Shohei Ohtani has been named a finalist for the 2026 National League MVP award. He faces stiff competition from Chicago Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong and Milwaukee Brewers' Brice Turang, with Crow-Armstrong currently positioned as the frontrunner.
Crow-Armstrong's 9.8 WAR and 45 Home Runs
The race for the 2026 National League MVP appears to favor the Chicago Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong, often referred to as PCA. According to the report, Crow-Armstrong holds a significant statistical advantage over Shohei Ohtani, boasting a 9.8 WAR compared to Ohtani's 6.5. The Chicago Cubs star also outperformed the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar in home runs, hitting 45 compared to Ohtani's 30, and maintained a superior batting average of .280 against Ohtani's .275.
Beyond the raw offensive numbers, the case for Pete Crow-Armstrong is bolstered by his reputation as the premier defender in professional baseball... While Shohei Ohtani provided immense value on the mound, he did not play in the field during the 2026 season except when pitching, leaving a gap in defensive utility that the Chicago Cubs center fielder filled decisively.
The July 3 pitching cutoff and Ohtani's injury battle
Shohei Ohtani's candidacy for the 2026 MVP is hampered by a season defined by physical attrition. As reported, the Los Angeles Dodgers star struggled with knee and biceps injuries that forced him to stop pitching entirely after July 3.. Although Ohtani posted a strong 1.79 ERA across 14 starts, his inability to contribute on the mound for the latter half of the season stripped him of the two-way dominance that fueled his previous awards.
The injuries also bled into Ohtani's offensive production. The Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder saw his batting average (.275), on-base percentage (.377), and OPS (.889) drop to their lowest levels since his 2022 tenure with the Angels. most notably, Ohtani endured a career-long drought of 25 games without a home run, signaling a dip in the explosive power that usually makes him the unanimous choicce for the league's top honor.
Elias Sports and the six-season MVP streak
Despite the likelihood that Pete Crow-Armstrong will win the 2026 award, Shohei Ohtani continues to rewrite the record books. Data from Elias Sports indicates that Ohtani is only the second player in Major League Baseball history to finish in the top three of MVP voting for six consecutive seasons.. This streak spans his time with both the Los Angeles Angels and the Los Angeles Dodgers, highlighting a level of sustained excellence rarely seen in the sport.
This consistency is reflected in Ohtani's trophy cabinet, which includes American League MVP titles in 2021 and 2023, and National League MVP titles in 2024 and 2025. By remaining a finalist in 2026, the Los Angeles Dodgers star proves that even a "sub-par" season by his standards is still superior to the vast majority of the league.
Caroline Perry's move from the Padres to the Dodgers
While the MVP race captures the headlines, the Los Angeles Dodgers are undergoing a significant leadership transition in their business operations. Executive vice president and chief operating officer Bob Wolfe is set to retire at the end of 2026 after 14 years with the organization. Wolfe, who spent nearly five decades in professional sports with teams including the Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals, will transition into an advisory role.
Replacing Wolfe on November 30 is Caroline Perry, who joins the Los Angeles Dodgers after a 16-season tenure with the San Diego Padres. Additionally, the Los Angeles Dodgers have appointed Royce Cohen as the new executive vice president and chief business officer, signaling a refresh of the front office as the team navigates its current era of superstar talent.
The missing data on Brice Turang's candidacy
One notable gap in the current reporting is the lack of specific statistical justification for Milwaukee Brewers infielder Brice Turang's presence as a finalist . While the report confirms Turang is one of the three finalists for the 2026 NL MVP, it provides no WAR, home run, or batting metrics to explain how he compares to the dominant numbers of Pete Crow-Armstrong or the historical pedigree of Shohei Ohtani.
Furthermore, there is a lingering question regarding the influence of the postseason on the voting. The report notes that while voting is officially based on regular-season performance, Ohtani's struggles in the final months and the postseason have contributed to his underdog status. This suggests a potential tension between the official BBWAA rules and the actual perceptions of the voters.
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