While not expected, Brice Turang's spot among NL MVP finalists is absolutely deserved

Major League Baseball just announced their finalists for the 2026 National League MVP Award, and to the surprise of most Milwaukee Brewers fans, second baseman Brice Turang was included. Alongside Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs, the front-runner for the award, and 4x MVP Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Turang has officially finished top three in MVP voting this year.

It comes as a surprise to many not because of Turang's play, but because there was very little discussion of the Brewers' second baseman being in the MVP race throughout the 2026 season. In fact, Turang's teammate Jacob Misiorowski, who is a virtual lock to win the NL Cy Young Award this year, gained more traction in the MVP finalist chatter. However, when a closer look at the numbers is taken, it makes complete sense why Turang, who has emerged as one of the best all-around players in the sport, is a finalist for the MVP award this year.

According to Baseball Reference's Wins Above Replacement metric, which aims to capture a player's all-around value, Turang was the third-most valuable player in the sport this year, racking up a whopping 7.3 bWAR -- the same amount Christian Yelich compiled during his MVP-winning season in 2018. Turang trailed only Crow-Armstrong (9.8 bWAR), and Philadelphia Phillies' starter Cristopher Sánchez (8.1 bWAR) this year. That makes him more than worthy of a spot among the NL's MVP finalists.

The Baseball Writers' Association of America's (BBWAA) recognition of Turang's success this year is further evidence that players' all-around skillsets are becoming more important in the MVP race. Whereas the award was at one point something of a home run race, now a player's defensive and baserunning value is being taken into more consideration.

Brice Turang's deserved place among NL MVP finalists proves criteria for award is adapting

That's not to say Turang didn't offer an immense amount of value at the plate in 2026; the 26-year-old second baseman crushed 21 homers, 37 doubles, racked up 100 RBI, and posted a 124 OPS+. However, if the MVP were purely a "best offensive player in each league" award as it's been at various points in years past, it's likely Turang wouldn't have been a finalist.

Instead, the BBWAA is now recognizing the value of strong baserunning and elite defense skills, both of which Turang certainly possesses. Turang already won his second Gold Glove for his defensive masterclass during the 2026 season, and will certainly be in the running for his second Platinum Glove Award as well. Pair that with the 19 stolen bases he racked up during the 2026 campaign, and it's clear Turang possesses the coveted "five-tool" skillset every baseball player is chasing.

No, Turang likely won't win the MVP Award this year, but his place among the finalists is validation of his continued development in the big leagues. One of the worst hitters in baseball during his rookie campaign in 2023, Turang has undergone a transformation that players dream of throughout his young major-league career. Now with an MVP finalist nod on his resume, saying Turang is "among the best players in the sport" is completely justified and, frankly, impossible to deny.

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