Major League Baseball (MLB) superstar Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers has been named a finalist for the National League (NL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. This marks his fourth consecutive year in contention and fifth overall, but his chances seem slim this time around. The competition is fierce, with Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs emerging as a formidable challenger.
On Tuesday, MLB.com unveiled the final candidates for major individual awards in both leagues, including the MVP and Cy Young Award.
The Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) will determine the winners through a voting process. Three finalists for each category have been announced.
The NL MVP finalists are Shohei Ohtani, Crow-Armstrong, and Bryce Turang of the Milwaukee Brewers.
Ohtani has claimed the MVP title four times in the past five seasons. He secured the American League (AL) MVP in 2021 and 2023 with the Los Angeles Angels, then nabbed the NL MVP in 2024 and 2025 after joining the Dodgers.
This season, Ohtani started strong as a two-way player but hit a rough patch in July due to injuries to his left knee and right bicep. His last pitching appearance was on July 4 against the San Diego Padres. Since then, he’s been limited to designated hitter duties and has struggled at the plate.
For the 2026 regular season, Ohtani appeared in 139 games as a hitter, posting a .275 batting average, 144 hits, 30 home runs, 81 run-batted ins (RBIs), 89 runs scored, and an .889 on-base plus slugging (OPS). On the mound, he made 14 starts, going 8-2 with a 1.79 earned run average (ERA).
The NL MVP race seems to favor Crow-Armstrong, who became just the seventh player in MLB history to achieve a 40-40 season. He played all 162 games, hitting .280 with 175 hits, 45 homers, 107 RBIs, 119 runs scored, 41 stolen bases, and a .942 OPS.
If Crow-Armstrong secures his first MVP, he’ll be the Cubs’ first winner since Kris Bryant in 2016, ending a decade-long drought for the franchise.
In the AL, the MVP finalists are Yordan Alvarez of the Houston Astros, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, and Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals. None have previously won the award.
Alvarez is considered the frontrunner. He played 158 games, hitting .316 with 179 hits, 42 homers, 106 RBIs, 105 runs scored, and a 1.033 OPS.
The Cy Young Award race also features clear favorites. In the NL, Jacob Mizorowski of the Milwaukee Brewers stands out, while Cam Schullitler of the New York Yankees is the man to beat in the AL.
Mizorowski dominated with his triple-digit fastball and pinpoint control, finishing 16-5 with 252 strikeouts and a 1.80 ERA in 30 starts. He averaged an impressive 13 strikeouts per nine innings and held opponents to a mere .157 batting average.
Schullitler was equally impressive, going 14-6 with 239 strikeouts and a 1.95 ERA in 33 starts. If he wins, he’ll be the first Yankee to claim the Cy Young since Roger Clemens in 2001, ending a 25-year drought for the Bronx Bombers.
The Cy Young winners will be announced on December 12, followed by the MVP reveal on December 13.
