Mets superstar predicted to win NL MVP over Shohei Ohtani

Shohei Ohtani should have some stiff competition for the 2026 NL MVP Award.

Oct 16, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) reacts after striking out against the Milwaukee Brewers in the seventh inning during game three of the NLCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Frankly, the thought of someone else winning the NL MVP Award aside from Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani sounds far-fetched right now.

Ohtani has already won four MLB MVP Awards and has taken the title home in three straight seasons, including the two he has been with the Dodgers. The 31-year-old would be in the running to win MVP even if he were confined to the batter's box. Instead, he pitches at a Cy Young-caliber level each year, thus making it hard to argue that anybody comes close to the value that Ohtani offers. And did we mention that he stole 20 bases last season after swiping 59 in 2024?

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However, if there's one person to usurp Ohtani for the NL MVP Award in 2026 (and in the near future), it's New York Mets slugger Juan Soto. Given how elite a hitter Soto is, combined with how often he gets on base and adds value with his stolen base abilities (a career-high 38 stolen bases in 2025), the 27-year-old, who finished third in 2025 NL MVP voting, could swipe that award from Ohtani as soon as this upcoming season.

Sep 26, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; New York Mets right fielder Juan Soto (22) runs toward third base against the Miami Marlins during the third inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Juan Soto predicted to win 2026 NL MVP

Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com seems to believe Soto has what it takes to win his first MVP award this year, which he conveyed in a January 2 article.

"Were the Mets a mess last season? Yes. Was it Soto’s fault? Well, he could have hustled to first a few more times, but the answer is no. The man was the third player ever and the first this century with a 40-homer, 100-RBI, 100-walk, 100-run, 30-steal season. His defense will continue to hinder his case, but there’s no reason to think this 27-year-old at the peak of his patience/power prowess can’t win the MVP," Castrovince wrote.

One interesting aspect of Soto's MVP case is whether the Mets would need to succeed as a team for him to be considered. Given that the Dodgers will likely be World Series favorites next season, one would imagine that New York at least has to make the playoffs for Soto to be considered, even if he has a 2026 campaign that's on par with or surpasses what Ohtani did at the dish.

Juan Soto: National League MVP Finalist 👏 pic.twitter.com/FJgFQDEc14

— New York Mets (@Mets) November 4, 2025

And if Soto produces enough to beat Ohtani out for the 2026 NL MVP, that should mean the Mets will be in a pretty good spot by the regular season's end.

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