Elly De La Cruz is already more deserving of the NL MVP than Shohei Ohtani

Laugh if you want to, but Shohei Ohtani is no longer leading the pack in the chase for the 2024 NL MVP Award. The race has tighten since the All-Star break, and Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz may have edged out ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers' slugger with a little over a month-and-a-half left to play in the regular season.

Since the Midsummer Classic, De La Cruz has strengthened his case to be the best player in the National League by hitting .338/.397/.592. The Reds' electric infielder has 11 extra-base hits in those 17 games and 13 stolen bases as well.

Since the All-Star break, Ohtani is hitting .229/.337/.529 with five home runs and 12 RBI, but hasn't even been the top performer on his own team. Teoscar Hernandez used his win at the Home Run Derby to propel himself into the second-half of the season and is hitting .306/.359/.625 with 11 extra-base hits of his own.

Reds SS Elly De La Cruz is already more deserving of the NL MVP than Dodgers DH Shohei Ohtani

There are 47 regular season games remaining for both the Reds and Dodgers, and it's going to be a fight to the finish line. Heading into play on Friday, both De La Cruz and Ohtani are tied with 5.7 fWAR according to FanGraphs. According to Baseball Reference, Ohtani (5.9 WAR) maintains a rather sizable edge over De La Cruz (4.4 WAR).

But no primary designated hitter (DH) has ever won the MVP Award, and following elbow surgery this past offseason, Ohtani has not been able to fill his usual two-way role. The Dodgers' slugger has only operated as Los Angeles' DH all season long. That could cost him the NL MVP Award.

While De La Cruz is tied for the league-lead with Oneil Cruz for the most errors committed (22) this season, he also ranks among the top defenders in the league with 11 outs above average (OAA). The only other MVP candidate who rivals De La Cruz in this category is Bobby Witt Jr., and the Kansas City Royals star is in the American League.

If De La Cruz continues to play defense at a high level, and Ohtani's struggles at the dish continue, this race could come down to the wire, and it's doubtful that anyone can beat De La Cruz in a race.

All kidding aside, the NL MVP Award is no longer a forgone conclusion. And please, let's not talk about the Reds' win-loss record when discussing an individual award. Ohtani won the AL MVP twice and both times the Los Angeles Angels had a losing record.

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