Shohei Ohtani Still Clear MVP Favorite Despite Slump
Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani topped MLB.com's first Most Valuable Player poll of the 2026 season.
Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani topped MLB. com’s first Most Valuable Player poll of the 2026 season. 40 MLB.
com analysts participated in the poll, and 28 of them voted Ohtani as the National League’s MVP thus far. The 31-year-old has won the NL MVP unanimously in both of his seasons with the Dodgers, and could very well be on the way to a third. Ohtani hasn’t performed up to his usual, 1.
000 OPS standard at the plate this season, but that doesn’t seem to matter when he’s been the National League’s best pitcher for the first month or so of the regular season. The right-hander is sporting a . 814 OPS to go with his 0.
60 ERA—which would lead MLB if he qualified for individual stat leadership. “Who else did you expect to see here? It seems safe to say that as long as Ohtani is elite at either hitting or pitching, he will continue to be the MVP favorite in the NL,” .