The National League MVP race as evolved throughout the course of the 2025 Major League Baseball season. While Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani has been the favorite all year, he is no longer alone. Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber is one of the league's top performers in the second half of the year. His dominance makes things interesting.
Schwarber broke onto the scene when he won the All-Star Game MVP earlier this summer. That kicked off a red-hot stretch that lasted multiple months. The Phillies have a star-studded roster, but Schwarber has set himself apart as the team's leader heading into the postseason. Philadelphia is well-positioned to be one of the NL's top seeds, and its slugger is the main reason why.
The Phillies have four games left in their regular season, including a weekend series against the Minnesota Twins. Things are set up perfectly for Schwarber to put up big numbers to end the year. He needs everything he can get down the stretch to help close the gap between him and Ohtani. Voters could skew towards his recent production, giving him an advantage in the MVP race.
In the American League, Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh are in a tight race for MVP. Unlike that duo of stars. Schwarber and Ohtani have been the top two candidates solely in the last part of the season. While Schwarber's ascension has been something to watch, the ground he needed to make up to catch Ohtani is significant.
The Phillies are one of MLB's best teams. However, the team's true success will be measured by what it can do in the postseason. The Dodgers, on the other hand, are ready to continue their championship defense this fall. Despite that, Schwarber is a worthy challenger for NL MVP.
Schwarber's team has been more dominant than Ohtani's this year
Unless the Phillies fail to win another game for the rest of the season, they will finish ahead of the Dodgers in the standings. While Philadelphia's finish is thanks to a relatively weak division, the team's dominance cannot be ignored. Los Angeles, on the other hand, has dealt with injuries and offensive lulls. The Dodgers have many issues to address, including their playoff bullpen.
With the exception of Zack Wheeler's blood clots, Philadelphia enters the playoffs at full strength. Schwarber and the Phillies have held their own as an offensive juggernaut among the league's best.
However, Philadelphia's pitching give them an edge over almost everyone in the NL. If Schwarber finishes strong, he and Trea Turner could end the season as two of the league's batting leaders.
In close award races, voters can use team success to help them split hairs. If it gets to that point, Schwarber will win thanks to Philadelphia's consistency throughout the entire season. Ohtani and Los Angeles are still the kings of the NL until someone knocks them off. However, Schwarber and the Phillies lead the line of challengers ready to claim the league as their own.
Schwarber's impressive second half gives him an edge
Ohtani has been as good as ever on the mound and at the plate. However, his dominance has been somewhat muted compared to seasons past. Last year, he put up a 50/50 season for the Dodgers, dominating headlines. This season, he is not the NL player people are talking about down the stretch of the season. Schwarber has the hottest bat in the league and deserves the attention.
Schwarber cracked his 56th home run of the season on Wednesday night. He is second in the league to Raleigh, but he leads the NL by a decent margin. Compared to Ohtani, he has three more home runs and 33 more RBIs this year. If he finishes ahead of the Dodgers superstar in both categories, his MVP case goes from shaky to solid in the blink of an eye.
Philadelphia is confident in its playoff chances this season. Schwarber came up big in the 2024 postseason and could easily do so again. If the second half of the regular season is any indication, he is as dangerous as anyone in the playoff field. Ohtani has been good all year long, but Schwarber's momentum builds with every game, giving him a chance to steamroll into the MVP voting.
Ohtani could suffer from voter fatigue
Ohtani has won an MVP award in three of the last four MLB seasons. The Dodgers' two way stud is the front-runner to add another to his collection. However, he could run into one of the more unique problems a dominant athlete has to deal with; voter fatigue. The people who decide the award races often struggle to give the same player MVP honors in multiple years.
Ohtani's ability makes him a player the sport might never see again. His 54th home run matches a career-best as he leads Los Angeles on a late-season push. While he is deserving of winning the NL MVP, the voters could lean towards giving the spotlight to another candidate. Enter Schwarber, who is having just as good a season without having any MVPs in his trophy case.
Schwarber and Ohtani have a few games left to put bows on their seasons. In any other year, each of them would be more than deserving candidates to win the NL MVP. While the latter has the inside track on taking the honors home, Schwarber's case is only getting better. He has what it takes to win, even if it requires a lot to break his way.
