$50M-valued Braves legend hails Pete Crow-Armstrong, but sides with Shohei Ohtani for 2026 NL MVP

Thanks to their outstanding performances day in, day out, Shohei Ohtani of the LA Dodgers and Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs have emerged as the two leading contenders for the NL MVP award.

Naturally, picking the rightful winner of the prestigious prize has been a hot topic amongst fans and experts alike. On Saturday’s episode of “Flippin’ Bats with Ben Verlander,” Atlanta Braves legend John Smoltz had his say on the matter.

According to the Hall of Famer, who is worth a reported $50 million, though Pete Crow-Armstrong has been exceptional on both sides of the ball, Ohtani’s pitching ability gives him the upper hand.

“I love the way he (Pete Crow-Armstrong) plays, everything about him. If the offensive numbers are similar, I don’t see where you can give him the advantage,” Smoltz said. “I don’t think his defense outweighs the run prevention of Ohtani’s pitching. You can’t penalize the greatest player in the world for being the greatest player in the world.”

“I would say, in my own humble opinion, that PCA would have to have better offensive numbers, and they can be a little bit better. They just can’t be even. I don’t know how you take the defense he plays on an everyday basis, versus the 15 starts or whatever it ends up that have still been pretty darn good.”

Kansas City Royals outfielder offers his two cents on Shohei Ohtani vs Pete Crow-Armstrong NL MVP battle

Speaking to MLB Network Radio on Wednesday, Kansas City Royals outfielder Jac Caglianone also had his say on the NL MVP award battle between Shohei Ohtani and Pete Crow-Armstrong.

“It’s too close right now, I feel like,” Caglianone said. “You can’t favor one person over the other. You know, I just think, if Ohtani comes back and pitches the way he did prior to the injury, it’s going to be very hard not to lean on his side. What Pete’s doing is unreal, you know.”

“That game against the White Sox a couple days ago, that was crazy. But what he’s done defensively especially, this year, has been really cool to see. Like you said, as a fan of baseball, you can always appreciate this. It’s going to be very interesting, it’s going to be like Cal (Raleigh) and (Aaron) Judge last year.”

Shohei Ohtani is batting .289 with 30 home runs and 80 RBIs, while Pete Crow-Armstrong boasts a .279 batting average with 32 homers and 80 RBIs.