Even a banged-up Ohtani dazzles enough to earn nod as MVP finalist
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LOS ANGELES -- Injuries might have spelled a disappointing end to his year, but Shohei Ohtani still put together a season to remember.
Ohtani was named a finalist for the 2026 National League Most Valuable Player Award, as voted on by the Baseball Writers' Association of America and announced on MLB Network on Monday. The other finalists are Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and Brewers second baseman Brice Turang.
The winners of both league's MVP Awards will be announced on Nov. 12 on MLB Network at 4 p.m. PT.
Ohtani was the lone Dodger to finish in the top three in balloting for any of the five BBWAA Awards, which are based on regular-season performance and voted on before the beginning of the postseason.
After winning three consecutive MVP Awards unanimously -- and four overall in his career -- Ohtani is widely expected to be unseated this year by Crow-Armstrong, who put together a 40-40 season and was considered the best defender in baseball.
As a hitter, Ohtani posted an .889 OPS and slugged 30 homers. He had a 143 OPS+, meaning that he was 43% better than league average. As a pitcher, he was dominant, going 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA and a 237 ERA+ through 14 starts. But he did not pitch in a game after July 3, when a lingering left knee injury became too much of a hindrance. Around that same time, a right biceps issue that had flared up earlier in the season began to bother him again.
Ohtani was able to produce in spite of the injuries for quite some time. Through Aug. 7, he had a 154 wRC+, the second-best mark in the NL behind Crow-Armstrong's 157, and the two appeared to be neck-and-neck in the MVP race. But the next day, Ohtani began a throwing progression, and he hit just .205 the rest of the way, which included a minimum-length 15-day IL stint in September.
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In sum, it was still a two-way season that only Ohtani is capable of putting together in this age of the game. But he fell short of what he has accomplished in the past, and it was arguably not the best season played in the NL this year.
Ohtani has been an MVP finalist in six straight seasons, winning four times -- the second most in MLB history, behind Barry Bonds' seven honors -- and finishing second to Aaron Judge in the American League in 2022.