Final 35 games put Crow-Armstrong, Ohtani MVP cases under scrutiny

Joel Sherman says team outcomes will carry weight.

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated Aug 211 min read

"I think these last 35 games are going to matter. The narrative of what happens with their teams and their impact is rea Via @MLBNetwork on X

What happened: Both candidates homered twice in the same Aug. 5 game, a 7-6 result. Crow-Armstrong then topped MLB.com's Aug. 13 NL MVP market snapshot, reversing the order from July 9.

Why it matters: The late shift has turned the remaining schedule into a sustained comparison rather than a coronation. Ohtani's recent four-hit, two-homer game at Coors Field added another performance marker.

By the numbers: Entering Aug. 12, Crow-Armstrong led the majors with 8.0 FanGraphs WAR, compared with Ohtani's 6.6. Crow-Armstrong moved on July 9 on Aug.

What to watch: Track daily production and team results over the remaining 35 games.

Sources

@MLBNetwork 2026-08-21T02:47:15.151610+00:00

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