Shohei Ohtani and Pete Crow-Armstrong, considered the leading candidates for the National League MVP award, showcased their slugging prowess in a direct confrontation during the Chicago Cubs' 7-6 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday at Wrigley Field. The game, which saw the Cubs complete a series sweep and extend the Dodgers' losing streak to a season-worst six games, highlighted the increasingly competitive MVP race.
Ohtani, who Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had previously declared the presumptive MVP, opened the scoring in the first inning with his 25th home run of the season. Crow-Armstrong quickly responded with a home run of his own in the bottom half of the inning. He continued his offensive barrage with an RBI double in the second and a two-run home run in the fourth, contributing to the Cubs' early 7-1 lead. Ohtani later added a two-run blast in the eighth inning, part of a Dodgers comeback attempt that fell short.
"I guess today for me, what was cool was just getting to watch him from a different angle," said Crow-Armstrong, who started as the designated hitter for the game, allowing him a closer view of Ohtani's performance. Roberts acknowledged the direct competition, stating, "I do think they were going toe to toe. Obviously, there’s a lot of talk about those two guys being the front-runners for the MVP. And they both showed up. You can see that they hear what’s being said about them. And that was fun for the fans."
The loss continued a difficult stretch for the Dodgers, who have now been swept in consecutive series and have slipped to a tie with the Atlanta Braves for the second seed in the National League playoff picture. "You just got to kind of put your head down," Roberts commented on the team's current struggles.
Ohtani, speaking through an interpreter, emphasized the team's immediate priorities. "Right now, the priority is to win one game and stop the negative flow." He added, "Numbers go up and down, so depending on the time, it changes whether you’re in a favorable position. Right now, the priority is to win one game and stop the negative flow."
Statistically, Ohtani leads Crow-Armstrong slightly in batting average and OPS. As of Wednesday's games, Ohtani was hitting .297 with 26 home runs and 70 RBIs, boasting a .953 OPS. Crow-Armstrong's numbers were .288 with 26 home runs and 69 RBIs, with a .938 OPS. However, Ohtani's effectiveness as a pitcher has been impacted by a knee injury, which has sidelined him from the mound for over a month. His season pitching record stood at 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA in 14 starts.
Crow-Armstrong's contributions extend beyond his bat. He leads all MLB players in outs-above-average and ranks in the top 10 for defensive runs saved, complemented by 28 stolen bases, which is fifth most in the majors. According to FanGraphs' combined wins-above-replacement (WAR) metric, Crow-Armstrong held an advantage over Ohtani, with 7.5 WAR compared to Ohtani's 6.4 WAR prior to Wednesday's game. Ohtani stated his knee is "getting better little by little," but provided no timeline for his return to pitching.
"You remember seasons like this. You cherish seasons like this," said Cubs manager Craig Counsell. Ohtani, a four-time MVP, has experienced numerous successful seasons, but his path to another MVP award appears more contested this year as the Dodgers have seen their regular-season dominance diminish and their star player face new competition.
Crow-Armstrong, in his fourth MLB season, expressed his perspective on the MVP race. "Simply put, just having your name in the same conversation as someone as profound as he feels, it’s awesome and it’s a nice nod." He also stated a preference for team success: "I would feel much more accomplished taking [the Dodgers] down at some point... I would be crazy to say that I don’t want to win an MVP, but if we’re talking about having priorities straight, I think mine are pretty straight."