All eyes on him: Ohtani’s MVP case grows ahead of Wednesday start

ANAHEIM, Calif. – On Wednesday night in Anaheim, the familiar buzz will return — not for the home team, but for the one man who continues to redefine what’s possible in baseball.

Shohei Ohtani is coming back to Angel Stadium for the second time since his high-profile departure from the Los Angeles Angels in 2023. But this time, the stakes feel different. This isn’t just a homecoming — it’s a full-circle moment. Ohtani, now a fixture in Dodger blue, is set to pitch against his former team for the first time on Wednesday as he will DH Monday and Tuesday as well. And, as always with Ohtani, history is within reach.

He enters the series not only as the face of the baseball, but as the frontrunner — again — for the National League MVP. If he wins it, it’ll be his fourth and third in a row, a feat that would cement his name alongside the most elite in the sport’s long, storied history.

A Familiar Field, A Changed Man

The last time Ohtani stood on the mound at Angel Stadium, he was pitching in front of adoring fans who hoped he’d never leave. And though he made his return last season as a DH, this game will mark the first time he pitches against the team that helped introduce him to major league baseball.

But this isn’t a revenge game. There’s no animosity. Just legacy.

The Angels, now mired in yet another middling season, know what they lost. Since Ohtani left, the team has lacked direction, and fan morale has struggled to rebound. There are still jerseys in the stands with No. 17 on the back — only now, they’re symbols of what once was, rather than what could have been.

Ohtani’s 2025 campaign has been, predictably, absurd. He’s batting .284 with 41 homers and 77 RBIs through August 10, while posting a 2.37 ERA and 25 strikeouts in just 19 innings. After missing the 2024 season on the mound due to Tommy John surgery, his return to two-way dominance this year has been seamless — and historic.

No one else is doing this. No one else has done this.

He’s not just chasing another MVP. He’s chasing an entirely different tier of greatness — Babe Ruth comparisons are no longer enough. Ohtani is building his own category.

Should he claim his fourth MVP, he would sit alone in second place behind Barry Bonds, who had seven. Mike Schmidt, Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols, Mike Trout, and more are sitting at three in that elite club, but none of them ever threw a pitch in the big leagues with any significance. Ohtani is doing the work of two Hall of Famers every night, in one body.

Angel Stadium: A Stage, Not a Home

Wednesday's game may be played in Anaheim, but make no mistake — the house will belong to Ohtani. Expect standing ovations, flashbulbs, and a sense of reverence, like a rock star on tour rather than a visiting pitcher.

It’s rare to watch a player perform at his peak and simultaneously understand you’re witnessing something that will be talked about for generations. But that’s the Ohtani effect.

There will be fans wearing red, but cheering for the Dodger ace on the mound. There will be kids who first saw him in this very stadium now returning just to see what he does next.

The Angels had their chance. And for six years, Ohtani gave them everything. But now, he returns as something even greater — a living legend, and chasing his own history.

Wednesday night won’t be about nostalgia. It’ll be about greatness in real time.