The Los Angeles Dodgers walked into 2026 with the feeling Shohei Ohtani is reclaiming Most Valuable Player honors. Teammate Freddie Freeman appears to be the only other Dodgers threat for MVP. Yet there's a new contender to discuss among Dodger Blue: Andy Pages.
Here's why Pages rises as a sudden MVP candidate, as presented by The Athletic's Katie Woo on Saturday.
“Andy Pages and his torrid start to the season begins. He smashes a three-run homer into the Dodgers bullpen. He's hitting .500 on the year with a 1.374 OPS. We're probably not talking about him enough,” Woo posted on the social media website X, formerly Twitter.
That three-run blast lifted his Dodgers to the 9-2 lead in the fifth inning against the Washington Nationals. LA led 10-2 into the seventh.
But Pages has become impactful over the years for the back-to-back World Series champs.
Pages once led the league in defensive runs saved at 10 during May 2025. His manager Dave Roberts even believed Pages played at an MLB All-Star level in June.
Pages improved his numbers too during 2025. He raised his home runs total to 27 after blasting 13 in his 2024 MLB debut. The Cuban-born talent elevated his hit total to 158 as well after chipping 100 during his rookie season. He also scored 74 runs compared to the 65 he delivered in '24.
The 25-year-old appears to be quietly emerging into a future all-star, even on a team filled with multiple ones. He's off to a fast start already, which is garnering respect across the league. Granted, it'll be hard for Pages to claim MVP honors in front of Ohtani and Freeman. But he's sparking all-star chatter if anything.
