Shohei Ohtani has won three straight MVP Awards and is trying to win a fourth consecutive and fifth overall this season.
Had it not been for Aaron Judge's 62-homer season, Ohtani might have five straight MVP Awards to his name. However, he has won the National League MVP fairly easily two years in a row, but this year he has some competition. Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs is having a phenomenal season, and Ohtani's break from pitching has allowed him to close the gap in the MVP race.
Ohtani had a 1.79 ERA through 14 starts, going at least six innings in all but one start. Offensively, he does not have the same stolen base numbers as Crow-Armstrong, but is right there when it comes to home runs.
Ohtani leads the National League in slugging and OPS, but Crow-Armstrong is a Platinum Glove-caliber defender and already has a 30-30 season. Either one of them could win the award, but if Ohtani gets about five more good starts under his belt while maintaining his offense, he could be a shoo-in.
“I think it’s great for baseball,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told the California Post's Jack Harris, “that Pete’s made it a race.”
“I honestly do think that it’s going to make Shohei even better, too,” he added, “to have someone pushing him.”
Roberts gave Crow-Armstrong his flowers, but at the same time noted that he thinks having a true challenger in the MVP race will unlock another gear in Ohtani. Last year, Kyle Schwarber had a solid season, but Ohtani received all of the first-place votes.
It's been a while since there was a true MVP race with Ohtani involved. However, the way he and Crow-Armstrong are playing right now, this year's Award could come down to the wire.