With June nearly in the rearview, the National League MVP race is beginning to heat up, with Shohei Ohtani and Bryce Harper battling it out to join an elite list.
A hop, skip and a jump away from the All-Star break, the two are among the few who’ve separated themselves from the field for the honor. If either Ohtani or Harper capture the award, they will etch their names into the record books as the 12th player in major league history to win MVP honors three or more times.
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ designated hitter leads the NL in home runs (22), batting average (.321), slugging percentage (.625) and OPS (1.022). Ohtani is on pace to finish the year with 47 homers and 117 RBI.
He has also been red-hot lately. Entering Saturday’s contest against the Los Angeles Angels, Ohtani has gone 12-for-23 at the plate with three doubles, five home runs, 11 RBI and six walks over the last six games.
Meanwhile, he took his former team deep for a second straight night.Â