The National League MVP race once seemed like a clear win for Shohei Ohtani. However, it is now a bit more competitive. Francisco Lindor’s efforts ignited debates about how valuable both players are to their teams.
On the Flippin’ Bats podcast hosted by Ben Verlander, the analyst noted why he believes the value factor is unfair to Ohtani. He believes that being on the Dodgers’ stacked roster diminishes Ohtani’s historical efforts.
“I dont think there’s much of a conversation to be had. What Francisco Lindor is doing is remarkable, and yes I don’t think the Mets are where they are without him. So, we can have the whole conversation about what valubale means. You can take Lindor off the Mets, and they are not a playoff team. You take Ohtani off the Dodgers, and they are a playoff team.”
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Verlander also compared Ohtani’s Los Angeles Angels run to Aaron Judge’s Yankees situation. He noted that if Ohtani produced the same numbers with the Halos, there would be no question about his value, even as a DH.
“This is the conversation that pisses me off. Yeah, those are true statements, but we were saying the same thing when Ohtani was with the Angels. You take him off the Angels, they are not a playoff team. You take Aaron Judge off the Yankees they are not a playoff team… It’s not Ohtani’s fault that he has gone from a really bad team to a really good team.”Jensen Lewis on how the Mets can help Francisco Lindor win the MVP
Former Cleveland Guardians pitcher and current analyst Jensen Lewis described a scenario where Lindor can win the NL MVP. On the Blair & Barker podcast, Lewis stated that Lindor’s case might become compelling if the Dodgers and Mets finish as Wild Card teams.
“The way this transpires is LA would have to find themselves not only in the one spot, but both Philly and Milwaukee would have to be those one and two seeds, respectively. If LA is pushed down to the Wild Card round and the Mets find their way in, I think that’s where when you can look at it and say ‘Hey if you’re the MVP then you should be the best player on the best team.”
Despite heated debates among their fans, Francisco Lindor, with 6.3 Wins Above Replacement, and Shohei Ohtani, with a 7.4 WAR, headline their franchises as the season concludes.
