Juan Soto (27) of the New York Mets has been selected as the most likely MVP candidate this year, surpassing Shohei Ohtani (31) of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Major League Baseball (MLB) official media MLB.com reported on the 8th (Korean time) that, "In 2024, two superstars (Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani) had memorable MVP seasons. It was a good year for both Judge and Ohtani, but will they be able to perform such feats again in 2025? Or will new Searo stars emerge to seize the MVP honor? They predicted the players who will win this year's MVP among five candidates and dark horses."

Ohtani is a superstar who has recorded a batting average of .282 over 875 major league games (3,119 at-bats, 878 hits), 225 home runs, 567 RBIs, 562 runs, 145 steals, and an OPS of .946, along with 86 pitching appearances (481⅔ innings), 38 wins, 19 losses, and an earned run average of 3.01. He transferred after signing a 10-year, $700 million (approximately 1.149 trillion won) contract with the Dodgers last season.

Due to the effects of elbow surgery received in September 2023, Ohtani was unable to perform both as a pitcher and hitter last year, but he focused solely on hitting, achieving remarkable results. He recorded a batting average of .310 over 159 games (636 at-bats, 197 hits), 54 home runs, 130 RBIs, 134 runs, 59 steals, and an OPS of 1.036, becoming the first in major league history to achieve 50 home runs and 50 steals. In his first postseason debut, he also led his team to a World Series championship. After the season, he lifted his third personal MVP award.

However, MLB.com predicted that Soto, not Ohtani, would win this year's MVP. Soto is one of the best hitters in Major League Baseball history, with a career batting average of .285 over 936 games (3,280 at-bats, 934 hits), 201 home runs, 592 RBIs, 655 runs, 57 steals, and an OPS of .953. Last season, he posted a .288 batting average over 157 games with the Yankees (576 at-bats, 166 hits), 41 home runs, 109 RBIs, 128 runs, 7 steals, and an OPS of .988, finishing third in American League MVP voting. This winter, he signed a 15-year, $765 million (approximately 1.1091 trillion won) contract with the Mets, breaking the record for the largest contract in professional sports history set by Ohtani.

MLB.com remarked, "In a rush to be the first to select Juan Soto in the National League, we quickly accessed Google Docs. He is currently the best hitter in Major League Baseball, and with a new team and a large contract, he will aim to prove that fact. However, Soto does not actually need such external motivation. He is simply the best hitter in his own right."

"Soto is expected to have an on-base percentage of over .400 this season, which would be a record for eight consecutive seasons since his debut," MLB.com analyzed. "He will once again record over 25 home runs and over 125 walks. He has already achieved this record four times, which is surpassed only by Barry Bonds and Babe Ruth (both 10 times) and Ted Williams (8 times). Soto has always produced MVP-caliber seasons, and this time is truly the year he will win the MVP."

Following Soto, MLB.com selected Ohtani as the second candidate for the National League MVP. They noted that, "Ohtani had an unforgettable year for fans, establishing a legendary 50-50 club in his first season with the Dodgers. We are now even more excited to see what kind of performance he will deliver. Despite currently undergoing rehabilitation due to Tommy John surgery and shoulder injuries, Ohtani is expected to participate as a hitter in the Tokyo series and return to the mound in the second half of the season."

MLB.com projected that, "Ohtani's performance as both a hitter and pitcher will be the highlight of the 2025 season. Even without pitching last year, Ohtani showcased MVP-caliber performance. If his health supports him, it won't be difficult for him to achieve his third consecutive MVP and fourth overall MVP."

After Soto and Ohtani, Kyle Tucker (Cubs) ranked third, Francisco Lindor (Mets) fourth, and Elly De La Cruz (Cincinnati) fifth in the standings. In the American League, Bobby Witt Jr. (Kansas City) was ranked first, Aaron Judge (Yankees) second, Gunnar Henderson (Baltimore) third, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Toronto) fourth, and José Ramírez (Cleveland) fifth. Paul Skins (Pittsburgh), Rafael Devers (Boston), Jackson Churio (Milwaukee), Michael Harris II (Atlanta), and Wyatt Langford (Texas) were selected as dark horses.

[OSEN]