Crow-Armstrong passes Ohtani as NL MVP favorite; Alvarez leads AL

Cubs center fielder launched his 31st home run Tuesday.

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated Aug 191 min read

What happened: Pete Crow-Armstrong has overtaken Shohei Ohtani as the for the National League MVP award. Yordan Alvarez remains the prohibitive favorite in the American League race.

Why it matters: The National League competition has evolved into a daily power exchange between the two players. Crow-Armstrong's defensive metrics in center field provide a slight advantage, though Ohtani's potential return to the mound from a knee injury could change the calculus.

By the numbers: Crow-Armstrong moved after hitting a walk-off blast Monday and adding his 31st home run on Tuesday. Ohtani sits after responding with his 30th homer, while Alvarez leads the American League market.

What to watch: The race hinges on whether Ohtani is cleared to resume pitching for Los Angeles down the stretch.

Sources

Yahoo MLB 2026-08-19T11:58:16.675598+00:00

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