AL MVP Awarded to Abreu; Freeman Finally Wins NL MVP

A pair of first basemen have won AL and NL MVP honors.

Chicago White Sox slugger Jose Abreu won his first AL MVP while Freddie Freeman of the Atlanta Braves won his first NL MVP. It's the first time two first basemen have been so honored since 2006 when Justin Morneau of the Minnesota Twins and Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies won the AL and NL MVP, respectively. 

The Cuban born Abreu led the Chisox to their first post-season appearance since 2008. Abreu, 33, played in all 60 games and led the AL in hits (76), RBI (60), slugging percentage (.617) and total bases (148). He also hit .317 - matching what he hit when he won AL Rookie of the Year honors in 2014. Abreu is the first member of the White Sox organization to win AL MVP honors since Frank Thomas did it back to back in 1993 and 1994. He is under contract to the Chisox through 2022. 

Meanwhile, Freeman also played all 60 games despite a battle with COVID-19 which at its worst gave him a fever of over 104 degrees. Freeman led the NL in doubles (23) and runs scored (51) while hitting .341 (finishing second to Juan Soto of the Washington Nationals in the NL batting race) en route to a third straight NL East title. The 31-year old California native has finished in the Top 10 in NL MVP balloting four times prior to 2020. He has spent his entire professional career with the Braves who selected him in the 2nd round of the 2007 MLB draft. Freeman is the first Brave to win NL MVP honors since Chipper Jones in 1999. He is eligible for free agency after the 2021 season. 

A hearty congratulations to both Abreu and Freeman.