Shohei Ohtani has won three consecutive MVP Awards and has won the last two in the National League.
This year, he once again finds himself in the MVP race, but he faces real competition. Last season, Kyle Schwarber seemed to make a strong case, but Ohtani received all 30 first-place votes. This year, Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs is giving him a real run for his money.
"I would be crazy to say that I don't want to win an MVP, but if we're talking about having priorities straight, I think mine are pretty straight," Crow-Armstrong said after Wednesday's game, per ESPN's Jesse Rogers. "It's not on the forefront of my mind. It's fun to joke about it, and it's fun to acknowledge. And I think it's absolutely OK to pay attention to, but it's not like following me up to the plate.
"I think if you guys want to talk about all this back and forth, I really should go get in the lab and start pitching. I really should."
Ohtani's numbers as a hitter are quite pedestrian for his standards, but still great. He has 26 home runs and six stolen bases. He is hitting .297 with a National League-best .954 OPS. The superstar is dealing with some injuries, but has made a significant impact on the mound this year.
Through 14 starts, he has a 1.79 ERA and 95 strikeouts. He is sidelined from pitching right now, but should be able to add to his stellar season on the mound when he returns. He and Crow-Armstrong both hit two home runs when the Los Angeles Dodgers faced the Cubs at Wrigley Field on Wednesday.
Ohtani's ability to both pitch and hit at a high level makes it very difficult for anyone else to win MVP. However, Crow-Armstrong's elite defense and stellar bat have given him a chance with Ohtani unable to pitch right now.