Shohei Ohtani will finish among the top three in National League MVP voting for the sixth straight year, even if he is not taking home the award this season. He was the only Los Angeles Dodger announced among the top three in voting for any of the five Baseball Writers Association of America awards this year.
Ohtani’s MVP Streak Continues
Pete Crow-Armstrong, the Chicago Cubs center fielder, is going to run away with the MVP award, which gets announced on Thursday, November 12. Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Brice Turang also locked up a top-three spot. But Ohtani’s consistent dominance is wild; he won NL MVP in his first two years with the Dodgers, and before that snagged AL MVP in 2021 and 2023 with the Angels. He even finished second in 2022 AL MVP voting behind Aaron Judge. This year, Ohtani will finish no lower than third place, extending his unbelievable streak of top-three MVP finishes to six seasons in a row.
The Numbers That Defined His Season
Now, we all know the big story, right? Ohtani famously did not hit a home run after August 18 during the regular season. That is a brutal 155 plate appearances without a long ball, a career-worst drought that only broke in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series. Plus, he was battling left knee inflammation and a right biceps strain down the stretch. You would think that would sink an MVP bid, but the dude’s still Ohtani.
He still cranked out 30 home runs and made 14 pitching starts with a ridiculous 1.79 ERA. That is a fantastic season no matter how you look at it, even if it fell short of his own sublime standard. He slashed .275/.377/.512, and among qualified batters, his 139 wRC+ was tied for fifth in the National League. On the mound, his 2.73 xERA ranked third among NL pitchers with at least 80 innings. When you put it all together, Ohtani’s combined 6.6 fWAR was tied for second-highest in the NL with Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski. And his 6.5 bWAR, good for fifth in the NL, only behind Crow-Armstrong (9.8), Philadelphia Phillies ace Cristopher Sánchez (8.1), Turang (7.3), and Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno (6.7). Seriously, the man is a walking highlight reel even when he is ‘struggling.’
Yamamoto’s Cy Young Hunt
Meanwhile, on the pitching side, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who finished third in NL Cy Young Award voting last season, had another strong year. He put up a 2.53 ERA and a 2.94 xERA in 28 starts, even leading the majors averaging 6.61 innings per start. But this year, he will finish no higher than fourth in Cy Young voting. The top three in the National League are Jacob Misiorowski, Chris Sale, and Cristopher Sánchez. Tough crowd at the top, but still a solid season for Yamamoto.
So, while Ohtani might not snag the big trophy this year, that top-three finish is a testament to an insane season, even with the late-season hiccups. We will get the official announcement on Thursday, November 12. You know we will be watching!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by True Blue LA.
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