While everyone’s buzzing about who’s going to snag the National League MVP award, a former player is keeping a watchful eye on the decision—though not for the usual reasons. He’s acting like MLB’s MVP watchdog, especially when it comes to Shohei Ohtani. Yup, you heard it right: David Ortiz, former Boston Red Sox star, feels that if Ohtani gets the MVP nod, it might not be fair! But what are his reasons?

Ortiz argues that, just like him, Shohei Ohtani has primarily played as a designated hitter, and this should factor into the MVP decision. We understand his frustration because, despite having an incredible 20-season career and being a Hall of Famer, Ortiz never won the MVP, solely because of the position he played. Now that Ohtani is in the MVP race, playing the same position, the former baseball star is fired up about it.

What has David Ortiz said about this MVP fiasco?

David Ortiz poured his heart out in a recent interview, saying, “MLB always had an issue for not giving me the MVP, supposedly because I was a designated hitter.” The Boston Red Sox star has been a designated hitter for almost his entire reign on the field and is undoubtedly one of the league’s greatest designated hitters. With 2,472 hits and 541 home runs, he never got the MVP! So, his reaction to the 30-year-old DH contending for the MVP award is no surprise! And now, the Hall of Famer knows exactly what he’s going to do.

Just like the rest of us, he’s going to sit back and wait for MLB’s decision. Ortiz quipped, “I’m going to see what they do this year. I’m going to sit back and wait to see where they run; besides, Ohtani is MLB’s ‘darling.’” UFF, a solid remark? While his frustration is looking genuine, we can’t also forget the fact Ohtani made a serious impact this year. Come on, he is chasing the historical 50-50 mark and whatnot! Plus, even though both of them play on the same field, there is a difference between them.

Ohtani has displayed exceptional versatility, combining his power as a hitter with his ability as a pitcher. He hasn’t played this year as a pitcher because he was sidelined because of an injury. Additionally, Ohtani’s WAR in 2024 is higher than Ortiz’s career-best WAR. But if we take his logic into account, will Ohtani have the same fate as David Ortiz? Chances are he can. Why? Because of Francisco Lindor‘s unreal form.

Can Francisco Lindor’s all-rounder form help him clinch the MVP award?

The New York Mets baseball champ Lindor, who just snagged his 5th season with 30 home runs, is tied with the legendary Ernie Banks for the second-most 30-home-run seasons by a primary shortstop and is just two seasons behind Alex Rodriguez to create history. The slugger is having an exceptionally and equally good 2024 season like Ohtani. He is hitting .273 with 30 home runs, 84 RBIs, and an OPS of .840. And these boasting stats made him an MVP contender alongside the Dodgers star. But did you know, apart from being in the race for MVP, they share one more similarity?

Francisco Lindor and Shohei Ohtani might be fierce rivals on the field, but off the field, they’re teammates. Yup, both of them are tied together with a common thread of endorsements. Both of the ace players are endorsed by New Balance. How cool, right? But on the field, both of them aren’t easy competition for each other. But if we look at the defensive aspect, as Ortiz mentioned, things are quite different for both baseball stars.

Lindor is a frontrunner for a Gold Glove award and has showcased his talent in both areas of baseball, whereas Ohtani has served solely as a DH, being only able to show his action in half of the game only because he is sidelined from pitching due to his injury!

So it will be interesting to see how MLB makes the decision this year. You and I are waiting, and so is David Ortiz. What do you think? Will Ohtani become the first DH MVP in the history of MLB, or will Lindor take it away as an all-rounder? Drop your thoughts in the comments.