The National League Championship Series is here, and all eyes are on Francisco Lindor and Shohei Ohtani in this battle of MVP-caliber players. While Ohtani entered the season as a favorite for the MVP title, a back injury sidelined Lindor for two weeks, and Ohtani seized the moment, going on a two-week tear that seemed to clinch his case. But now, with the spotlight back on the field, it’s Lindor who’s stepping up, showing the kind of postseason energy and fire that might just tip the scales in his favor.
While Ohtani has shown brilliance all season, he’s had a surprisingly rough go in this series, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in the decisive Game 5. One NL scout told the New York Post bluntly, “Ohtani stinks,” after watching him struggle at the plate—an overreaction, perhaps, but a sentiment that reflects the shock of seeing such a star falter in a crucial moment. Lindor, meanwhile, has been hitting his stride, leading the Mets with clutch plays that seem to capture the heart of this team’s postseason run.
Jon Heyman of The New York Post even noted, “at the moment, Lindor looks like the better player.” And for good reason: Lindor’s energy is driving the Mets forward, showing the kind of resilience that’s turning heads as he carries his team through every obstacle.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers, despite being hit hard with injuries, are relying on breakout stars like Yoshinobu Yamamoto and a trio of shutdown relievers to keep them in the fight. They’ve got some major depth issues, with 10 pitchers from their 40-man roster on the sidelines. As for the Mets, they’re still reeling from nearly $90M in dead money from Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer. Yet both teams have managed to get here, and that tenacity is what makes this matchup so intriguing.
With Lindor looking like the Mets’ backbone and Ohtani facing scrutiny in the postseason for the first time, this series could cement Lindor as a true MVP in fans’ eyes. The Mets are bringing their edge in the rotation to the early innings, while the Dodgers’ injury-riddled rotation is doing its best to hold together. But in this showdown between two $300 million teams, the stakes are sky-high, and anything can happen.
So, is Lindor emerging as the real MVP, or will Ohtani find his rhythm in time to change the Dodgers’ postseason fate?
