Inside The Mets

Phillies Star Asserts Mets' Jose Iglesias Should Have Won NL MVP Over Shohei Ohtani

New York Mets slugger Jose Iglesias would have received at least one vote for 2024 NL MVP if MLB players could submit ballots.
Grant Young|
Oct 9, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Mets second baseman Jose Iglesias (11) celebrates after defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in game four of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Oct 9, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Mets second baseman Jose Iglesias (11) celebrates after defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in game four of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

In this story:

New York MetsPhiladelphia PhilliesLos Angeles Dodgers

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani won the 2024 NL MVP Award, making him the first full-time designated hitter to win MVP honors.

Ohtani was unanimously deemed MVP, according to the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA). However, if Philadelphia Phillies slugger Nick Castellanos was able to vote, Ohtani would not have been unanimous MVP and New York Mets infielder Jose Iglesias would have received one vote.

Castellanos made a January 13 appearance on The Chris Rose Rotation. When speaking with Rose about Iglesias' success with the Mets in 2024, he said, "[Iglesias is] MVP of the National League," per an X post from Chris Rose Sports.

When Rose asked why, Castellanos continued by saying, "If you're looking at the MVP as having the most weight on creating wins for your team, there's no other player that has had that much weight as Jose Iglesias. Because I think with him being able to come in and bring that Latin spark, knock the ice off of Lindor, finally get Vientos probably comfortable to be able to be an everyday third baseman.

"And now a bunch of guys that looked like they had no direction, running in all different directions in the beginning of the year, they made the playoffs [and] got to where they did while the whole Mets organization had the 'OMG' signs [everywhere]," Castellanos added.

"The way I look at baseball, Jose Iglesias is unanimous National League MVP," he continued. When Rose responded by listing everything Ohtani accomplished and saying the sabermetricians would disagree with Castellanos' sentiment, the Phillies slugger said, "I'm not a sabermetrician. I'm a baseball player.

"I'm saying that [Iglesias] going to the Mets and being himself got the organization to move in one direction. Shohei Ohtani played a huge part in the Dodgers winning. I don't know if he's the sole purpose of the Dodgers moving in one direction," he added.

"But the way that I saw baseball last year, through my eyeballs, Jose Iglesias is the National League MVP."

Respect to Castellanos for showing this sort of love to a divisional rival, despite the backlash it might receive from the rest of the league.

Published
Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Mets and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.

Home/News