Los Angeles Dodgers two-way stud Shohei Ohtani had a historic 2024 regular season on the way to winning his first NL MVP award during his debut campaign in the senior circuit.
New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor had a huge year as well, finishing with 33 home runs, 91 RBI, 107 runs scored, 29 stolen bases and a .273/.344/.500 slash line to earn his fourth Silver Slugger award. He led his team to the playoffs and was the NL MVP runner-up to Ohtani.
There’s another Mets infielder who Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos recently said should’ve finished ahead of Lindor, Ohtani and the entire pack for the hardware. His pick played in 28 minor-league games in 2023 and didn’t appear on a major-league diamond that season, and produced just 91 hits, four home runs and 26 RBI across 85 contests in Queens in 2024.
During his recent interview with Jomboy Media’s Chris Rose, Castellanos argued 35-year-old, light-hitting, one-time All-Star Jose Iglesias should’ve been voted the NL MVP last season over Ohtani. The latter led the league in nearly every notable offensive category and became the first player in MLB history to record at least 50 home runs and 50 steals in a campaign, finishing with 54 and 59, respectively.
Why Castellanos is Serious About His Jose Iglesias NL MVP Pick
Through the conversation with Rose, Castellanos doesn’t crack a smile, showing that he’s serious about his argument for Iglesias winning the award.
It’s not like the 2013 AL Rookie of the Year runner-up is a nobody who hasn’t had success in the majors. Iglesias has long been known as an elite defender and while he’s never shown much power, he’s always been a solid contact hitter.
The Cuban has posted a batting average of at least .300 in four different seasons (including the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign) and is a career .283 hitter.
While it wasn’t MVP-worthy, 2024 was arguably Iglesias’ biggest season on and off the field.
After signing a one-year minor league deal with the Mets last offseason and playing in Triple-A until the end of May, he was called up and went on a heater to close the first half. New York went 66-40 following Iglesias’ promotion, as he hit a career-best .337 (excluding 2020). His hit song “OMG” also became the anthem of the Mets and was a huge boost to the team’s morale.
“If you’re looking at like the MVP as having the most weight on creating wins for your team, there’s no other player that has had that much weight as Jose Iglesias. Because I think with him being able to come in and bring that Latin spark, knocked the ice off of Lindor, finally got (Mark) Vientos probably comfortable to be able to be an everyday third baseman and now a bunch of guys that look like they had no direction running in all different directions in the beginning of the year, they made the playoffs, got to where they did, while the whole Mets organization had the ‘OMG’ signs were everywhere from in the city to the stadium,” Castellanos said. “The way I look at baseball, Jose Iglesias is unanimous National League MVP.”
After Rose brought up Ohtani’s historic 50-50 output, Castellanos doubled down.
“I’m saying that him going to the Mets and being himself got the organization to move in one direction,” the two-time All-Star said. “Shohei Ohtani played a huge part in the Dodgers winning. I don’t if he’s the sole purpose of the Dodgers moving in one direction. That doesn’t mean that what Shohei isn’t record book worthy and he’s not an amazing baseball player. If I’m starting a team, I pick Shohei over Jose. There’s no doubt about it. I’m not stupid. But the way that I saw baseball last year, through my eyeballs, Jose Iglesias is the National League MVP.”
Castellanos and Iglesias Were Longtime Teammates With the Detroit Tigers
Perhaps it’s no coincidence that Iglesias and Castellanos spent five-plus seasons as teammates with the Detroit Tigers at the beginning of the outfielder’s career.
Two years after “Candelita” debuted with the Boston Red Sox during the 2011 campaign, he was traded to the Motor City in July 2013. Castellanos appeared in his first MLB contest in September 2013 and the two would remain in the same clubhouse through 2018.
Detroit made its most recent run to the ALCS in 2013 with Iglesias as the starting shortstop, though Castellanos wasn’t on the postseason roster. The Tigers then won the AL Central for the fourth straight year in 2014 but failed to make it past the first round, falling to the Baltimore Orioles in the ALDS. Castellanos finished eighth in that season’s AL Rookie of the Year vote after recording 11 home runs, 66 RBI and a .259/.306/.394 triple slash.
Detroit missed the playoffs for the remainder of both Castellanos’ and Iglesias’ tenures with the club, as the latter signed with the Cincinnati Reds in February 2019.
Castellanos evidently very much still has his former teammate’s back, even when it comes to promoting his wild case in the 2024 NL MVP race.
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Phillies Slugger Makes Absurd NL MVP Pick Over Shohei Ohtani