MLB MVP lead at risk as slumping Shohei Ohtani tumbles to eighth in hitting rankings

Shohei Ohtani’s grip on the MVP conversation is looking less secure, and his standing in MLB.com’s hitter power rankings has fallen sharply during a prolonged slump.

The Los Angeles Dodgers star dropped from third to eighth in the latest ranking, released for the 12th time this season. In his last 12 games, Ohtani has gone 6-for-46, batting .130 without a home run or an RBI.

The slide follows a recent MLB MVP poll in which Ohtani fell behind Chicago Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong, known as PCA. MLB.com said even the greatest players in baseball can endure a two-week hitting slump, but raised a broader concern about Ohtani’s condition.

“Now the question is whether this is just a temporary slump, or whether the same all-over soreness keeping Ohtani from pitching is also affecting his hitting and could hinder his performance for the rest of the season,” MLB.com wrote.

Crow-Armstrong took the top spot after ending Yordan Alvarez’s run at No. 1. The rest of the top 10 were Pete Alonso, Junior Caminero, Bryce Harper, Fernando Tatis Jr., Jac Caglianone, Ohtani, Rafael Devers and Sal Stewart.

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Now the question is whether this is just a temporary slump, or whether the same all-over soreness keeping Ohtani from pitching is also affecting his hitting and could hinder his performance for the rest of the season.