Nick Castellanos Gives Surprising Take On Who He Thinks Should've Won NL MVP

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos stirred some controversy with his surprising take on the 2024 National League MVP race, arguing that New York Mets infielder José Iglesias deserved the honor over Shohei Ohtani. 

Speaking on The Chris Rose Rotation, Castellanos said, “If you’re looking at the MVP as having the most weight on creating wins for your team, there’s no other player that had as much weight as José Iglesias.” 

Ohtani, who made history with the Los Angeles Dodgers by becoming MLB’s first 50/50 player with 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases, was the unanimous MVP, but Castellanos believed Iglesias had the most meaningful impact on his team’s success.

Nick Castellanos says that Jose Iglesias deserved to win NL MVP over Shohei Ohtani

“If you’re looking at 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” pic.twitter.com/vifn4Btx5Z

— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) January 13, 2025

Castellanos praised Iglesias for turning the Mets’ season around after they called him up from Triple-A in May while sitting nine games under .500. 

Over 85 games, Iglesias hit .337, posted a career-high 3.5 WAR, and played multiple infield positions. Beyond his performance, Castellanos credited Iglesias’ leadership for helping teammates like Francisco Lindor and Mark Vientos thrive and giving the team a newfound direction. 

“He brought that Latin spark, knocked the ice off Lindor, got Vientos comfortable, and gave direction to a team that looked lost. He’s the reason they made the playoffs and got where they did,” Castellanos said, pointing to the Mets’ eventual wild-card berth and deep postseason run.

Nick Castellanos: Jose Iglesias saved the Mets season. He brought the best out of everyone and changed the clubhouse. He should have been the NL MVP

Mets fan: Look at Castellanos talking smack again. Bum loser https://t.co/6u461pESc8

— Fuzzy (@fuzzyfromyt) January 13, 2025

While acknowledging Ohtani’s unprecedented season and calling him the better overall player, Castellanos explained his perspective of value. 

“If I’m starting a team, I pick Shohei over José, no doubt. I’m not stupid,” he said. “But the way I saw baseball last year, through my eyeballs, José Iglesias is the NL MVP.” 

Despite Castellanos’ strong stance, Iglesias received no MVP votes, leaving Ohtani to claim the award unanimously.

Photo Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images