“Shohei Ohtani’s got Kyle Schwarber beat” - MLB analysts discuss why Dodgers two-way superstar has ultimate edge over Phillies DH

LA Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani might earn his fourth MVP of his career in 2025, and even Kyle Schwarber's 50+ home run season can't stop it.

While Schwarber is having a career year, Ohtani has been better on every offensive stat apart from home runs (49 against 45) and RBIs. Not to mention, Ohtani is a starting pitcher as well, while the Phillies star is a designated hitter.

During Friday's appearance on Baseball Today, Chris Rose and Trevor Plouffe discussed the NL MVP contenders. Both seem to believe Ohtani has already won it.

Plouffe's co-host, Rose, compared the stats between Ohtani and Schwarber to further make it clear why Ohtani has a big edge.

"I don’t see any world in which Kyle Schwarber wrestles the MVP away from Shohei Ohtani," Rose said (7:15)." The areas where he’s got him beat right now are home runs - by what, four, or whatever it is - and RBIs, which is more an indication of where you’re hitting in the lineup.

"Shohei’s been hitting leadoff all year. Schwarber, I think, has done it maybe 10 times. So to me, that’s a weird way to gauge it. Everywhere else, Shohei’s got him beat."

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Trevor Plouffe echoes similar sentiments on Shohei Ohtani vs Kyle Schwarber NL MVP debate

Former Minnesota Twins' All-Star Trevor Plouffe was blunt in his assessment of the NL MVP and suggested that Shohei Ohtani is a runaway favorite at the moment.

"It’s always going to be Ohtani for me," Plouffe said (5:10). "I just think that a guy doing what he’s been able to do, his pitching numbers don’t look great on the year, he hasn’t done it a ton, but if he has a month like this, and he just had his best start of the season against the Reds, if he keeps that going, he’s going to win the MVP. That’s just how it is, man.

"Especially if it were somebody else doing it. Schwarber? The guy had 50 homers and was playing defense as well, that’s a different story. But here, you’re talking about a DH going up against a guy who is a starting pitcher and also one of the best hitters in the league. So, it’s going to be Ohtani."

Schwarber, for all the hitting he's doing at the plate, has the second-best odds to Ohtani in the NL MVP race. But let's be real.

Unless Shohei Ohtani goes into a slump where he doesn't hit a home run in the last month of the regular season and posts poor numbers on the pitching front as well, the Dodgers star will be celebrating another great year.