The National League MVP race has come down to the final month, and four-time winner Shohei Ohtani is facing his toughest challenger since signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (PCA) has put together one of the best all-around seasons in baseball since the turn of the millennium, and he has the advantage in betting odds entering the final few weeks of the season.
Contributors Cooper Smith and Cristina Solano debate whether PCA can hold onto his lead, or if the two-way prowess of Ohtani can steal the award back in the final stretch.
Pete Crow-Armstrong
By Cooper Smith
Pete Crow-Armstrong has given Chicago something to be excited about. The season he’s had is impossible to ignore, and he might be able to stop Shohei Ohtani from winning his fourth straight MVP.
This year, Crow-Armstrong is on track to achieve both 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases. He would be only the fifth player in NL history to achieve this milestone.
His elite offensive output is matched by unparalleled defense in center field. According to Baseball Savant, he has the most Outs Above Average in baseball at 23, meaning he’s generated 23 more outs than the average fielder at his position.
PCA has been more valuable to the Cubs than Ohtani has to the Dodgers. Take PCA away from the Cubs and they may have only 60-65 wins.
You take away Ohtani?
The Dodgers still have star power, and it’s only a three-win difference. That is what value means. It doesn’t always mean who’s had the best season. It’s who brings the most value to their team, and overall, that’s what Pete Crow-Armstrong does; he brings irreplaceable value to the Chicago Cubs.
This is your 2026 National League Most Valuable Player.
Shohei Ohtani
By Cristina Solano
There isn’t any doubt that Pete Crow-Armstrong should be considered for MVP. However, as Cooper mentioned, it doesn’t always mean who has had the best season, but who has contributed the most value to their team.
On offense, Ohtani has a .380 on-base percentage, which is greater than PCA’s .376, on top of having 30 home runs and 80 walks. Ohtani also reinstated himself as one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball. He boasts an 8-2 record, 0.95 WHIP and a 1.79 ERA in 10 games, while allowing just four home runs.
Fans have become dismissive of Ohtani’s accomplishments and his influence as a two-way player. There is a reason why he has won three straight MVP awards.
While he may not pitch for the rest of the 2026 season because of previous injuries, that shouldn’t stop him from contributing significantly on offense and winning his fourth consecutive MVP award, as he deserves.
