When people in the sports or entertainment worlds use the term "The Great One," it usually is attached to NHL legend Wayne Gretzky or, even way before Gretzky, comedian and actor Jackie Gleason.

These days, though, Los Angeles Dodgers fans just might start calling Shohei Ohtani "The Great One" if his run of success continues.

And, it looks like nothing will stand in Ohtani's way.

Since coming over to the Dodgers from the Los Angeles Angels, Ohtani has been a team leader on and off the field. Sure, plenty of people have thrown darts at him over his big-money contract and a betting scandal that besmirched his name.

All through it, though, Ohtani has continued to play at a very high level.

What's in the cards, though, for Ohtani in 2026? When Dodgers reporter Sonja Chen of MLB.com added her predictions to a large list of them from MLB reporters, she's giving Ohtani his fifth MVP title already.

"He can't keep doing this forever, but if Ohtani continues to be elite as both a hitter and a pitcher, it's hard to make a case against his status as arguably the most valuable player in baseball, period," Chen wrote.

"Coming off back-to-back 50-homer seasons and a successful return to the mound, Ohtani isn't showing many signs of slowing down," Chen continued.

"For the first time as a Dodger, he won't have to rehab from surgery during the offseason as he prepares for 2026," she added. "A fifth MVP Award would bring him a step closer to tying Barry Bonds' all-time record of seven."

What did Ohtani do last season in helping the Dodgers secure back-to-back World Series championships? He hit .282 with 55 home runs and 102 RBIs. Ohtani had a slash line of .282/.582/.957.

This season, Ohtani looks all ready and raring to go back on the pitching mound, too. Imagine opposing hitters seeing Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, and Roki Sasaki coming at them during a three-game series? 

Oof, some teams might want to simply take a few days off and skip it all.

But there's really not a reason to believe that Ohtani will not win the National League Most Valuable Player honors this season. He usually keeps himself ready and raring to go. Ohtani has his home life pretty well set up these days, too. 

Life could not be better for a modern-day "Great One" like Ohtani. Now, Dodgers fans can simply sit back and wait for another stellar season from him in Dodger blue.

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