New MVP poll gives Elly De La Cruz a chance to pass Reds' division rival

An MLB.com poll of 38 contributors shows Elly De La Cruz and Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski tied in voting for the 2026 National League MVP Award, suggesting the Reds shortstop could finish third in the balloting behind Pete Crow-Armstrong and Shohei Ohtani. De La Cruz is having a career year with 28 home runs, a .285 batting average, and a .881 OPS while also providing elite defense, though he missed time due to injury. Misiorowski has posted a 1.89 ERA with 247 strikeouts and a league-best 0.803 WHIP in under 170 innings, putting him on pace to win the Cy Young Award. The article notes that pitchers rarely win MVP honors, with only Clayton Kershaw doing so in 2014 before that.

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