There was not an inch of doubt that this season the National League MVP race would be clinched by Shohei Ohtani. After all, the LA Dodgers star literally opened the doors to the 50-50 club, not to mention broke multiple records of baseball legends. And that’s what happened; he grabbed all 30 first-place votes and, with 423 points, he left everyone in dust and clinched the MVP title. But even then, everyone was not convinced that Shohei Ohtani was an obvious choice for this season.

Some argued that New York Mets star Francisco Lindor, who got around 263 points, was more apt for the title. They felt Lindor brought more value to the Mets; plus, Shohei was a designated hitter. But this MVP discussion now has another pick, and it’s rather an unexpected name. On a podcast with Chris Rose, Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos mentioned Jose Iglesias as the rightful choice. Yes, the ‘OMG’ pop star infielder!

Why José Iglesias, not Shohei for Castellanos

Castellanos wasn’t throwing any shade at Ohtani; he genuinely felt that Iglesias had a quality this season that numbers alone don’t justify. “If you’re looking at the MVP as having the most weight on creating wins for your team, there’s no other player that has had that much weight as Jose Iglesias,” said Castellanos. For him, Iglesias’s impact wasn’t just in the stats. Castellanos credited Iglesias for “bringing that Latin spark” and helping revitalize Francisco Lindor. He also helped the young third baseman Mark Vientos find his confidence, according to Castellanos. So suddenly a team with not much direction had a purpose, a vision. And it makes sense!

“They made the playoffs, got to where they did while the whole Mets organization had the OMG signs everywhere from in the city to the stadium… The way I look at baseball, Jose Iglesias is the unanimous National League MVP,” mentioned Castellanos. Well, he did really bring a change to the team. When Iglesias joined the Mets in May, the team was teetering on edge. But when he joined in, things changed. His bat came alive, and he slashed .337/.381/.448, with stellar defense over 85 games.

Rose, in fact, pushed back, saying Ohtani had the 50-50. However, Nick Castellanos stood firm, saying, “I’m not a sabermetrician. I’m a baseball player.” Clearly, for Castellanos, the MVP wasn’t just about record-breaking stats; it’s more about a player who can transform a team. And Nick Castellanos even had thoughts about Juan Soto and his massive deal.

Nick Castellanos surprised with Juan Soto deal

When Juan Soto signed the massive 15-year, $765 million deal, it got everyone talking. Some were quick to say Soto was worth that money since he is young and has a strong bat. But some say that the Mets may have overdone it. Nick Castellanos mentioned that he was surprised and, for comparisons, said he has seen more such huge deals like the Ohtani one. But that didn’t surprise him, like the Soto deal “I was a little bit surprised. Was I amazed? Like, with Shohei, I get it, you know, especially going over and being in Japan. With one player, you captured the whole country of Japan is Dodgers fans now, right?” Castellanos explained.

For Nick, Shohei brought global outreach for the Dodgers, which for him is hard to ignore. And while Castellanos mentioned he doesn’t know the ins and outs of finances, he knows the Dodgers are making huge money with Shohei. “That Shohei going there is making a lot of money outside of the United States. So, like, I understand. He’s an international world player,” Castellanos said. But as far as the Juan Soto deal goes, he feels it’s partly due to Scott Boras, Soto’s agent, and the fearless spending of Steve Cohen that sealed it.

When it came to Soto’s deal, Castellanos acknowledged that his massive contract was in part due to the influence of his agent, Scott Boras, and the fearless spending. “So I think that if you just add all of those things together, there’s an opportunity where somebody like Juan Soto at the age of 26 could get a 15-year, $800 million contract.” Clearly, many are surprised by that monstrous deal.

But one has to give Castellanos credit; he is straightforward, blunt, and doesn’t feel the need to mince words. Do you think Igelias deserves the MVP too? Let us know!