Is the National League MVP Shohei Ohtani’s award to lose?
The Los Angeles Dodgers star has been a top contender for the MVP award all year, despite playing exclusively as the team’s designated hitter for the duration of the season. Ohtani, who normally both hits and pitches, is rehabilitating his right elbow from a torn UCL and expects to pitch again next season.
No full-time DH has ever won his league’s MVP award before. That makes picking Ohtani to win the award an inherently bold prediction. But at least one national writer who’s cast MVP votes in the past believes Ohtani is worthy.
“I do believe Shohei Ohtani is the MVP at this point, would be the first full-time DH to win MVP … with Betts having missed two months, the other guys having great years being DH’s also, I do believe Ohtani is the MVP in the National League,” New York Post reporter Jon Heyman said on B/R Walk Off Wednesday.
Ohtani is off to another outstanding season, slashing .297/.385/.623 with 137 hits, 90 runs, 37 home runs, 86 RBIs, and 33 stolen bases through 117 games. He ranks second in MLB in home runs, slug rate, and stolen bases, fifth in runs, sixth in RBIs, seventh in hits, and 13th in batting average so far.
Even in the middle of a relative ‘slump’ for Ohtani as he hit .191 in the first half of August, he has still hit three home runs in the Dodgers’ last six games and a total of five home runs already this month. His batting average has dipped this month, but his production remains strong overall.
If Ohtani were to win the award, it would be the third time he has taken home an MVP award in MLB, and his first NL MVP award. Ohtani previously won American League MVP awards while he played for the Los Angeles Angels, winning the coveted award in 2021 and 2023.
After his historic 2023 season, Ohtani signed with the Dodgers on a record-breaking 10-year, $700 million deal. He is also continuing to produce at his historic rate, even while simultaneously recovering from major elbow surgery and taking steps toward returning to the mound.
Outside of Ohtani, the top contenders for the NL MVP award include Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte, Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz, and Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper.
Ohtani has the edge over those three in the majority of batting stats, and is benefitting from the many top MVP candidates — including New York Yankees outfielders Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, and Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. — all playing in the AL. With the lack of competition, it’s hard to see Ohtani not taking home the NL MVP award at his current pace.
