What happened: Pete Crow-Armstrong and Shohei Ohtani continued their back-and-forth battle for the National League MVP award this week with a flurry of home runs. Crow-Armstrong launched a leadoff shot and a walk-off homer for the Chicago Cubs on Monday, while Ohtani went deep in consecutive at-bats for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Both players homered again in their respective victories on Tuesday.
Why it matters: The neck-and-neck race represents a shift from earlier in the season, when Ohtani appeared to be running away with the award. However, a knee injury has kept the Dodgers star off the mound since early July. Crow-Armstrong capitalized with a 32-game tear, using his elite defense in center field to close the gap on the two-way superstar.
By the numbers: Entering Wednesday, Ohtani slashed .294/.390/.558 with 30 home runs and 80 RBIs. Crow-Armstrong trailed slightly in average at .282, but held the edge with 31 homers, 31 stolen bases, and a lead in wins-above-replacement.
What to watch: The MVP discourse will center on the value of Crow-Armstrong's premium everyday defense versus Ohtani's early-season pitching contributions.