Pete Crow-Armstrong has officially leapfrogged Shohei Ohtani as the favorite for the National League MVP award, with his odds now sitting at -185 compared to Ohtani’s +150 on August 24. This isn’t just a minor shift, folks, this is a seismic event in the MVP race we thought was a done deal for Ohtani just weeks ago.
Yordan Alvarez Is Putting on a Clinic in the American League
Over in the AL, we’re watching pure, unadulterated dominance from Houston’s Yordan Alvarez. He’s not just leading the American League in a few key stats, he’s basically owning the entire hitting leaderboard. As of August 24, Alvarez is crushing it with a .320 batting average, 36 home runs, and 90 RBIs. Add to that an on-base percentage of .436, a slugging percentage of .613, and an OPS of 1.050. Seriously, what do you even call it when a guy leads the league in every single hitting category? It’s insanity. Just a few weeks back, Alvarez was at -1500, and now he’s a practically locked-in -20000 to win the award. The AL MVP race is all but decided, especially with two-time defending MVP Aaron Judge battling injuries all season long. Names like Junior Caminero (+1500) and Bobby Witt Jr. (+6000) are way back in the rearview mirror. It’s Alvarez’s world, and everyone else is just playing in it.
The NL MVP Race Is Now a Historic Slugfest
Now, let’s talk about the NL, because this is where the real drama is. Shohei Ohtani, who was cruising at -1500 in July to win his third straight NL MVP, and his fourth straight overall, has some serious catching up to do. On August 5, his odds were even with Pete Crow-Armstrong at -110. But today, August 24, PCA is the slight favorite, and for good reason. Crow-Armstrong is putting up monster numbers, leading the NL in WAR with an incredible 8.1, slugging at .559, and an OPS of .938. He’s also mashed 33 home runs and stolen 32 bases. That’s a serious power-speed combo that’s impossible to ignore. Ohtani’s streak is legendary: he won back-to-back NL MVPs last season, following Albert Pujols’ feat in 2008 and 2009. He also snagged the AL MVP in 2023, making him the only player in MLB history to win MVP back-to-back in different leagues. If Ohtani pulls this off, he’d tie Barry Bonds’ insane record of four straight MVP wins from 2001-2004. Think about that for a second. Every single one of Ohtani’s four MVP wins so far has been unanimous, all 30 first-place votes. He’s second only to Bonds’ seven MVPs in history. This isn’t just an MVP race, it’s a battle for the record books. Their recent back-and-forth showdown at Wrigley Field just solidified this as a historic two-man fight.
This MVP race isn’t over yet, not by a long shot. As these two titans battle it out in the final weeks of August, every swing, every stolen base, and every big play is going to mean something massive. Can Ohtani reclaim his spot and chase down Bonds’ record, or will Crow-Armstrong cement his incredible season with a shocking MVP win? You better believe we’ll be watching every single pitch.
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.
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