LOS ANGELES — In the moment, the focus is on Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani is mired in one of the worst slumps of his career, he’s clearly been diminished by knee and biceps injuries, but insists he’s close to figuring things out mechanically, and will remain in the lineup for Game 3 of the National League Championship Series.
But sometimes we can’t see the forest for the trees. Even though Ohtani has no home runs and one run batted in over his last 24-plus games and 110 plate appearances, he still
had a very good season at the plate overall.
To that end, Ohtani was voted by his peers among the top three finishes for two MLB Players Choice Awards, the MLB Players Association announced on Wednesday.
Ohtani will finish in the top three for major league Player of the Year, along with Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Álvarez and Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong. Ohtani is also in the top three for National League Outstanding Player, along with Armstrong and Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber.
Ohtani this season hit .275/.377/.512 with a 139 wRC+, 30 home runs, 81 walks, 89 runs scored, and 81 RBI in 135 games this season, third in the National League in OPS, fifth in slugging percentage, and sixth in on-base percentage and wRC+.
But he also added a 1.79 ERA an 2.73 xERA in 14 pitching starts, with 95 strikeouts and 26 walks in 85 2/3 innings. Combining hitting and pitching, Ohtani’s 6.6 FanGraphs WAR was tied with Milwaukee Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski for second in the NL, and was tied for fourth in the majors.
Ohtani won the Player of the Year Award once from his fellow players, in 2021 while with the Angels. He’s won three Outstanding Player Awards in his league, two with the Angels (2021, 2023) and one with the Dodgers (2024). He’s been a top-three finisher for both awards in each of the last six seasons.
The winners of the 2026 MLB Players Choice Awards will be announced during the week of October 26.
