Los Angeles Dodgers icon Shohei Ohtani remains an elite two-way force this season, yet a growing chorus of insiders have begun sketching a route by which he might not capture yet another Most Valuable Player award.
While his staggering bat and rare return to the pitcher’s mound once more position him among the front-runners for a fourth MVP, the margins are tightening, and the conversation is shifting.
At the plate, Ohtani has piled up 45 home runs, maintains a .276/.386/.600 slash line, and tallied 85 RBIs.
His weighted runs created plus stands at a robust 165, second among all qualified hitters, and his combined two-way value has generated 5.8 wins above replacement, ranking fifth in Major League Baseball.
But an MLB insider has highlighted a critical factor that could undermine that MVP bid: Ohtani‘s deployment primarily as a designated hitter limits his accumulation of WAR.
Without defensive utility to bolster his value, he remains U.S.-wide dependent for MVP voters to weigh his pitching contributions heavily.
A pitch-dependent path to MVP
Unlike full-time fielders, next-level WAR defenders and positional stars may narrow the gap, especially if they combine offense with defensive prowess.
That dynamic is already underway, as other standout performers continue to stir debate.
Across the league, a few names are gaining traction in conversations around the trophy.
Pete Crow-Armstrong, whose combination of offense and Gold-Glove defense has made him an unexpected MVP challenger, and Kyle Schwarber, whose late-season power surge has vaulted him into serious contention.
Crow-Armstrong has impressed both at the plate and in center field, challenging Ohtani across WAR metrics, while Schwarber has punched 15 homers in his last 30 games, pushing his total to 40 and narrowing the bettingline gap substantially.
Meanwhile, Ohtani‘s return to the mound, though historic, has been cautiously managed. Dodgers insiders, citing the significant injury toll on their pitching staff, with 14 arms sidelined, have opted to limit his innings in favor of October health.
That conservative approach ensures he remains a weapon in the postseason but may cap his value on the mound during MVP voting.
Expert takeaway: closing the gap
Ohtani remains, in many ways, the linchpin of the Dodgers‘ season, and his two-way excellence is unmatched.
Yet as the calendar barrels toward autumn, MVP watchers are placing increasing weight on defensive value and sustained two-way durability.
Without those margins, even a season like Ohtani‘s, bat, throwing arm, and legacy combined, could fall short if another star blazes an extraordinary stretch.
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