Pete Crow-Armstrong is the clear favorite to win the 2026 National League MVP award, and Shohei Ohtani is not the top choice for once. This is a massive shift for a player who has dominated the ballot for three straight years. The New York Post reported on Monday that Ohtani made the final three, but he is not the man to beat this time around.
It feels weird to say this about a two-way superstar, but the numbers tell a hard truth. Crow-Armstrong put up better stats across the board to earn the lead. He hit 45 home runs while Ohtani managed 30. The Cubs star also posted a 9.8 WAR compared to Ohtani’s 6.5. These are not small gaps. They are the kind of numbers that make voters change their minds.
The Defense Changes Everything
Ohtani usually wins because he does two jobs at once. He pitches and he hits. That usually locks up the trophy. But injuries kept him off the mound for most of the season. He threw only 85.2 innings during the regular year. On July 3, his final mound appearance came against the San Diego Padres.
Crow-Armstrong brings something Ohtani cannot match right now. He is widely seen as the best defender in the entire game. He plays center field for the Cubs and covers ground like no one else. Ohtani did not play the field at all this year except when he was pitching. The voters are looking at total value, not just batting practice. A guy who hits 45 homers and stops runs wins over a guy who just hits.
The New York Post noted that Crow-Armstrong also had a higher batting average at .280. Ohtani hit .275. The only stat where Ohtani had a tiny edge was on-base percentage. Even there, the difference was slim at .377 to .372. You cannot build an MVP case on one small number when the rest of the box score looks weaker.
The Streak Ends Here
Ohtani has four MVP awards in his career. Three of those were consecutive unanimous picks. This year, that streak likely dies. The voting rules focus on regular-season play. They do not care about what happened in the playoffs. So Ohtani’s postseason struggles do not help or hurt him here. It comes down to the stats from April to September.
The winner gets announced on November 12 on MLB Network. The award will be revealed at 3 p.m. PT. Ohtani was the only Dodgers player to finish in the top three for any major award.
Brice Turang is the other finalist alongside these two. He plays for the Milwaukee Brewers. But the real battle is between the Cubs outfielder and the Dodgers slugger. If Crow-Armstrong wins, it proves that defense and consistent hitting still matter more than the hype of a two-way player who cannot pitch.
