Up until Freddie Freeman squeezed Mookie Betts ' throw to end Game 7 of the World Series, the Dodgers’ chances for a repeat were a source of enormous suspense.

There was no such sense of doubt before the news came down Monday that Shohei Ohtani is one of three finalists for the National League Most Valuable Player Award, along with the Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber and the Mets’ Juan Soto. Not only that, but Ohtani is considered a strong favorite for the award, after a season in which he posted a 1.014 OPS and hit 55 home runs at the plate. He also returned to the mound for the first time since 2023 and delivered a 2.87 ERA and 62 strikeouts in 47 innings over 14 starts.

We won’t know the final results of the BBWAA voting for certain until the MVP Awards are announced live on MLB Ne

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