NBA icon Charles Barkley joined Matt Vasgersian and others to deliver a bold take on Philadelphia Phillies star Kyle Schwarber, who is having a great season in the final year of his four-year, $79 million contract.Schwarber has hit 42 home runs already, with one and a half months left for the regular season to complete. Moreover, he has also stolen 10 bases while driving in 97 runs.During the live broadcast of the game between the New York Mets and the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday, former Philadelphia 76ers power forward Barkley said Schwarber will steal the National League MVP this year."Listen, I think my boy, Kyle Schwab, is going to steal the National League MVP," Barkley said.Barkley's fandom of the Phillies is not unknown, but it might be the first time in a while that he has opened up about an MVP award. Generally, the 11-time NBA All-Star shares his takes on all things basketball. Though he has a strong endorsement coming from Barkley, is Kyle Schwarber truly at the top to win the 2025 NL MVP?Can Phillies DH Kyle Schwarber win the 2025 NL MVP?While Kyle Schwarber is having a season for the books, he still has a lot of catching up to do to match up with the LA Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, who is exploding on both sides of the plate.Schwarber, who plays DH for the Phillies, is limited to one role while Ohtani contributes to the team both as a starting pitcher and designated hitter.This season, the Dodgers' superstar is hitting .284 with 130 hits, 42 homers, 78 RBIs and 112 runs scored in 117 games. He has thrown in eight games as a pitcher, holding a 2.37 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 19.0 innings.So, not only does Ohtani have comparable or slightly better offensive numbers than Schwarber, but his pitching game is unparalleled as well. That's why there's a huge difference in odds between them for the NL MVP.As of early August, BetMGM had Ohtani at roughly -425, while Schwarber trailed at +275. Another outlet shows Ohtani at a massive 550 favorite, with Schwarber at +440. However, Schwarber will surely contend for being an NL MVP finalist.