Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs are locked in a close contest for the league's Most Valuable Player award, with each player delivering impactful performances that keep the race tight. The competition has been so close that the two have traded significant offensive milestones in recent days, highlighting their elite status in Major League Baseball.
On Monday, Aug. 17, 2026, Crow-Armstrong hit a leadoff home run, only for Ohtani to respond with two home runs in subsequent at-bats later that same night. Ohtani recorded a season-high four hits in an 11-5 Dodgers victory over the Colorado Rockies. Crow-Armstrong matched this with four hits, including a walk-off home run in the Cubs' 7-5 extra-innings win. The following day, Crow-Armstrong hit another leadoff homer in a Cubs victory, extending his lead over Ohtani in home runs, wins-above-replacement (WAR), and weighted Runs Created Plus (wRC+). Ohtani, however, also homered in the Dodgers' win, surpassing Crow-Armstrong in batting average, on-base plus slugging (OPS), runs batted in (RBIs), and OPS Plus (OPS+).
Earlier in the season, Ohtani appeared to be on track to secure his fifth career MVP. He was performing exceptionally as both a hitter and a pitcher. Through June 3, his .941 OPS ranked third in the majors, alongside a .301 batting average, 10 home runs, and 33 RBIs. His pitching ERA of 0.74 was nearly double that of any other pitcher with at least 10 starts. At that time, Crow-Armstrong had a .242 batting average, .718 OPS, and only seven home runs, with some sportsbooks listing his MVP odds as long as 100-to-1.
The dynamics of the MVP race shifted significantly over the subsequent five weeks. Ohtani developed a knee injury that impacted his pitching, leading to a 4.38 ERA over his next four starts and keeping him off the mound entirely since July 3. During this period, Crow-Armstrong went on a remarkable 32-game hitting streak, batting .392 with 14 home runs, which brought his overall offensive production closer to Ohtani's.
As of Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026, Ohtani's season slash line was .294/.390/.558 with 30 home runs and 80 RBIs. Crow-Armstrong's numbers were .282/.381/.555 with 31 home runs and 79 RBIs. With their hitting statistics nearly identical, the MVP discussion has focused on their other contributions: Ohtani's pitching versus Crow-Armstrong's defense and baserunning.
Crow-Armstrong has acknowledged the difficulty of Ohtani's two-way role. However, Ohtani's limited pitching availability has become a crucial factor. He pitched only 85 2/3 innings in the first half of the season. In contrast, Crow-Armstrong has been a consistent everyday center fielder, playing at a defensive level that publicly available metrics indicate has been unmatched by any player in the majors this year. He also ranks second in the National League with 31 stolen bases, while Ohtani has only seven, partly due to his pitching duties and knee injury.
Fangraphs data shows Crow-Armstrong leading Ohtani in combined WAR, 8.4 to 7.0, entering Wednesday. The possibility of Ohtani returning to the Dodgers' rotation, even for limited innings, could be a significant factor in the final month and a half of the season. Both players face the potential for slumps, and Crow-Armstrong could also clinch the award if he achieves a rare 40-homer, 40-steal season, having already reached the 30/30 mark.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts commented on Crow-Armstrong's performance, stating, "He is earning the praise. I think he plays a fantastic center field. He’s put up tremendous numbers." Roberts also noted that the competition could motivate Ohtani, adding, "I honestly do think that it’s going to make Shohei even better, too, to have someone pushing him." The close MVP battle is expected to continue down to the wire, with each game and at-bat potentially shifting the balance of power between the two stars.