MLB players deliver overwhelming verdict in Shohei Ohtani-Pete Crow-Armstrong MVP debate

MLB players deliver overwhelming verdict in Shohei Ohtani-Pete Crow-Armstrong MVP debate originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Shohei Ohtani has spent years making MVP races feel like a formality. Pete Crow-Armstrong has finally given the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar a serious challenger. The Chicago Cubs center fielder has emerged as a legitimate threat to prevent Ohtani from winning a third consecutive National League MVP Award. Betting markets have repeatedly shifted throughout the summer, with Ohtani and Crow-Armstrong exchanging places as the favorite.

The race might appear nearly even publicly, but a group of MLB players delivered a much more decisive verdict.

ESPN’s Jesse Rogers surveyed more than 20 players from nine teams about their preferred MVP candidate. Players from the Cubs and Dodgers were not included.

Crow-Armstrong won the informal vote by a landslide. Pete Crow-Armstrong received 15 votes, Ohtani received four and two players favored splitting the award.

Crow-Armstrong’s greatest advantage is his ability to affect every part of a game. He ranks alongside Ohtani at the top of the National League in OPS, OPS+ and wRC+, with Crow-Armstrong leading in the latter category. He also ranks second in the NL in stolen bases and leads all MLB defenders in outs above average.

Ohtani remains one of baseball’s most dangerous hitters, but he does not play defense when serving as the Dodgers’ designated hitter. His last pitching appearance came July 3 before knee soreness forced him to the sideline. That absence has created an opening for Crow-Armstrong.

“He hasn’t slowed down and on top of that, he’s arguably the best fielder in all of baseball,” Chicago White Sox pitcher Trevor Richards told ESPN. “He’s a complete player. That’s for sure.”

Cleveland Guardians first baseman Rhys Hoskins also pointed to Crow-Armstrong’s everyday presence.

“In the true sense of the word, the guy that plays every day probably makes more of an impact on the team every single day,” Hoskins said. “Anyone that’s watched PCA or the Cubs over the last two months, this guy is the best player on the field every time he’s on the field.”

Crow-Armstrong also has an opportunity to finish with a 40-home run, 40-stolen base season. Combining that offensive production with elite defense at a premium position would give voters a compelling reason to choose someone other than Ohtani.

Crow-Armstrong has the players’ support right now, but Ohtani still controls an enormous part of the debate. Ohtani ranked among MLB’s best pitchers during his 14 starts before the knee injury. If he returns to the Dodgers’ rotation and performs at that level over the final weeks, his two-way value could become impossible to overcome.

“A half season of Cy Young-level pitching and what he does offensively, no one has done that on both sides of the ball,” White Sox pitcher Sean Burke told ESPN. “He gets my vote.”

Ohtani has started a throwing progression, giving him a chance to return before the end of the regular season. The quality and length of those potential appearances could become the deciding factor.

Reds pitcher Emilio Pagán said he would vote for Crow-Armstrong if the season ended now. His decision could change if Ohtani returns to a traditional starting role and works five to seven innings per outing.

“If he doesn’t pitch again in a real starter’s role, then I’d vote for PCA still,” Pagán said.

The argument for Ohtani is familiar. No other player can match his combination of elite power and front-line pitching. Crow-Armstrong’s case is built differently. He produces at the plate, creates pressure on the bases and prevents runs with game-changing defense in center field.

As Kansas City Royals slugger Jac Caglianone told ESPN, Crow-Armstrong’s defensive value could nearly match the impact Ohtani provides from the mound. With their offensive production so close, that makes the race difficult to separate. There also is a natural desire among some players to see a new winner. Ohtani has claimed four MVP Awards since 2021 and has set a standard that makes extraordinary seasons from other players easier to overlook.

Crow-Armstrong is forcing the baseball world to reconsider that standard. Ohtani still may enter the final month as the betting favorite, but the message from his peers was clear: If the award were decided today, Crow-Armstrong would be their choice.

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