Ohtani's 8-2 record keeps him in MVP race despite injury-plagued season

Shohei Ohtani secured his spot as a National League MVP finalist, finishing in the top three for the sixth consecutive season. The Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star is competing against Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Brice Turang and Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong. Crow-Armstrong, a former Harvard-Westlake player, is widely expected to win the award, marking the first time since 2022 that Ohtani enters the final voting without being the clear favorite.

Ohtani's path to the final three was marked by physical setbacks. He started 14 games on the mound, posting an 8-2 record with a 1.79 earned run average. However, he did not throw a pitch after July 3 due to knee and biceps injuries. These ailments also affected his performance at the plate. His .275 batting average.377 on-base percentage, and .889 OPS were his lowest marks since his 2022 season with the Angels. He hit 30 home runs, his fewest in a full season since 2019, and endured a career-long 25-game homerless drought before launching a three-run shot in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series against the Brewers.

The 2026 season extends a streak that places Ohtani in elite historical company. According to Elias Sports, he is only the second player in Major League Baseball history to finish in the top three of MVP voting in six straight seasons. Ted Williams is the only other player to achieve this, doing so from 1941 to 1942 and then from 1946 to 1949, with a gap caused by military service during World War II. Ohtani has won the MVP award in both leagues, a feat shared only by Frank Robinson. He took the American League honor with the Angels in 2021 and 2023, and the National League award with the Dodgers in 2024 and 2025.

Seven-time winner Barry Bonds set the previous standard for consecutive top-three finishes, achieving it for four seasons from 1990 to 1993 and five seasons from 2000 to 2004. In the American League, the final three candidates are Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez, Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero, and Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.

Beyond the playing field, the Dodgers are restructuring their business leadership. Bob Wolfe, executive vice president and chief operating officer, will retire at the end of 2026. He spent 14 years with the Dodgers, serving as COO for the last five, and worked 47 years in professional sports with the Braves, Hawks, and Nationals. He will remain with the organization in an advisory capacity.

Caroline Perry will replace Wolfe as COO effective November 30. Perry spent the previous 16 seasons in the San Diego Padres organization. The Dodgers also named Royce Cohen as executive vice president and chief business officer.

The MVP award winners for both leagues will be announced on Thursday, November 12, on MLB Network.