Pete Crow-Armstrong Overtakes Shohei Ohtani in NL MVP Odds

Pete Crow-Armstrong, center fielder for the Chicago Cubs, has recently become the favorite for the National League MVP, surpassing Shohei Ohtani. This shift follows a strong performance where both players hit two home runs during a game that concluded with the Cubs sweeping the Dodgers.

Crow-Armstrong's odds at DraftKings improved dramatically, rising from +3000 on July 8 to +210 by July 26, reflecting a significant increase in implied probability from approximately 3 percent to 32 percent. Currently, he is favored in the betting market, with Ohtani's chances at 54 percent and Crow-Armstrong's at 46 percent.

Throughout the season, Crow-Armstrong has seen a notable improvement in his batting average, climbing from .237 to .340 since June, contributing to 19 of his 26 home runs. In contrast, Ohtani has maintained a .315 average with 16 home runs during the same period. Both players have 26 home runs this season, but Ohtani leads in RBIs and OPS. Ohtani's ongoing left knee injury has limited his pitching appearances, while Crow-Armstrong has added speed to his game with 29 stolen bases, ranking second in the NL.