The chances of Shohei Ohtani narrowing the gap and once again overtaking the lead as MVP favorite have been slim since August, but are now pretty much zero. Ohtani, who last pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 3, will not return to the mound to end the 2026 season, all but confirming the 2026 National League MVP, Chicago Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong.
Again, this race ended a few weeks ago, as PCA has elevated his game to another stratosphere this summer. On Monday, Crow-Armstrong went 2-for-4 against the Milwaukee Brewers in a losing effort by the Cubs. He hit his 41st home run of the year while swiping two bases, raising his season total to 35 stolen bases. PCA now has 17 games left in the regular season to steal five more bases, which would make him the seventh player in MLB history to have a 40/40 season.
Heading into Tuesday night’s game against the Brewers, Crow-Armstrong leads all MLB players with a 9.9 fWAR. Not only has he been the best position player in baseball in 2026, but Crow-Armstrong is also flirting with becoming the most valuable player in any single season in the Cubs’ franchise history.
As for Ohtani, he’s been in a slump for the past few weeks, missed a few games while nursing a knee issue, and on Tuesday confirmed that hitting will be his sole focus to close out the regular season, meaning he’s done pitching for the Dodgers.
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Via The Athletic.
Ohtani is not expected to pitch the rest of the season, he said after going hitless in his return to the lineup during the Dodgers’ 6-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds. He confirmed what has become obvious over the last week and ever since he last pitched in a big-league game July 3: If Ohtani helps the Dodgers the rest of the season, it will be as a hitter.
“I’m going to be focusing on hitting moving forward,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton.
So, Ohtani’s pitching line for 2026 comes to a close at a 1.79 ERA over 85.1 innings, resulting in a 2.9 fWAR. There is no doubt that if Ohtani had been able to stay on the mound for most of the 2026 season, then there would be a real MVP debate between him and Crow-Armstrong. However, that hasn’t been the case, and PCA has truly turned in a historic season, which will earn him the National League MVP by a landslide.
Overall, Ohtani’s pitching and hitting have him at a 6.7 fWAR. Meanwhile, PCA is among the league leaders in most categories and is the sport’s best defensive player.
National League MVP Odds (Sept. 8)
DraftKings: Pete Crow-Armstrong: -2000 | Shohei Ohtani: +5500
FanDuel: Pete Crow-Armstrong: -5000 | Shohei Ohtani: +8000
Early congrats to PCA. What an awesome year. He hasn’t simply ripped the crown away from Ohtani; Crow-Armstrong will be the undisputed MVP in 2026.
