Pete Crow-Armstrong is officially even with Shohei Ohtani for the NL MVP award, drastically shifting what everyone thought was a runaway race just weeks ago. As of August 5th, both superstars are sitting at -110 odds. That’s a truly wild turn from when Ohtani was a staggering -1500 favorite to secure his third straight NL MVP. Talk about a plot twist!
The NL MVP Showdown No One Saw Coming
Man, if you blinked, you absolutely missed the NL MVP race getting flipped upside down! Ohtani, who was cruising to what felt like inevitable history just weeks back, now has serious company. It’s all thanks to PCA and his Chicago Cubs, who pulled off a massive sweep against the Dodgers over the last three days. Crow-Armstrong was absolutely raking, going 6-13 with two huge bombs and five RBIs. He even briefly snagged the top spot on the NL MVP odds board Wednesday afternoon. But Ohtani’s a different breed, a complete force. He answered immediately with his own clutch two-run blast in the eighth, finishing the series 6-13 with two homers. That swung those odds right back to dead level. This isn’t just a fun battle; it’s got historic weight. PCA leads the NL with a monstrous 6.95 WAR, already racking up 26 home runs and 28 stolen bases. Ohtani’s chasing Barry Bonds’ insane record of four straight MVP wins, something that seemed like a sure thing before PCA went supernova. His four previous MVP wins, including last year’s back-to-back NL MVP, were all unanimous. This year? It’s a nail-biting, two-man fight for the ages.
Yordan Alvarez Is Running Away With the AL MVP
Over in the American League, the MVP race is a completely different story. We’re definitely going to crown a new AL MVP this season, with two-time defending MVP Aaron Judge battling injuries practically all year. And let’s be real, Houston’s Yordan Alvarez isn’t just leading; he’s absolutely dominating. As of August 5th, Alvarez leads the entire AL in batting average (.329), home runs (35), hits (136), RBIs (85), on-base percentage (.442), slugging percentage (.640), and OPS (1.083). What do you even call that kind of performance? A clean sweep of every major hitting category! His odds have skyrocketed from -165 to a mind-boggling -1500 in just two weeks. This is Alvarez’s race to lose, and he’s not slowing down for a second. Other guys like Junior Caminero (+700), Ben Rice (+2700), and Bobby Witt Jr. (+6500) are having good seasons, but they’re playing for a distant second place right now.
So, while the AL MVP picture seems pretty darn clear, the NL race is pure, unadulterated fire. PCA and Ohtani have turned this into a can’t-miss, historic showdown that’s going down to the wire. Who’s gonna pull ahead? Every game, every at-bat, feels like it matters more than ever now. Get ready for an insane finish!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
Leave a Reply