Midseason MVP watch: PCA taking best shot at Ohtani

With the 2026 season at the midway point, it's time to check in on the MVP races. Let's break down the best players in baseball through the first half.

American League

5. Bobby Witt Jr., Royals

Witt is somewhat having a down season offensively, as his .816 OPS is by far his worst mark over the last three years. Despite the dip, he's still leading the AL in fWAR, showing just how capable he is at impacting a game outside of his bat. Witt ranks first in the AL in stolen bases, third in doubles, and fourth in hits, but he's still well outside the top 10 in on-base percentage (16th), OPS (16th), slugging (21st), and home runs (32nd).

4. Willson Contreras, Red Sox

Boston's impressive hot streak heading into the All-Star break owes plenty to Contreras. In fact, without the first baseman, the Red Sox would likely be near the bottom of the AL. The 34-year-old is enjoying a career season, with his .921 OPS well above his career .820 mark. Contreras is fourth in the AL in OPS and wRC+, while he ranks in the top 10 in home runs, RBIs, average, and slugging.

3. Junior Caminero, Rays

Caminero is a massive reason why Tampa Bay owns the AL's best record. The 23-year-old is proving that last year's breakout season wasn't just because of Steinbrenner Field, as he's posting a .927 OPS and 152 wRC+ that's well above the high marks he produced in 2025. Caminero sits third in the AL in homers, wRC+, and OPS, fourth in slugging, and fifth in fWAR. The only flaw in his game is his defense at third base, which ranks in the first percentile in outs above average, according to Baseball Savant.

2. Ben Rice, Yankees

Rice has developed into the Yankees' best homegrown position player since Aaron Judge, and he's played an enormous role in carrying the offense with the three-time MVP on the injured list. With only half the season done, the 27-year-old has already surpassed his previous career highs in home runs and RBIs. Rice ranks second in the AL in home runs, RBIs, slugging, wRC+, and OPS - trailing only Yordan Alvarez. New York wouldn't have the second-best record in the AL without Rice.

1. Yordan Alvarez, Astros

Alvarez quickly silenced concerns that his injury-plagued 2025 campaign was anything more than an anomaly, undoubtedly proving that he's the best all-around hitter in baseball. The only qualified player with an OPS north of 1.000, Alvarez leads the majors in on-base percentage, slugging, and OPS, and he sits second in batting average - just .004 points shy of topping that category, too. His 186 wRC+ would also be the fourth-highest mark of any hitter over the last six seasons.

Honorable mentions: Kevin McGonigle, Miguel Vargas, Nick Kurtz, Byron Buxton.

National League

5. Juan Soto, Mets

The Mets are again one of the biggest disappointments of the campaign, but that's not Soto's fault. The 27-year-old remains one of the sport's elite hitters, ranking second in the NL in on-base percentage, wRC+, slugging, and OPS. Soto's elite eye also has him sitting second in the majors with a 1.28 BB/K, while his 12.9 K% is the best number of his career. Still, he's stolen only seven bases so far this year compared to 38 last season, and he's missed time with a calf strain. Soto's defensive struggles have continued as well, hurting his overall standing in our rankings.

4. Kyle Schwarber, Phillies

Some questioned the Phillies last winter when they handed Schwarber a $150-million contract, but he's more than delivered through the season's first half. Already with a pair of 10-plus-homer months to his name in 2026, Schwarber leads the majors with 32 home runs - 12 more than his next-closest teammate. His performance has played a big part in Philadelphia turning its year around, as the 33-year-old also ranks fourth in the NL in OPS and fifth in wRC+. Although Schwarber's full-time DH role hurts his case as MVP, his elite bat is enough to crack our rankings.

3. James Wood, Nationals

Wood is among the best hitters in the sport and might be baseball's most underrated young star. The 23-year-old - yes, he's still only 23 - leads the NL in walks, on-base percentage, slugging, OPS, and wRC+, while he trails only Pete Crow-Armstrong in fWAR. Wood has also already matched his career-high with 15 stolen bases. However, his consistency has been the most impressive part of his game, as he's posted an OPS north of .940 in three of the four months.

2. Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cubs

The Cubs have to be ecstatic about Crow-Armstrong's production after inking him to a six-year, $115-million extension on Opening Day. The 24-year-old has put up an MLB-best 6.0 fWAR - a full win higher than second-place Witt. One of baseball's rare true five-tool stars, Crow-Armstrong ranks in the 100th percentile in fielding run value, 96th percentile in batting run value, and 94th percentile in baserunning run value, per Baseball Savant. He's also the only player in the majors to have a 20-20 season already, and he sits top five in the NL in both wRC+ and OPS.

1. Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers

An injury feels like the only thing capable of snapping Ohtani's ridiculous run of MVP awards. The six-time All-Star ranks third in the NL in on-base percentage, wRC+, and OPS, fifth in home runs and slugging, and seventh in fWAR. But that's just his production as a hitter. Ohtani's performance on the mound in his first full season as a starter since 2023 is the separator, and he's putting together the best pitching campaign of his career. The right-hander owns a 1.79 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 95 strikeouts across 85 2/3 innings (14 starts), and his ERA is the second-best mark in the majors (minimum 80 innings pitched). We're arguably watching Ohtani's most impressive all-around season since he entered MLB in 2018.

Honorable mentions: Otto Lopez, Jordan Walker, Matt Olson.