Bryce Harper and Shohei Ohtani are neck and neck for the National league MVP. In this video we break down who we like for the NL MVP, what player's cards we think have a better chance of going up in value, and much more.
Ohtani can steal bases you don’t see Harper stealing many bags ohtani is on fire when he gets hot forget about it plus batting lead off is more at bats for Shohei
All things being equal, I assume the Ohtani market will always be bigger. I know he is in the AL, but give it 2 weeks and Royce Lewis may have better numbers than both of them, lol. I don
The DH might not be a positional player and that is the reason they lessen the WAR value. this is already in consideration of this. What I am pointing out is that Harper and Ohtani's WAR are a point away considering this. In my opinion, this reflects how Ohtani's value is to his team and as an individual player. After the dodgers lost mookie, Ohtani has been consistent in helping the team win. Clutch hitting, base running and on-base % giving the team more chances to win. Ohtani is the clear MVP. I like bryce but it is not enough to boot out Ohtani's dominance. just my opinion.
@@locodragon28 ohh shohei has done some thing that will never be done he will do it just watch 40/45 30 season steals matter a lot ask the nl mvp of last year
If current streak continues, Ohtani it is. He leads almost all significant stats than Harper. Even without defense, Ohtani leads with full 1 win difference in WAR than Harper, who play defense. That's the big difference. And no disrespect for Harper, play on 1B doesn't give lot values in defense.
Agree with most of this, but some voters DO think playing defense is important, even if it’s first base. But if Ohtani does end with a 1.5+ lead in WAR over Harper, it would be hard to justify not giving the MVP to Shohei. Thanks for commenting!
There absolutely is a lot of added value to playing defense at first base. How about having to make some of the most important catches to prevent runners getting base? That's a ton of pressure on a single position during every opponent at bat.
@@King_Koolkaine Good points. I just meant as to how much the position affects WAR calculation (For example, SS is viewed as much more important than 1B, so it gets a bigger bump)
@@nitiarahmi5744 Chris here - 1b is way more important than you think. Having a good 1b is huge! There’s more to it than appears. Ask any other infielder! You’re right though - if Ohtani’s WAR is that much higher, what will voters do???
@@SpitballinCards as much as his impact on 1B,its already accounted in his WAR. Even with his good defense, harper's overall impact still less compare to Ohtani (based on WAR). So, if you given team A: consist of Ohtani in DH with average Mlb players in other positions, or Team B: Harper in 1B with average Mlb players in others, you should pick team A, cause Ohtani give you better values to the team, than harper.
He brought me back into the sweet sweet hobby we all love so… I’m ride or die on ShoTime. That said, I’m a Harper fan (because I’m a also a Schwarber collector) and it’d be great to see him win a World Series for the phils.
shohei will take that mvp as much as harper is good he would not be able to match a 40,30 season by shohei he is ok at 1st base nothing positive nothing negative and shohei being the first dh to win would be fitting narrative is on shohei side phillies can win couple of more game that doesn't change anything PLUS HR AND STEALS MATTER ask the braves guy who won last year
@@recommended1782 Chris here - Ohtani so going 40/70, unless he hits 70 homers. And then the race is over! I’m curious to see how the voters will treat a DH if his numbers are remotely close with Harper.
@@SpitballinCards if shohei just get 50/30 or 40/40 he gets the mvp cause who else you gonna give harper is not even second anymore and looking at the media now they are willing to give shohei votes all the poles are getting shohei that 3rd mvp
It seems like people these days focus on Pujols second half of his career. His first decade was every bit as good as Trout’s first decade, plus 2 WS rings. Trout is possibly aging worse than Pujols, which is saying something. I hope he is able to get healthy and have a long career.
@@koach672 Chris here - check out Trout’s OPS+ vs Pujols the first 8-10 years. Real close. And trout was also playing gold glove CF! I’m with you, I hope he can give us a few more healthy seasons.
To be fair Pujols was still good from 2012-2016. Players just decline in their upper 30s. I guess all I’m saying is that I hear how terrible Pujols was when he got old. Same thing happened to Griffey, Cabrera, etc. Recency bias is very strong in the hobby. It will be interesting to see how Trout is viewed long term. Yes, I am a Pujols collector and lifelong Cardinal fan who is extremely biased haha. Love the show. Keep up the good work
@@koach672 yes to all of this. Very rare are the players like David Ortiz who quit at or near the top. Recency bias is a thing for sure, but so is “remembering the good times.” Over the last few years, I’ve seen Pujols stature in the collecting community grow and I think that will reach a fever pitch when he gets to Hall of Fame status, same with Miggy. As time goes by, it will be easier to overlook the slowdown toward the end of their careers.
Harper, Trout, Acuna, Betts, Tucker, Yamamoto. No this isnt my fantasy team its MILLIONS of dollars per game MLB clubs are paying to superstar players who aren't on the field. My God Man! 2024 the year we crown an MGP (Most Games Played) instead of an MVP.
@@SpitballinCards I hope you don't talk up anymore of my fantasy players, it been a brutal year already for my team - Trout, Betts, Trea Turner, Senga and now Harper! 😖 Love the channel!
Betts got injured on June16, from this day on till June29 Ohtani hit 9HR, made 18RBI & 16 Runs. Ohtani's total hitting avg before June16 was .305 & his total avg was .321 on June 29. His OPS rose from .948 to 1.050. (I don't have data of Ohtani's hitting avg & OPS fr June16~29 only). Besides, during short his leadoff period, Ohtani made a 10 day RBI streak historical record for Dodgers, which is very significant for the wins after Betts injury. Ohtani has been helping Dodgers winning so many games after Betts injury and his hard works had triggered his other teammates to fight with him that Dodgers manager is considering to continue keeping Ohtani at leadoff even after Betts return. PLEASE don't use Ohtani in your RU-vid title to attract Ohtani fans viewership when three of You are ALL HARPER FANS😂😂😂 and only subjectively want to choose Harper by your personal taste even Ohtani and Trout stat data is far more dominant than Harper! You don't even look up any Ohtani stat esp how dominant productive for Dodgers after he took over leadoff position since Betts injured! Besides Harper is famous of being bad & short tempered, egocentric, trouble-making, easy to get involved in fighting in MLB while both Ohtani and Trout are famous being the nicest guys in MLB! Never heard of Harper is good in personality, he might consider as a passionate baseball player for his team or might be nice to his teammates and his fans only but never heard Harper having nice personality!
Chris here - first I’m a Braves fan, and an Acuna fan. But I still root for other players - including Ohtani, Freeman, and Harper! Ohtani is one of my favorite players to watch play baseball. With Harper’s hamstring injury,the NL MVP is Ohtani’s to lose. He’s way out in front now. But lets not overstate the value of a 2 week stretch in June. Ohtani is an absolutely amazing talent. We all like him. Most of us like him a lot. I didn’t think voters would give the award to a full time DH. Now that Harper is hurt, Ohtani’s stats will be so much better, the voters will probably have no choice! Thanks for watching!! And please check out our video on ohtanis best cards and let us know what you think. Do you agree or disagree with our choices??
Jeff here: thanks for watching and commenting. HUGE Ohtani fan here, got to see him play in person this weekend. Have way more Ohtani cards than Harper, but this video was about who we think voters are going to go for with their MVP votes. I think voters like defense, but now that Harper is hurt, I don’t think anyone catches Shohei… And when Ohtani gets back on the mound, nobody will win an MVP again, so this year might be the only chance for someone else 😂.
early in harper’s career i hated him he was arrogant, immature and overrated. but now he’s matured , he’s one of the best guys in baseball and he’s a monster for the phillies
Chris here - I think this is the path most baseball fans took. Harper had so much guide as a teenager with the whole juco thing and all his exploits. But he’s developed into exactly what all the scouts envisioned.
I have/had Harper for mvp this year. And Trout in AL. 😂😂 I like Harper's chances to catch Ohtani here, Harper had a pretty ugly first 6 weeks. For legacy...I'm a Trout homer, but that said...it's really hard to argue against all those MVP 1s and 2s. That's pretty insane.
@@willzsportscards Chris here - trout’s first 8 year run was unprecedented. Been tough since. Harper has been better in the second half in his career. Scary to think about.
Besides ohtani is beyond mvp worthy…. I think the world know that by now. Mvp is reserved for a 1 trick pony players like judge soto harper and the likes….and here we have 2 way giga star…. Lol Its simply laughable
When Ohtani has the 2-way mojo going again (hopefully next year!), no chance people can catch him for MVP in his prime. So maybe this is everybody else’s best shot for awhile!
Tatis has a stress reaction in his femur ?!? That's such a weird spot to get that type of injury. Was he plunked there? THat's no bueno, dude is going to have to get off that leg for a while.
@@chrismartino3519 it’s closer than you think. Yes, Ohtani is ahead offensively, but not playing any defense will hurt his case with voters. No DH only player has ever won an MVP. Not yet anyway
I believe the answer to your secret trivia question is Reggie Jackson? (since no one else answered lol) Also, if Corey Seager were to win an MVP in the future, he to, would join said conversation
Harper may be beloved in Philly and respected around the league, but his likability is a 10 while Ohtani’s is 100. But agreed, if he stays healthy and hot, MVP is his. The Dbacks will still beat the Phills in the playoffs 😉
The entire video barely talked about Ohtani 😂😂😂 Talk about clickbait and Ohtani hating. Diminish Ohtani’s accomplishments at every turn I wonder why? 😂😂😂😂
Huh? First time watching our channel?? We LOVE Ohtani (except Scott, maybe) and talk about his accomplishments non-stop. He is the best baseball player in the world but that doesn't always translate to winning an award voted on by writers. Especially when many writers think defense is a big part of the the sport. THAT is what the discussion in this video was about.
How many home runs does Ohtani have to hit to win NL MVP as a DH? If he has the most home runs at the end of the season, does that give him the edge? Aaron Judge most likely won the 2022 MVP over Ohtani for his 62 home runs. Since Ohtani is a generational talent pitching and hitting, could their be a biased consideration to give him the first MVP for a DH?
@@SportsCardJungle Chris here - so many first for Ohtani, so why not another one. I’m very curious how the voters will vote if Ohtani has a clear edge over Harper offensively. Will they care than he never played any defense??
@@SpitballinCards What matters most to voters offensively? Home Runs? Batting Average? Stolen Bases? I think voters would hold it against Ohtani if they knew he wasn't going to pitch again, but since he is and he is pretty damn good, I think they give him a base phantom grade. Thanks for the reply Chris.
I still can't believe the Braves let Freeman go over 1 year difference in negotiations. Inexcusable, & I'm not even a Braves ran. But I do think Freeman being a Dodger has helped his legacy because Freddie was ignored in Atlanta by the media. Sorry.
@@stevenbetge6538 Chris here - obviously, that was a rough time for me as well. Buster Olney wrote a great article with a full breakdown of what happened and why. Great read. Long story short, Freeman’s agents screwed up the whole thing. They have Braves GM an ultimatum and forced his hand. They ended up taking LESS from the Dodgers. Freeman fired his agents after speaking with Anthopolous personally in 2022. It was a conversation they SHOULD HAVE had a few months earlier.
@@docscards Ozuna has to be 3 right now. Braves probably under .500 without him. Profar - YES!! Where did this come from?? Definitely top 10 MVP right now. Padres again just can’t stay healthy.
how is ozuna not in this race? hes doing better then both of them... lmo at least hes doing better then harper, and he is a fielder, ohtani cant compete just being a dh... .
Looks like topps did release the 2024 chrome breakdown. There are different parallels for the image variations and they are speckled again. Such a shame imo. The goofy frozenfractors are back to, but only in hobby jumbo. Chrome looks like a singles only product to buy from.
They definitely play a bigger role in voters' minds than in the past. But I still think some voters value a player being out there on defense, even if it is a relatively easy position like 1B.
i hate how everyon talks about trouts votes, I believe its more due to his name on a ton of those votes. pujols 1st 10 years were similiar with voting, (and he was better then trout number wise)(like not even close) pujols would have 5 mvps or more if bonds wasnt robbing them all.
@SpitballinCards I'm a stats guy. Lol. That's all I do. And I believe he's great sure. But overrated indeed. How do u get an Allstar appearance and knowingly not able to play it yet still be elected. I believe he played maybe 60 games. Lol. I think he's a great player. But too over rated for me
@@SpitballinCards Think it depends on how far his arm has rehabbed. But imagine the potential of his range and arm playing outfield. Would be interesting to see his full potential WAR.
Chris here - you’re right. I was referring to their pitching staff. AND I forgot JT just went on the IL. Just look at the dodgers pitching staff for comparison. Phillies are loaded and look great! If they are busy at her trade deadline, what do you think they should add??
This might be a small factor but I wonder in regards to bowman and rc if the same jersey has an impact. I could see phillie collectors being less inclined to spend big on Harper nats cards while trout or whoever else judge benefit from still being with the same team
Being a big Phillies fan & obviously Harper fan, that was my mindset the first few years he was here. Then I realized that his 661 is such an iconic card of his I sold my Harper Phillies and scooped one up!
@@IAmMacHD as fewer an fewer guys stay with one team, I think collectors get over this. It’s the guys like Soto who really have bounced around - do you think his Padres cards will hold any value??
@@SpitballinCards as a Soto collector (but also Nats) if the price or chance is too good to pass on something crazy I will buy padres but honestly it’s easy to say no to a lot of his cards in that uniform IMO
@@RunForPeace-hk1cuwould be unfair for a player that only has to focus on hitting should win over a player that has to focus on two things, and doing them both at an elite level at that.
@@swizzle1199 you mean like when Ohtani lost to Judge in 2022? 😂😂😂 Funny how you can just make up any narrative that aligns with your conclusion when it is convenient Btw, he’s still rehabbing from TJ. You make it sound like his sitting around all day between games playing video games and nothing else 😂😂 Bruh, go get TJ and see how hard it is to rehab from it. Just ask Bueller
Bryce Harper should finish July, August and September stronger than the first half of the Season. It should be an interesting finish - Betts (When he returns) and Freeman could pull MVP votes from Ohtani. Acuna Won the MVP because of his Offense and Defense in 2023…Harper could make this close. 🤓⚾️
If we are answering the question of those cards are the better buy it’s ohtani. In 15 years when both players are in the HOF one will go down as the greatest baseball player ever and one will soon be forgotten about like 99.9999% of star players. I don’t know what it’s going to take for people to eventually realize that Ohtani being able to pitch at a high level and hit at a high level is something we will never see again. Ohtani doesn’t even have to pitch again (he will) what he’s done is already legendary. The next 10 years he will just accumulate crazy numbers in one of the largest markets in baseball sandwiched between 2 HOF hitters. Ohtani’s prices are high but they should be, he’s the modern Babe Ruth. If they weren’t this high I’d be concerned for baseball card prices as a whole.
@@swizzle1199maybe not forgotten but definitely won’t get the attention his career will deserve. Look at guys like Frank Robinson, Mike Schmidt, Stan Musial, George Brett, Wade Boggs, Frank Thomas the list goes on. What I’m saying is strictly card value related and legacy related. Will he be a top 50 MLB player ever, most likely. Will people be lining up to buy his cards for the rest of eternity, probably not.
@@zookerman182 Chris here - I don’t know. This is a bold take. I think his cards will always be popular because of his personality and if he gets a championship in Philly he will absolutely not be forgotten.
@@zookerman182once again you are incorrect, just on June 9th. Two 1973 Mike Schmidt rookies psa 8.5 did 1.9k & 2.1k. Hall of famers are never forgotten in the hobby my friend.
Tough to call. I think I’m with you guys, however. Assuming no significant difference in numbers on offense, slight edge to Harper because he is also playing defense. I do agree with your point about how each one finishes the last month or so could also be a factor. Personally, as a Phillies fan, I would love to see Harper get a third MVP and WS MVP. I’d almost rather see him come in second for regular season MVP and get the WS honors if forced to pick between the two. That might even do more for his hobby value.
These 2 teams will be playing next month. Whoever wins that battle will probably win the MVP. Whoever struggles will leave a bad impression in the minds of the voters.
@@JohnSmith-nj4zq Chris here - a three game series in July shouldn’t have any impact on the MVP race. But if one guy really shines, maybe voters will remember it?! It’s going to be fun watching these two guys rack up numbers all season. I hope.
@@SpitballinCards At the end of the season if the numbers are close, this series will be the deciding factor. But Shohei is showing that he is more valuable because he is carrying the team without Mookie.
unless ohtani hits 50+ hrs and steals 30+ bases, then he might win.... but he is one position. harper is doing it all. as much as i love ohtani (favorite player atm) but he shouldnt win being dh...
@@SpitballinCards i absolutely love that you guys respond. it makes it fun to discuss these things. my gf wants nothing to do with this stuff and yells at me when i chat with her about baseball .... orrrr crypto... lmao. always nice to chat.
I don’t expect Ozuna to get much hobby love, despite his excellent season so far. As a Braves fan, I do buy his cards occasionally, and I’ve definitely noticed a strong upswing in his prices. RC parallels that I used to get for $10 or $15 now sell for $40 or $50.
I understand Ohtani is extremely gifted offensively but if you are telling me that both Harper and Ohtani have similar numbers by the end of the season and they give it to Ohtani that would totally dampen the meaning of MVP. Harper is playing elite defense as well as offense while Ohtani only has to focus on hitting. How is that fair? A DH never won MVP for a reason and I firmly stand on the side that if you cannot play defense you should not be eligible for MVP. It’s a spit in the face for the elite players that do it on both sides of the field.
@@briansteeler7146I 100% agree with you, I’m just saying if they end up with similar numbers. Harper should get the bonus of actually having to play the field.
Man, Trout’s career is getting so disrespected. Chris pointed it out, and I agree with Jeff that people may forget over the years, but Trout being a top MVP player for nearly a decade is unprecedented in this generation.
He was a CONSISTENCY monster, too. Just unreal. Imagine that kind of run after the hobby boom?? His prices would have been in the stratosphere. I’m just hoping he can get/stay healthy and finish his career strong.
@@curryboyftw Chris here - his first 8 seasons were absolutely incredible. But if he keeps getting injured while toiling for a last Place team, will he have a lasting impact?
@@JonGeandreau-kg1kj he certainly has been hurt a lot over the last 6 years. It’s such a shame. Don’t forget though - Judge has had long IL stints in 4 of his 7 MLB seasons.
Not sure if this is a hot take but I think post season success is overrated for hobby value. For example, outside of Bob Gibsons rookie card his stuff is extremely affordable and check the stats he’s probably the best playoff pitcher of all time, single handily won the Cardinals at least 1 of the 2 World Series he was apart of. On the other hand, Nolan Ryan is a hobby darling with no post season success, mostly due to the teams he was on, but even when he was in he flat out did not perform.
@@dylanl3845 Chris here - yeah I think postseason success can be icing in the cake or give a slight boost. But you’ve got to put up regular season numbers. A couple big moments can only help in the hobby. David Ortiz is probably best remembered for his postseason heroics and the post-marathon bombing speech.
@@scottvaughn9 Chris here - I think the 2018 Rookie class - Ohtani, acuna, soto, devers - definitely had topps upping the print runs. I mean look at the PSA pop reports for 2018 Update base cards. 2021 and then 2022 kicked it into another stratosphere.
As Chris says here, it really kicked into another gear after 2020, but the rise in print runs from before 2017 to 2018 (and then again to 2019!) was very noticeable.
I admit I’m a Phillies fan. But as a baseball fan I don’t see how we can say a DH is an MVP. As of today, Harper is the clear MVP choice. When and if Ohtani is pitching again the conversation changes without question.
Moral of the story, NL is garbage compared to the AL. Sorry fellas. The AL would have Gunnar, Witt, Soto, and Judge all ahead of Ohtani and Harper at this point 😅
Chris here - injuries have taken a massive toll on the National League. Acuna, Betts, Tatis all missing a lot of time. So far, most of the AL injuries have been to Red Sox (and trout).
@@SpitballinCards I’ll give you Betts and Acuna (even though he was immensely underperforming prior to injury), but not Tatis, at least hobby wise. Point is more so from an MVP standpoint, AL is much deeper. You could argue 5 guys could be leading the NL (including JRam).
Weird...seems like I said "in their last 10" not "since Mookie got hurt." And we recorded this on Monday, at which point they were in fact 6-4 in their last 10. Cheers 🍻
@@fuqwytes6458 Youre the only one having a hard time. Youre taking something I said, changing it into something idiotic that I didn’t say, and then calling me daft. 🤔 🫠