Shohei Ohtani has turned the National League MVP race into his personal runway.
The Dodgers star is already sitting on four MVP awards, including three straight, and MLB.com’s latest poll has him firmly in front again as he chases a fourth consecutive MVP and a fifth overall. He collected 161 total points and 30 first-place votes in the poll, a clear sign that the race is tilting his way.
Jason Foster of MLB.com put it plainly: "What Ohtani continues to do on both sides the ball is remarkable, if that's even a strong enough word," wrote Jason Foster of MLB.com. "As a hitter, his .412 on-base percentage entering Monday was best in the NL, while his .950 OPS ranked third.
On the mound, his 1.58 ERA would rank second in the NL if he had enough innings to qualify. He's made 13 starts, has an 8-2 record and has struck out 86 batters in 79 2/3 innings.
As a hitter, his average exit velocity is just over 94 mph. As a pitcher, his average fastball velocity is a tick under 98 mph.
It all translates to a 5.4 bWAR, the highest among all MLB players. A fourth-straight MVP award -- and fifth overall -- sure feels likely."
Even with all that, Ohtani isn’t leading every offensive leaderboard. He doesn’t have the NL’s top numbers in the major batting categories, but the production is still loud: a .297 average, .546 slugging percentage, .958 OPS and 18 home runs to go with that 1.58 ERA. He was also the leading vote-getter in phase 1 and will automatically start at designated hitter for the National League.
There’s still a full second half left for him to stack more innings and plate appearances, but the early returns have been just as loud. Ohtani has opened the second half by batting .337 with a .437 on-base percentage, a .674 slugging percentage, eight home runs and 19 RBI in 86 at-bats in June.
In Other News...
Brewers May Need A Familiar Face To Fix A Lingering Problem
The Brewers have spent much of the season leaning on pitching depth and a bullpen that has generally done the job, but the roster still has a few soft spots that could shape how aggressive they get before the August 3 trade deadline. One of the bigger questions remains the left side of the infield, where Milwaukee could stand to add some stability, and the front office may not have to look far to find names that already feel familiar.
A few former Brewers are popping up as possible solutions, including Grant Wolfram, who is now with the Orioles, and Bryan Hudson, whose rebound with the White Sox has made him a more interesting bullpen option than he was a year ago. David Fry, meanwhile, offers the kind of versatile bat that can help a bench in a hurry. The most obvious reunion candidate would be Willy Adames, but the bigger issue for Milwaukee is whether it can line up the kind of move that actually answers the need without costing too much elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Suddenly Look Ready To Make A Real Deadline Push
The Brewers have spent much of the summer looking like a club built to stay in the race, but the bigger surprise now is that they appear equipped to do more than survive it. Theyre sitting on top of the NL Central and, if the season ended today, would be in line for the No. 2 seed in the National League, a reflection of how well the roster has held up even through injuries. The pitching staff has been steady, the offense has produced, and the overall profile is of a team with enough balance to justify a real look at upgrading before the August 3 trade deadline.
Milwaukee is still sorting through the best way to sharpen the roster, and thats where the deadline conversation gets interesting. The club has internal options to consider, but the most obvious areas for help remain the bullpen and added power, the kind of needs that tend to separate a division leader from a true October threat. For a front office that has long prized opportunity over splash, this feels like the kind of deadline where patience can still make room for a decisive move. [Read more 🡒]
Brandon Sproat Is Forcing A Brewers Decision Much Sooner Than Expected
Brandon Sproats first season in the Brewers system has moved well past the shaky early stretch that came after he arrived in the Freddy Peralta trade. Milwaukee has been encouraged enough by the right-handers progress to keep tracking him as a possible part of the rotation picture down the line, and June gave that idea a real boost with sharper command and more effective pitching than he showed in May.
The timing is what makes this matter now. Sproats improvement is arriving just as Milwaukees staff is getting healthier, and the returning arms are about to force some hard decisions. Logan Henderson is close to coming back, and with Jacob Misiorowski, Kyle Harrison, Brandon Woodruff, Shane Drohan and Robert Gasser also in the mix, the Brewers may soon have more viable starters than rotation spots. [Read more 🡒]