Shohei Ohtani's path to MVP supremacy is no longer unchallenged, as Schwarber emerges as a strong contender.

Currently, there is a perspective that if Kyle Schwarber can maintain this hitting momentum, he might challenge Shohei Ohtani for the NL MVP. However, this view should perhaps be reversed, because despite Ohtani's remarkable performances once again, I believe that with Schwarber's current form, the ones chasing him for the rest of the season will be Ohtani and everyone else.

Schwarber currently leads Ohtani by one home run with 40 homers and tops the league with 94 RBIs. He might even reach 100 RBIs before the weekend. In this season, where he is about to become a free agent, Schwarber's importance to the first-place Phillies is unparalleled.

This marks the third time in his four seasons with the Phillies that he has hit 40 or more home runs in a single season. If he wasn't a rock star before, he has officially been crowned as one this season. In an era dominated by Ohtani and Aaron Judge, while home run leader Cal Raleigh has also impressed with 42 home runs for the Mariners, Schwarber has showcased a threat and spectacle unmatched by anyone with each swing.

Not surprisingly, in the All-Star Game home run derby, it was Schwarber who, with Ohtani and Judge absent, sent the ball into the Atlanta night sky, helping the NL win the event and earning the MVP title. Did you know? He made the ending of the game just as exciting as those star players, if not more so.

It was astonishing that the Chicago Cubs did not offer him a contract after the 2020 season. Equally surprising was that after the 2021 season, when Schwarber helped the Boston Red Sox make a push for the World Series, the Red Sox let him go. If the Phillies let this soon-to-be free agent leave after this season, it would be quite shocking. He is not only one of the most dynamic hitters but also potentially the most charismatic player.

Clearly, he cannot do everything that Ohtani can, such as pitching. But the Phillies are very content to let Schwarber be himself. In Philadelphia, he has become a superstar just like Bryce Harper, which speaks volumes. Now, he is striving to help the team win the World Series, just as he did in 2016 when he helped the Cubs.

In many ways, Schwarber's legend began at that time. In April of that year, he tore his knee but still returned during one of the most legendary World Series in baseball history. He played only two games in the regular season of 2016 but appeared in five of the seven World Series games, hitting 7 out of 17 at-bats for a .412 batting average. He drew 3 walks, scored 2 runs, contributed 2 RBIs, and had a .500 on-base percentage. He accomplished all of this just six months after undergoing ligament reconstruction surgery.

“He will dominate this recovery,” Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer said in April 2016.

And Schwarber did just that. At just 32 years old, he is still dominating the game. He is one year younger than Judge and one year older than Ohtani. Both are continuing to progress, and so is Schwarber. Two years ago, he posted an incredibly wild stat line:

A batting average of .197, 47 home runs, 104 RBIs, 108 runs scored, 215 strikeouts, and 126 walks. In other words, his performance then was similar to now: as long as his bat makes contact, he can produce high-value hits, and we can enjoy watching him do it. It remains true today.

A few nights ago, the Phillies triumphed over the Orioles, with Schwarber hitting two home runs, one of which was a grand slam. All night, he heard fans chanting "MVP," and Phillies fans will continue to do so for the rest of the season. After the game, when asked if he had a chance to break Ryan Howard's franchise record of 58 home runs, he said:

“I’m not thinking about breaking records or anything like that,” Schwarber said. “I’m just trying to show up every day and help my teammates. If (breaking Howard's record) happens, that’s great. If it doesn’t, that’s also great.”

It’s been fantastic to watch him play this season. He has been outstanding for quite some time. Whether during his time with the Cubs or now, he never slackens. Before the weekend, his home run total is just two behind Raleigh, while he leads in RBIs. He looks entirely capable of reaching 50 home runs this season, which is the achievement Ohtani and Judge reached a year ago.

Rob Thomson said something the other night that he has told Schwarber many times since becoming the Phillies' manager:

“He’s incredible.”

Shohei Ohtani has already won three MVP awards. This season, he is once again doing various "Ohtani-like" things, including pitching again. His on-base percentage this season is .381, slugging percentage is .606, and OPS is .987. Meanwhile, Schwarber's on-base percentage is .379, slugging percentage is .585, and OPS is .964. Schwarber has 40 home runs, while Ohtani has 39. They both play for the first-place teams. This time, the MVP award is no longer a foregone conclusion for Ohtani; the battle for MVP has just begun.