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.