAL (No odds listed)<\/strong><\/p>\n As I said before, the MVP award has plenty to do with opportunity. Sandoval has little offensive support in San Francisco\u2019s lineup. If his bat can carry the Giants to a playoff berth, voters will view Kung Fu Panda as extremely valuable to his team.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n