"It's a landslide" - Dave Roberts gives his Shohei Ohtani vs Kyle Schwarber 2025 NL MVP prediction

As we find ourselves in the final month of the regular season, two players have emerged as the frontrunners for the NL MVP award, Shohei Ohtani of the LA Dodgers and Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Looking at Ohtani's fantastic numbers with the bat, in addition to his prowess from the mound, the popular concensus is that the Japanese superstar is the favorite to win the prestigious prize for a second year in a row. The bookies seem to agree, pricing Ohtani at -50,000 to win the award come November, while Kyle Schwarber is priced at +1900.

On Wednesday, Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts had his say on the race for the NL MVP award. As reported by insider Alden Gonzalez via X, Roberts is of the opinion that it is going to be "a landslide" in Ohtani's favor.

"It's a landslide," Roberts said. "It's a no-brainer. The only thing is I hope some of those voters don't get voter fatigue."

Alden González

@Alden_Gonzalez

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was asked tonight how Shohei Ohtani matches up with Kyle Schwarber in the race for the NL MVP.​"It's a landslide," he said. "It's a no-brainer. The only thing is I hope some of those voters don't get voter fatigue."

At the moment, Shohei Ohtani is batting .282 with 51 home runs and 95 RBIs, while Scwarber is batting .243 with 53 home runs and 128 RBIs.

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Shohei Ohtani claims he "prepared to handle" additional responsibility in the postseason

As the Dodgers won the 2024 World Series, Shohei Ohtani was arguably their most influential player in helping them reach the promised land. As they head into October, a majority of their hopes rest on the Japanese superstar once again.

Already making important contributions at the plate and on the mound day in, day out, Ohtani claimed he is also open to shouldering additional responsibility in the postseason, should his team require him to do so. As reported by insider Doug McKain on Tuesday, the 31-year-old said he is "prepared to handle" whatever his skipper has planned for him, be it playing in the outfield or featuring as a reliever from the bullpen.

"I’ve been having various conversations with different people, and that topic has come up as well. That applies to the mound, and possibly even the outfield.

"If I end up going as a reliever, then depending on what follows, there could be situations where I also need to play defense in the outfield. So no matter what situation arises, I want to make sure I’m prepared to handle it," Ohtani said

Doug McKain

@DMAC_LA

Shohei Ohtani said that he'd be willing to play outfield for the Dodgers in the postseason:​"I’ve been having various conversations with different people, and that topic has come up as well. That applies to the mound, and possibly even the outfield. If I end up going as a reliever, then depending on what follows, there could be situations where I also need to play defense in the outfield. So no matter what situation arises, I want to make sure I’m prepared to handle it."

Despite being far from consistent of recent, Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers are on track to retain the NL West title, as they lead arch-rivals the San Diego Padres by two games heading into the final ten days of the regular season.