Shohei Ohtani denied MVP history as Pete Crow-Armstrong wins in landslide
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Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs won the 2026 National League MVP award unanimously, beating out Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ohtani, who had won the previous two NL MVPs and the 2023 AL MVP, failed to match Barry Bonds' record of four consecutive MVP trophies.
Despite a strong start where he led the NL with a .939 OPS and hit .300 through June 7, Ohtani's season was derailed by a left knee inflammation and a right arm injury. While he was initially dominant on the mound with a 0.74 ERA and 67 strikeouts in 61 innings over 10 starts, he was unable to pitch after an All-Star break knee injection.
Crow-Armstrong, who adjusted his batting stance midseason, combined a second-half offensive surge with the league's top defense in center field to secure the victory.
