Shohei Ohtani is the best player in the National League, maybe the world – there’s no argument about that. I want to make that clear right now. Now that that’s out of the way, I’m not here to talk about Ohtani’s greatness – but it might come up…

I’ve been very vocal in the past, both on this blog and on the Empire Sports Talk podcast, about my opinions regarding the MVP award in professional sports. As far back as the 2015 NL MVP race I’ve believed that the “V” in MVP hasn’t been as prominent in voting decisions as it should be. For more on why I think the “V” is being forgotten, see Most Valuable LeBron from May of 2016.

In short, I believe that there is a significant difference between the “best player” and the “most valuable player,” and I’m here to advocate for the latter.

Shohei Ohtani is the current frontrunner for NL MVP. Again, to be clear, Ohtani is incredible. The things can do on a baseball field are truly amazing. I fully believe that he is Major League Baseball’s best, most exciting player. But that’s not the name of the award, it’s Most Valuable Player, and that’s why I’m here advocating for Braves DH Marcell Ozuna for NL MVP.

Yes, Ohtani is doing incredible things. He’s a unicorn who is the greatest talent we’ve ever seen on a baseball field, but when you’re talking about value, other things must be considered. Shohei Ohtani is one of three players on the Dodgers who can – and have – lead teams with MVP numbers. On top of that, the Dodgers have experienced multiple periods this season where one or more of their three-headed monster of Ohtani, Betts and Freeman have missed time, and the Dodgers haven’t missed a beat.

Following an at-bat that ended in a flyout, the Dodgers’ broadcast team even admitted on Monday night that with Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman in the lineup, Shohei didn’t need to work as hard. The Braves NEED Marcell Ozuna, and if we want to throw another name in there, the Mets NEED Francisco Lindor.

Both the Braves and Mets are fighting for their playoff lives, lead almost single-handedly by their respective MVP candidates. The Braves have been ravaged by injuries that have left their record-setting offense in shambles. Marcell Ozuna has been the one constant in that offense, fighting and clawing for runs and wins on a nightly basis. The Mets have gotten hot more recently, and Lindor is playing out of his mind, sporting a .273 average, 30 home runs and 84 runs batted in going into play Wednesday night. When asked what a most valuable player looks like ahead of a game against the Red Sox on Tuesday, Mets President of Baseball Operations David Sterns said:

“I think he looks like the guy who runs out [to] shortstop at 7 o’clock.”

Stearns also stated in that same interview that Lindor is potentially having “the greatest individual position player season in the history of the franchise.” Some have even gone as far as to say that the NL MVP is a two-man race between Ohtani and Lindor. Did they forget about Ozuna? On top of carrying the Braves offense, Ozuna has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball since the All-Star break of LAST YEAR. Coming into play on Wednesday, Ozuna has a .306 average with 37 home runs, 84 RBIs and 159 hits – marks that are good enough to be top 3 in all categories.

And that is where the art of comparison and conversation of value really begins. Ozuna and Ohtani are both top 3 in all those categories. The only area where Ohtani towers over Marcell is in stolen bases, but Ozuna has been stride for stride otherwise. So, about value: as I mentioned, Ohtani is having an incredible year but could lift right out of the lineup and the combo of Betts and Freeman would still lift the Dodgers into contention. If you pull Ozuna off of the Braves – or Lindor off of the Mets – those teams would collapse under the weight of their own problems. Ozuna and Lindor are carrying the weight of the world on their respective shoulders. Ohtani is not. That’s where the value comes in.

So, what can be done? I’ve thought about it. Can you simply rename the award? Make it a best player award? I thought about that. Maybe call it the Barry Bonds Outstanding Player Award – named for the man who’s won more MVP awards than any other player in MLB history. That may open up a can of worms about the award’s namesake, given his current standing in the league and his involvement in steroid controversies. But then I remembered: Major League Baseball already has that award. It’s called the Hank Aaron Award which is awarded to the “top hitter in each league, as voted on by baseball fans and members of the media.” That sounds like Ohtani, especially since it’s media and fan voted. Not one person is arguing that Ohtani isn’t the best player in baseball. THAT’S his award for the foreseeable future. But like the criteria for the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year Award, the MVP award needs to re-classify its criteria to be more aligned with the name of the award. Ohtani was the MVP on the Angels. They needed him to even have a chance to compete. The second he joined the Dodgers. he became just another great player on an insanely good team. Quite frankly, having Ohtani, Freeman and Betts on the same team, the three of them cannibalize each other’s individual value.

Take the NHL’s Hart Memorial Trophy for example – it’s given to “the player deemed most valuable to their team in the NHL”. There’s that key word again. Value. The wording of the Hart Trophy criteria is much more specific – “…most valuable to their team.” That sounds like Ozuna; that sounds like Lindor.

Again. I’m not trying to shade Ohtani. He’s arguably the best we’ll ever see. But we’re getting used to him doing insane things. As one final example – let’s also look at how the NBA handed Nikola Jokic’s MVP candidacy. At 29 years old, Jokic is a 3-time MVP. He won back-to-back in 2021 and 2022, then again in 2024. So, what happened in 2023? Did Jokic have an off year? Nope. In fact, he averaged 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds and 9.8 assists in the regular season, finishing the year as an NBA champion and Finals MVP. So why didn’t he win MVP? That’s simple – voter fatigue. Fans and media had gotten so used to watching Jokic dominate in ways that someone in his position normally doesn’t do, that they instead gave the award to Joel Embiid. Sound familiar? Ohtani, like Jokic in the NBA. is a true unicorn, and while we may be a year or so away from voter fatigue in the MLB, the idea is the same.

As I also stated in M-V-Posey back in 2012, the MVP award if it was to be taken literally, should be given to a player whose individual performance is instrumental to their team’s success, like it was for Buster Posey in 2012. And unfortunately for Ohtani, because of his teammates and new stadium address, he doesn’t fit those specific criteria. Ohtani will win plenty of well-deserved hardware in his storied career, and the Hank Aaron Award exists for people like him, but as far as the Most Valuable Player, I believe he resides in Atlanta.