Overview
- The Cubs completed a three‑game sweep of the Dodgers in a 7-6 win on Wednesday when both Pete Crow‑Armstrong and Shohei Ohtani hit two home runs, a result that tightened the MVP conversation.
- Crow‑Armstrong leads key position‑player metrics including fWAR, outs above average and fielding run value, and he has added elite baserunning with 28 stolen bases that boost his overall MVP case.
- Ohtani remains an elite hitter and a four‑time NL MVP, but he has not pitched since July 3 because of left‑knee soreness and right biceps issues, leaving his return to the mound uncertain and reducing his two‑way edge.
- Betting markets and oddsmakers reacted during the Wrigley game, briefly flipping FanDuel odds in Crow‑Armstrong’s favor before settling into a near‑even race, signaling how single games and metrics are reshaping the narrative.
- What comes next will hinge on Ohtani’s availability to pitch and whether Crow‑Armstrong sustains his breakout production, a dynamic that could influence voter views, playoff storylines and late‑season market movement.