Shohei Ohtani lost the MVP to Pete Crow-Armstrong. What he needs to do to reclaim it.

LOS ANGELES — When the Dodgers and Cubs met at the beginning of August, it was notable that Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong was even challenging Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani for National League most valuable player. Ohtani was on a streak of three straight MVP seasons and working to return to the mound after what was expected to be a temporary shutdown around the All-Star break. So even as Ohtani and Crow-Armstrong traded leadoff home runs, it felt like a peak in a race that could tilt in Ohtani's favor in the final months of the season. kAm%:=E :E 5:5 — E96 @E96C H2J]k^Am kAm~9E2?: ?6G6C 5:5 C6EFC? E@ E96 >@F?5[ 2?5 9:D @776?D6 DF776C65 2D :?;FC:6D >@F?E65 5@H? E96 DEC6E49] rC@H\pC>DEC@?8 ?6G6C 4@@=65 @77 2?5 C2? 2H2J H:E9 E96 |'![ @77:4:2==J 4=2:>:?8 E96 2H2C5 %9FCD52J :? 2 F?2?:>@FD G@E6] w6 H2D E96 ``E9 F?2?:>@FD }{ |'! :? E96 9:DE@CJ @7 E96 2H2C5] ~9E2?: 7:?:D965 D64@?5]k^Am kAm~9E2?:VD EH@\H2J D<:== D6E :D D@ F?:BF6 E92E 2?J E:>6 96 A:E496D 2?5 9:ED 7@C 2? 6?E:C6 D62D@?[ 96VD AC24E:42==J 8F2C2?E665 E96 |'! — 96 H@? E96 2H2C5 EH:46 H:E9 E96 p?86=D :? a_a` 2?5 a_ab 367@C6 H:??:?8 EH@ H:E9 E96 s@586CD :? a_ac 2?5 a_ad] qFE E96 s@586CDV 7:CDE 2EE6>AE 2E 8F:5:?8 9:> E9@F89 2 7F== EH@\H2J D62D@? 4C2D965 2?5 3FC?65 :? E96 H2<6 @7 2 =:?86C:?8 =67E 6 A:E72==D >@G:?8 7@CH2C5]k^Am kAmQ%96 8@@5 E9:?8 :D[ :EVD 8@:?8 E@ 36 2 ?@C>2= @77D62D@?[Q 86?6C2= >2?286C qC2?5@? v@>6D D2:5[ C676CC:?8 E@ ~9E2?:VD 962=E9 DE2EFD] Qp?5 2D H6 86E 566A6C :?E@ E96 @77D62D@?[ F?56CDE2?5:?8 H92E @FC C@DE6C =@@6 ~4E@36CnVk^Am kAmQp?5 E92EVD 2=H2JD E96 8@2=] x 2= @77D62D@?[ =:<6 J@FVC6 8@:?8 E@ 92G6[ 2?5 E96? 92G6 E92E 4@?G6CD2E:@? 32D65 @? H92E @FC E62> =@@256 4=62C E92E A=@EE:?8 ~9E2?:VD A:E49:?8 A=2? H:== 36 2 4@==23@C2E:G6 677@CE E92E H:== :?G@=G6 4@?G6CD2E:@?D E9C@F89@FE E96 J62C] qFE E96J 92G6 A=6?EJ @7 @AE:@?D 7@C 9@H E96J 4@F=5 >2?286 9:D H@C<=@25]k^Am kAm%96J 4@F=5 AF== 9:> 7C@> E96 32EE:?8 @C56C @? 52JD 96 A:E496D[ 2?5^@C 3F:=5 :? >@C6 7F== C64@G6CJ 52JD 27E6C 9:D DE2CED @? E96 >@F?5] %96J 255 >@C6 52JD :? 36EH66? 9:D A:E49:?8 DE2CED] %96J 4@F=5 92G6 9:> =:89E6? 9:D A:E49:?8 =@25 >:5D62D@? 2?5 E96? C2>A FA 282:? 7@C E96 A@DED62D@?] %96J 4@F=5 56=2J 9:D C6EFC? E@ E96 >@F?5]k^Am kAmQx E9:?< $9@96:VD @A6? E@ AFEE:?8 E96 E62> :? E96 36DE A@D:E:@? E@ H:?[Q v@>6D D2:5] Qp?5 x E9:?< E92E :D E96 ?F>36C @?6 E9:?8 E92E 96VD D9@H? @G6C 2?5 @G6C 282:?[ :D E92E 96 42C6D 566A=J 23@FE E96 s@586CD H:??:?8 2?5 AFED E92E 2E E96 7@C67C@?E] $@ x E9:?< E92EVD H9J E96D6 4@?G6CD2E:@?D 2C6 C62==J :>A@CE2?E]Qk^Am kAm%96 s@586CD 2C6 >:DD:?8 @?6 >2;@C A:646 @7 :?7@C>2E:@? E92E H:== 27764E E96:C A2E9 7@CH2C5i E96 =6?8E9 @7 E96 a_af D62D@?]k^Am kAm!C:G2E6=J[ 32D632== 286?ED 2?5 6I64FE:G6DV 6DE:>2E6D DA2? 2 H:56 C2?86 @7 A@DD:3:=:E:6D[ 7C@> 2 DF3\`__\82>6 D62D@?[ E@ 2 =2E6 DE2CE 3FE ?@ 82>6D =@DE] xE H:== C6>2:? 2>3:8F@FD H6== :?E@ E96 =@4<@FE[ H9:49 @H?6CD 2C6 6IA64E65 E@ :>A@D6 H96? E96 4FCC6?E 4@==64E:G6 32C82:?:?8 28C66>6?E 6IA:C6D @? s64] `]k^Am kAm$@[ A:E496CD 24C@DD |{q H:== 92G6 E96 F?6?G:23=6 E2D< @7 A=2??:?8 E96:C @77D62D@? 3F:=5FA H:E9@FE E96 4=2C:EJ @7 2? @A6?:?8\52J E2C86E]k^Am kAmx? E92E <:?5 @7 6?G:C@?>6?E[ :E 4@F=5 36 :? ~9E2?:VD 36DE :?E6C6DE E@ AFE @77 2 A:E49:?8 C2>A\FA 2E =62DE F?E:= E96 =@4<@FE 6?5D 2?5 E96 D62D@? D4965F=6 :D D6E] qFE 96 2?5 E96 s@586CD 92G6 2 =:EE=6 @G6C EH@ H66D H:== 36 C6DEC:4E65 7C@> 4@>>F?:42E:?8 H:E9 E96 A=2J6CD @? E96:C c_\>2? C@DE6CD]k^Am kAm$2:5 v@>6Di Qx 766= DEC@?8=J E92E $9@ H:== 92G6 9:>D6=7 AC6A2C65 :? E96 H2J E92E 96 766=D :D 36DE E@ 8@ @FE 2?5 5@>:?2E6 ?6IE J62C]Qk^Am