Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani just strengthened his case for Most Valuable Player. After crushing his 37th home run of the season, Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani’s latest tater against the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday featured the umpire’s point of view of the highlight, provided by Bleacher Report.
Ohtani makes hitting look easy with his National League-leading 37 home runs in mid-August. His solo shot in the top of the third inning extended Los Angeles’ lead (2-0) to two runs before the Dodgers scored five in the fourth in Tuesday’s 7-2 win.
“We’ve gotten good starts,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, per Associated Press’ Jim Hoein. “When you get good starting pitching, it does take pressure off the offense. We’ve had some timely hits. I talked about this last series. I didn’t think we were good situationally. This series, so far, we’ve been good.”
The Dodgers, with a 71-49 record, lead the National League standings and are tied with the Cleveland Guardians for the best record in the MLB.
Shohei Ohtani leads National League MVP race
Ohtani (-1887) and the New York Yankees’ outfielder Aaron Judge (-847) are among the favorites to win the National League and American League’s Most Valuable Player awards, according to Fox Sports. Batting .297 with 86 RBI to go with his 37 home runs in 117 games, Ohtani is building a significant lead in the race with Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte (+750) and Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (+5000) trailing behind.
The Dodgers’ designated hitter is in position to win his third MVP award in four years. After winning the AL MVP in 2023 with the Los Angeles Angels as a designated hitter and starting pitcher, Ohtani signed a historic 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers.
However, some believe the NL MVP race is tighter than it appears, according to Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz, who, in a recent episode of “Flippin Bats with Ben Verlander,” gave Marte the slight edge.
“If you are single-handedly putting your team in a playoff race or helping your team get to a playoff race versus the expected player who’s already on a really good team, that will hurt Shohei Ohtani a little bit,” said Smoltz. “The Dodgers are already great, and for Shohei right now, he’s come back a little bit — every hitter will. If you’re a position player and you have the ability to impact the game on both sides, you should have an advantage.”
If Ohtani becomes this year’s National League MVP, he will join Frank Robinson as the only two players in MLB history to win in the American and National League.
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