July 2026 MLB awards watch: who's leading MVP and Cy Young?
If you're checking the Dodgers game today and wondering why Shohei Ohtani still dominates headlines, ESPN's July awards watch confirms he leads the NL MVP race at 157.9 AXE while Bobby Witt Jr. tops the AL and Pete Crow-Armstrong surges after a historic June. With every MLB team past 81 games, midseason ballots are taking shape—and the Dodgers' two-way star remains the story that matters most.
Key Takeaways
- Shohei Ohtani leads NL MVP at 157.9 AXE and is on pace for 5.0+ WAR as both hitter and pitcher—a feat no player has ever achieved in one season, per ESPN.
- Pete Crow-Armstrong's epic June (.367/.451/.734 over 34 games) has made the NL race genuinely competitive despite Ohtani's dominance.
- AL MVP is split: ESPN's AXE ranks Bobby Witt Jr. first, while CBS Sports tabbed Houston's Yordan Alvarez as the halfway-point pick.
- Jacob Misiorowski (Brewers) and Cam Schlittler (Yankees) lead the NL and AL Cy Young races per CBS Sports, with Cristopher Sánchez pushing Misiorowski in ESPN's metrics.
- Rookie favourites include Kevin McGonigle (AL, Tigers) and JJ Wetherholt (NL, Cardinals), per CBS Sports experts.
Why is Shohei Ohtani the NL MVP front-runner in July?
ESPN lists Ohtani as the clear NL MVP leader at 157.9 AXE, well ahead of challengers. He remains on track to exceed 5.0 WAR as both a hitter and a pitcher in the same season—something no player in MLB history has done.
CBS Sports echoed that verdict, noting Ohtani leads the NL in on-base percentage while posting an 8-2 record and 1.58 ERA across 79⅔ innings. Yahoo Sports reported he is chasing a fourth straight MVP and fifth overall, a pace that would extend an already unprecedented run.
The only realistic threat to Ohtani's candidacy, ESPN noted, is health—not performance. If he stays in the Dodgers' lineup and rotation, the race may already be over.
Can Pete Crow-Armstrong actually catch Ohtani?
Pete Crow-Armstrong is the name reshaping the conversation. After an epic June that propelled him to the best position-player AXE in the majors, the Cubs centre fielder is batting .367/.451/.734 with 13 home runs and nine steals over 34 games.
ESPN highlighted a striking hypothetical: if Ohtani's pitching value were excluded from MVP consideration, Ohtani would rank sixth as a designated hitter alone—while Crow-Armstrong's all-around value would lead the league. Yahoo Sports called that the most interesting takeaway from July's rankings.
Crow-Armstrong's walk rate has jumped from 4.5% in 2025 to 10.3% this season, pairing historic defensive metrics with a leap at the plate. He already has 5.2 bWAR in 2026.
Who leads the AL MVP and Cy Young races?
In the American League, ESPN's AXE metric still lists Bobby Witt Jr. (142.2) as the MVP front-runner, though his lead looks tenuous. Witt's value is boosted by elite defence rather than eye-popping offence—he is tied for sixth among AL hitters in runs created despite the Royals sinking in the standings.
CBS Sports selected Yordan Alvarez instead, citing his AL-leading OBP and a home-run total tied for first. Alvarez anchors a contending Astros club, a traditional MVP advantage Witt lacks.
On the mound, CBS Sports picked Cam Schlittler (Yankees) for AL Cy Young and Jacob Misiorowski (Brewers) for the NL award. Misiorowski carries a 1.45 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 146 strikeouts in 99 innings. ESPN flagged a tight NL duel between Misiorowski and Philadelphia's Cristopher Sánchez as the season's most dynamic awards battle.
How does the NL West factor into today's Dodgers storyline?
Yahoo Sports' NL West outlook heading into July 4 weekend notes none of the other four West teams had a winning record, while the Dodgers had effectively separated from the pack. That context matters if you're planning around a Dodgers game today: Ohtani's two-way workload—and whether Los Angeles eases his schedule down the stretch—could shape both MVP and Cy Young outcomes.
Yahoo also floated a bold second-half prediction that Ohtani finishes under 30 home runs (he had 18 at the checkpoint), with the club potentially prioritising rest as the division lead widens.
For broadcast schedules, channel changes and regional blackouts, bookmark our Streaming & TV Alerts hub. Full midseason breakdowns are at ESPN's July awards watch.