The clear top candidate for the National League MVP Award is none other than the guy who won it last year, Shohei Ohtani. The Los Angeles Dodgers star slugged 54 home runs and stole 59 bases in his first season as solely a DH, becoming baseball's first 50-50 man while authoring one of the most outrageous offensive campaigns the sport has ever seen.
And now Ohtani is set add pitching back to the equation, returning to the mound at some point this summer. While this is likely going to cause his offensive numbers to take a small hit, it'll also increase his overall value as a player by quite a bit, assuming he returns to the pitcher he was before his elbow surgery in 2023. One of the most overwhelming offensive forces in baseball plus a top-flight starter, all on one of the most loaded rosters in the league? How can anyone compete with that?
But there are no guarantees in baseball. While Ohtani seems like the lock to win the NL MVP award, that's far from the truth. We have no idea how his pitching might affect his offensive numbers, or whether he can stay healthy for 162 games. He's the odds-on favorite to take home the hardware, and rightfully so, but he's not the only candidate.
To top Ohtani, the NL is going to need a player who is good at everything. They need to bring value as a hitter, baserunner, and fielder, or else there's no chance Ohtani is dethroned. With that in mind, here are three guys who could beat Ohtani out for the 2025 NL MVP.
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop between now and the MLB offseason.
3. OF Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres
To begin his career, San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. looked to be one of the best players in the entire league. He slashed .292/.369/.596 with 81 home runs in his first 273 games in the Majors. Then he was suspended for PEDs in 2022 and missed the whole season due to the suspension and injuries.
Tatis Jr. hasn't fully returned to form yet, but if he can do so, he has a shot to steal the NL MVP award. Let me explain.
As stated above, it's going to take a complete baseball player to steal this award from Ohtani. Tatis Jr. won the Platinum Glove in the NL a few years ago. He's also slugged 42 home runs in a season and stole 29 bases a few years after that.
What does a perfect season look like for Tatis? Winning the Platinum Glove in the outfield again, for starters. It would also include a career-high OPS of around 1.000 with 40 or 50 home runs to go with that. It would help his case if he could swipe 30 bases as well.
This is a longshot, especially with Tatis Jr. not looking like the same player he was before the injuries and suspension. But if everything goes right, this could be enough to win the award, and we've seen flashes of this sort of ceiling in the past.
2. OF Corbin Carroll, Arizona Diamondbacks
To find a complete player who has the ability to dethrone Ohtani is very difficult. Last season, Ohtani won the award in a landslide without even throwing a single pitch. With him returning to the mound, it's going to take a very special season to outperform the Dodgers star.
Arizona Diamondbacks star Corbin Carroll has the ability to do just that. In 2023, Carroll was spectacular, winning NL Rookie of the Year honors while helping the Snakes reach the World Series, but he quickly fell back to earth to begin the 2024 season. After struggling through a lingering shoulder injury, Carroll posted an OPS north of 1.000 in August. He finished the season with a respectable slash line of .231/.322/.428. He'll need to post numbers better than his 2023 season if he wants to dethrone Ohtani.
It helps that Carroll is a spectacular defender and baserunner as well. He has the ability to swipe 50 or 60 bases, just like he did in 2023. The outfielder would need to do that at a minimum, plus slug upwards of 30 home runs, play excellent defense, and post an OPS over .900 if he wants to dethrone Ohtani.
It's a long shot, but it's certainly possible if everything goes right for Carroll.
1. SS Elly De La Cruz, Cincinnati Reds
Elly De La Cruz has been ridiculous this spring. In 11 plate appearances, the Cincinnati Reds shortstop has five hits, three home runs, a double, four runs scored, and four RBIs. He's also drawn two walks for good measure.
De La Cruz looks to have a much simpler and tighter swing, especially with two strikes, in spring training compared to last season. From 2023 to 2024, the young star took a huge leap in production. He'll be looking to improve his OPS by another .100 points in 2025.
Defense is where De La Cruz draws a split crowd. When looking at his statistics over the last two years, he ranks among the worst qualified defenders in errors and fielding percentage. But a look into the advanced stats would show his real value. Last season, despite the errors, De La Cruz ranked in the 94th percentile in Fielding Run Value and in the 98th percentile in Outs Above Average.
Pair that with his ability to change the game when he reaches base, and you have the potential for a 23-year-old to clear 8.0 WAR in a single season. If Elly continues to trend up, he could swipe 70 or 80 bases on the year. Pair that with the potential to hit 30 home runs and 40 doubles and you have a real candidate to dethrone Ohtani.