For the first time in his career, Shohei Ohtani appears to be heading into the final stretch of a season with legitimate pressure from another player in the National League MVP race. Ohtani remains the overwhelming favorite for many, but Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong has earned the support of plenty of analysts and fans.

Ohtani entered the season as the clear front-runner for the MVP Award. His status as an elite two-way player has already earned him four MVP trophies during his career. He has faced formidable competition in each of those races, but this time, the challenge coming from Crow-Armstrong — better known as “PCA” — has been far greater than expected.

Over the past few weeks, the NL MVP race has shifted dramatically. Crow-Armstrong has gone from chasing Ohtani to emerging as a legitimate favorite, with several polls now placing him ahead of the Dodgers star. Still, there are compelling arguments for why Ohtani remains in position to win this remarkably close race.

Let's take a closer look at what these two exceptional players have accomplished this season.

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Why Pete Crow-Armstrong Could Take the MVP Award From Shohei Ohtani

Crow-Armstrong is making an impact on both sides of the ball. His defense in center field is elite, while his bat has developed into an MVP-caliber weapon. That combination gives him tremendous overall value.

He has already become MLB's first 30-30 player this season — accomplishing the feat for the second consecutive year — and recently joined an exclusive group of players by hitting a leadoff home run and a walk-off home run in the same game.

WAR also gives Crow-Armstrong an advantage. Both Baseball-Reference and FanGraphs currently have the Cubs star ahead of Ohtani in overall value, although the gap varies depending on the methodology used.

The bigger point is that Crow-Armstrong's season has been about much more than offensive production. He is providing elite defensive value while producing at nearly the same level as Ohtani at the plate. That combination is extremely difficult to find.

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The case for Ohtani is formidable.

He remains arguably the better hitter of the two and also made a significant impact as a pitcher before being sidelined from that role. Before stepping away from pitching in early July, Ohtani went 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA in 14 starts. Over 85.2 innings, he allowed just 55 hits while striking out 95 batters.

At the plate, Ohtani and PCA have been remarkably close. They currently rank first and second in the National League in OPS, OPS+ and wRC+.

The challenge for Ohtani in this particular MVP race is that his value as a pitcher is incomplete. Had he continued pitching at that level throughout the season, the MVP debate might already have been heavily tilted in his favor. But voters cannot simply assign him hypothetical value for innings he did not pitch.

There are still roughly six weeks remaining in the regular season, however, giving Ohtani plenty of time to create separation once again.

Pete Crow-Armstrong vs. Shohei Ohtani: 2026 Offensive Numbers

• WAR: PCA (7.8), Ohtani (6.8), including 3.8 as a hitter and 3.0 as a pitcher
• Hits: PCA (136), Ohtani (133)
• Doubles: PCA (25), Ohtani (24)
• Triples: PCA (7), Ohtani (3)
• Home runs: PCA (31), Ohtani (30)
• RBIs: Ohtani (80), PCA (79)
• Stolen bases: PCA (31), Ohtani (7)
• Total bases: PCA (268), Ohtani (253)
• Walks: Ohtani (71), PCA (68)
• AVG: Ohtani (.291), PCA (.279)
• OBP: Ohtani (.388), PCA (.378)
• SLG: Ohtani (.554), PCA (.550)
• OPS: Ohtani (.942), PCA (.928)
• OPS+: Ohtani (159), PCA (156)

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As the numbers show, Crow-Armstrong has a slight edge in several counting categories, while Ohtani holds narrow advantages in most rate statistics.

The biggest difference comes on defense. Ohtani has primarily served as a designated hitter when he is not pitching, while Crow-Armstrong has established himself as one of the game's premier defensive center fielders. The Cubs star is not only in position to contend for his second Gold Glove Award, but also for a Platinum Glove thanks to his extraordinary defensive value.

Ohtani, of course, still has the advantage of being a true two-way player. It is not simply the fact that he contributes both on the mound and at the plate; it is the level at which he does both.

As a hitter, Ohtani ranks among the best in MLB. And before his pitching workload was interrupted, he was also part of the Cy Young conversation. Several of his hitting and pitching metrics rank among the best in Statcast, further illustrating just how unique his skill set remains.

There is still plenty of baseball left to play. Crow-Armstrong has been spectacular and has made this a legitimate MVP race, but Ohtani's combination of elite offense and two-way impact continues to give him a compelling case for a fifth MVP Award.