Shohei Ohtani is a finalist for the National League MVP award again this season.
But for the first time since he finished second behind Aaron Judge for the American League award in 2022, Ohtani is not the favorite to win the MVP. Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, a former Harvard-Westlake standout, is widely expected to win the NL MVP award this season. Ohtani and Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Brice Turang, a Corona Santiago High product, are also finalists, meaning they finished in the top three.
The NL MVP each of his first two seasons with the Dodgers, Ohtani had a sub-par second half this year while trying to play through knee and biceps injuries. He went 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA in 14 starts but did not throw a pitch after July 3 due to the injuries.
The knee and biceps injuries that curtailed his pitching also impacted his hitting. His batting average (.275), on-base percentage (.377) and OPS (.889) were his lowest since that 2022 season with the Angels. His 30 home runs were his fewest in a full season since 2019 and he went a career-long 25 games without a home run before his three-run shot in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series against the Brewers.
Even in a season that did not meet his usual standards, Ohtani made history. According to Elias Sports, he is only the second player in MLB history to finish in the top three of MVP voting in six consecutive seasons, joining Ted Williams who did it in 1941-42 then 1946-49 after three seasons interrupted by military service during World War II.
Ohtani won the MVP award in the American League with the Angels in 2021 and 2023, finishing second to Judge in 2022 then won the award in the National League with the Dodgers in 2024 and 2025. Only Ohtani and Frank Robinson have won MVP awards in both leagues. Seven-time MVP Barry Bonds finished in the top three of voting for four consecutive seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants from 1990 through 1993 (winning three times) then again for five consecutive seasons with the San Francisco Giants from 2000 through 2004 (winning four of those seasons).
The AL MVP finalists are Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez, Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero and Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.
The MVP award winners will be announced on Thursday, Nov. 12, on MLB Network.
EXECUTIVE CHANGES
There are significant changes being made in the business side of the Dodgers’ front office.
Executive vice president and chief operating officer Bob Wolfe will retire at the end of 2026 after spending the past 14 years with the Dodgers (the past five as COO) and 47 years in professional sports with the Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Hawks, Washington Nationals and Dodgers. Wolfe will remain with the organization in an advisory role.
Wolfe will be replaced as of Nov. 30 by Caroline Perry, who spent the past 16 seasons in the San Diego Padres’ organization. The Dodgers also named Royce Cohen to the position of executive vice president and chief business officer.