Shohei Ohtani named a 2026 National League MVP finalist as league awards set for Nov. 12

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

Shohei Ohtani’s 2026 season may have been shaped by injuries, but the Baseball Writers’ Association of America still recognized his overall two-way impact with a spot on the 2026 National League Most Valuable Player Award ballot. Ohtani was named a finalist, with the other nominees being Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and Brewers second baseman Brice Turang, the BBWAA’s MVP selections announced Monday through MLB Network.

The NL MVP finalists represent the BBWAA’s Most Valuable Player balloting for regular-season performance, with voting conducted before the beginning of the postseason. According to the announcement, Ohtani was the only Los Angeles Dodger to finish in the top three in balloting for any of the five BBWAA Awards, underscoring how his season stood out across the league’s major categories.

Both the National League and American League MVP Award winners are scheduled to be announced on Nov. 12 on MLB Network at 4 p.m. PT. The date sets the immediate next checkpoint for the MVP race, with the finalists already identified through BBWAA voting.

Ohtani enters the MVP decision as a former multi-time winner, having won three consecutive MVP Awards unanimously and four overall in his MLB career. The announcement notes that he has been an MVP finalist in six straight seasons, winning four times, with the only player named ahead of him in that category being Barry Bonds’ seven MVP honors.

Statistically, Ohtani’s profile reflected the dual role that has defined his MVP-level seasons even while his availability was limited. As a hitter, he posted an .889 OPS and slugged 30 home runs. He also recorded a 143 OPS+, a mark the announcement describes as 43% better than league average, capturing his effectiveness at the plate even with time lost to injury.

On the pitching side, Ohtani compiled an 8-2 record with a 1.79 ERA and a 237 ERA+ through 14 starts, according to the BBWAA’s MVP context provided in the announcement. That includes the season’s key turning point on the mound: Ohtani did not pitch in a game after July 3, when a lingering left knee injury became too much of a hindrance to continue.

The announcement also links the pitching decline to other injury concerns that resurfaced during the year. Around the same period that ended his pitching schedule, a right biceps issue that had flared up earlier in the season began to bother him again, contributing to a season that blended productive output with increasing health limitations.

Even with those setbacks, Ohtani was able to contribute at a high level for much of the year. Through Aug. 7, he had a 154 wRC+, described in the announcement as the second-best mark in the NL behind Crow-Armstrong’s 157, positioning the two as close rivals in the MVP conversation early in the latter portion of the regular season.

But the announcement says the trajectory changed after Aug. 7. Beginning the next day, Ohtani started a throwing progression, and his batting line afterward dropped to a .205 average over the remainder of the season. It also notes that he spent a minimum-length 15-day injured list stint in September.

While injuries ultimately interrupted some of the season’s momentum, the BBWAA’s finalist selection reflects that Ohtani still combined elite two-way performance with enough sustained production to remain in contention. The announcement characterizes his season as still a two-way effort only he has been able to put together in the current era of baseball, even as it frames 2026 as falling short of his prior MVP-winning benchmarks.

The finalists set up a direct comparison with Ohtani’s two NL counterparts, with the announcement specifically describing Crow-Armstrong as the player positioned to potentially unseat him. It also describes Crow-Armstrong’s season as a 40-40 campaign and notes he was considered the best defender in baseball, while Turang represents the other finalist from Milwaukee.

Ohtani’s MVP finalist status extends a remarkable run that reaches across multiple seasons, but the Nov. 12 announcement will decide whether the BBWAA votes will keep him among the top of the league’s award winners or whether another NL standout will claim the 2026 Most Valuable Player Award.

For readers following the remaining MVP decision, the relevant timing is set: the winners of both league MVP awards will be revealed on Nov. 12 at 4 p.m. PT through MLB Network, following the BBWAA’s voting that identified Ohtani, Crow-Armstrong, and Turang as the NL finalists.