What can stop Bryce Harper from winning the National League MVP? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Last night, Bryce Harper extended his already torrid June with three extra-base hits and five RBIs in another Phillies victory. He’s the best hitter in the National League this month and it’s not even close.
So far this month, Harper leads all NL players in hitting (.385), extra-base hits (14), slugging percentage (.718) and OPS (1.185!). He was already the National League Player of the Month in May.
So, up to this point, he’s the MVP overwhelmingly, right?
No.
That’s because for all his maceration, being the best position player in the league for two months in a row, there is another player who continues to match him, step for step, and actually surpass his crazy numbers.
He’s a guy who knows a thing or two about hitting. And launch. And win MVP awards.
It’s Dodgers megastar Shohei Ohtani.
As good as Harper has been this season, Ohtani has actually been better in some ways. In fact, Ohtani has been better in every statistical category except OBP, where Harper has a marginal advantage (.401 to .395).
Fanatics currently has Ohtani in better than even money position to win the MVP, with odds of -120, implying a 54.55% win rate. Harper is in second place, at +185, or a 35.1% chance.
Both players are seeking the third MVP award of their careers. Ohtani won the MVP with the Angels in 2021 and 2023. Harper won his in 2015 with the Nationals and in 2021 with the Phillies.
This has a very Embiid versus Jokic feel to it. Two players at the top of the sport, both playing and actually leaving it in the hands of the voters.
So what does Harper have to do or what does Ohtani have to do? No What to do -except injury- to overtake his rival and with his third MVP?
Harper appears to be closing in fast. He was even +230 to win yesterday. The main issue has been his start to the season, compared to Ohtani’s April. In the first month of the season, the two had similar HR/RBI numbers, but Ohtani had slash lines of .336/.399/.618/1.017, compared to Harper’s .230/.345/.460/.805.
There’s your difference.
As of May 1, here are the diagonal lines of the MVP favorites:
Harper: .345/.433/.644/1.077
Ohtani: .305/.393/.632/1.025
To put it better, those Harper numbers are the best in the National League since May 1. The four.
But Ohtani has been so good at keeping pace that he stays ahead because his April was so good.
The result is that half of the regular season remains. Three full months of battling the numbers, the National League and each other. One thing is for sure: this is going to be an incredible MVP race.