For most of the baseball world, the American League MVP race is not a race at all. While everyone else has been running on foot, Shohei Ohtani partook in a biathlon for more than half the season. This pitching-hitting hybrid, despite his recent injury issues, is still on his way to arguably the most impressive MLB campaign in history.

With that type of praise, the 2023 MVP award is probably already in his house. Still, there have been multiple superstar showings in the AL this season. In fact, as Ohtani captivates millions across the globe, Corey Seager is putting together his own mind-boggling season.

Chris Rose decided to play Devil's advocate and make a case for the Texas Rangers shortstop on the Baseball Today podcast. “If the Rangers come back and win the {AL} West when we all thought they were dead…and he is the biggest reason why… you don't think some voters will be swayed in that direction,” he said on Friday.

Rose did go on to say that Ohtani would get his vote for the honor, but he still wanted to present a possible path to Seager earning first-place consideration. Honestly, one can see how such an argument could impact some ballots. The 29-year-old is batting .344 with 31 home runs and 92 RBIs in just 103 games played. That is a career year for so many players, and Corey Seager did it while missing a month-and-a-half of action.

And to Rose's point, the four-time All-Star has been the centerpiece of the Rangers' quest for a divisional title, which would mark their first postseason appearance since 2016. Catapulting a franchise back into relevance will inevitably carry some weight. Of course, the Los Angeles Angels sensation possesses the ultimate tiebreaker. Shohei Ohtani posted a 3.14 ERA in 23 starts this year.

A compelling, red-hot MVP race is then effectively doused with cold water. Nevertheless, Seager deserves his due for even forcing this conversation. Maybe he will get just that, via some surprise votes.