Rival Players Overwhelmingly Agree Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani Does Not Deserve MVP Over PCA

The race for the National League MVP is looking as if it will come down to the wire, as Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani faces his toughest competition yet for what would be his fifth such award.

Ohtani has never been named MVP without earning all 30 first-place votes. Chicago Cubs star center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong is likely going to change that.

If it were up to the players, according to a recent ESPN poll, Ohtani would go without the MVP award for the first time since 2022. Of the 21 players that ESPN spoke with, 15 selected Crow-Armstrong, four for Ohtani and two couldn't decide.

"One plays elite defense. The other doesn't play the field," Athletics pitcher Mark Leiter Jr. told ESPN. "If you take Ohtani out of the rotation, they don't miss a beat. And if you take him out of the lineup, I still don't think they miss a beat."

Crow-Armstrong is making a serious case to dethrone Ohtani for the NL's top award, with 31 home runs, 79 RBIs, 31 stolen bases and a .279/.378/.550 slash line across 128 games.

On top of his offensive prowess, Crow-Armstrong is widely considered the best defensive center fielder in the game, with his speed allowing him to turn low-probability catches into outs and his strong throwing arm deterring runners from taking extra bases.

PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG

WALK-OFF HOME RUN FOR 30/30 🤯 pic.twitter.com/TSUSXmb8vi
— MLB (@MLB) August 18, 2026

"I know it's tough," Cleveland Guardians pitcher Colin Holderman said. "I know what type of person and player PCA is. It's hard to replicate what he does on the field just like it's hard to replicate what Ohtani does with the Dodgers hitting and pitching. I want to see PCA win it. Just something different. Maybe shared MVP."

Meanwhile, Ohtani has 30 home runs, 80 RBIs and is hitting .291/.388/.554. Two years removed from his 59-stolen base season in 2024, Ohtani has stolen just seven bases this season.

Ohtani's role as a starting pitcher has impacted his base running, as well as a lingering knee injury. His knee injury, as well as biceps discomfort, have kept him off of the mound since July 3.

When he has been healthy enough to pitch, Ohtani has been at the top of his game, with a career-low 1.79 ERA and a 3.0 wins above replacement rating. The Dodgers have been unclear as to when they expect Ohtani to be back on the mound, but it could be as soon as early September.

Shohei Ohtani has reached 30 HR in all 3 seasons with the Dodgers! pic.twitter.com/Wf59fm4QWH
— MLB (@MLB) August 19, 2026

"If Ohtani starts pitching again and goes five to seven innings a start down the stretch, the conversation looks different. If he doesn't pitch again in a real starter's role, then I'd vote for PCA still," Cincinnati Reds pitcher Emilio Pagan said.

There's still plenty of season left to offer voters enough information on whether to vote for Crow-Armstrong or Ohtani. Currently, oddsmakers slightly favor Crow-Armstrong, giving the 24-year-old an implied 60.8% chance to win the award and Ohtani a 44.4% chance.

"How cool for the sport that somebody is playing out of their mind so we get to have this conversation," Cleveland Guardians first baseman Rhys Hoskins said. "The reality is we get to watch maybe the best player to ever play this game in Shohei. So to have somebody that is stepping up to him this year, making a race out of it, is pretty frickin' cool."

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