"Bryce Harper is gonna be fully healthy" - Ex-Red Sox star casts doubt on Shohei Ohtani's 2025 MVP bid as a two-way player

With Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge now competing in the National League and American League, respectively, both will be early favorites for the MVP award. Both won the award in their respective leagues unanimously in 2024; however, one analyst believes the trend may not carry on, highlighting a player who could give Ohtani a run for the honor next season.

On Friday, MLB Network's "Hot Stove" ran a segment titled "Early 2025 MVP Predictions," where former Boston Red Sox pitcher Ryan Dempster was asked to pick his MVP favorite other than Judge and Ohtani. He named Bryce Harper.

"Okay, if we're going to take those two guys out, I'll go with someone else. I think Bryce Harper is the one," Dempster said. "If he's fully healthy next year, he’s a guy who can hit 50-plus home runs. Especially with Shohei pitching, Harper has the capability of posting a thousand-plus OPS. I think he's a guy who could possibly achieve that."

Dempster also mentioned Jose Ramírez, whom he feels flies under the radar but could compete with Aaron Judge for the hardware next year.

Shohei Ohtani expected to lead odds by a margin

Just playing as a DH, Shohei Ohtani dominated the NL MVP voting in 2024, beating Francisco Lindor and Ketel Marte, who finished second and third, respectively. This was during a year when Ohtani didn’t pitch at all.

Next year, however, he will return to the mound as a starting pitcher, and early projections suggest the NL MVP odds will strongly favor the Dodgers’ $700 million, 10-year signee.

Shohei Ohtani, who is rehabbing from an elbow surgery performed in September 2023, is expected to return as a pitcher next spring. The last time Ohtani won the AL MVP, in 2023, he posted a 10-5 record with a 3.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts. This was on top of him hitting .304/.412/.654 with 44 home runs, 95 RBI and 20 stolen bases.

Another MVP season came in 2021, when he went 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA, 156 strikeouts, a 1.09 WHIP, and 44 walks in 130 1/3 innings. At the plate, he batted .257/.372/.592 with 46 home runs.

Now that he has fully adjusted to MLB pitchers, his hitting numbers aren't expected to fall off significantly. While he may not surpass his 2024 season offensively in 2025, his elite pitching numbers should put him in prime position to claim his fourth MVP award next season.