Everyone Agrees: Shohei Ohtani Is the A.L.’s M.V.P.
The New York Times
The Angels’ two-way star inspires extreme devotion from his most ardent supporters. Baseball writers agreed, unanimously giving him the A.L.’s Most Valuable Player Award.
Shohei Ohtani was extraordinary this season. Ohtani, the Los Angeles Angels’ two-way star, smashed 46 home runs, drove in 100 runs and posted a .965 on-base plus slugging percentage, trailing only Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the American League. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, Ohtani was also his team’s best starting pitcher, amassing a 3.18 earned run average and 156 strikeouts in 130 ⅓ innings over 23 starts.
On Thursday, Ohtani’s historic efforts were rewarded with the A.L. Most Valuable Player Award. He joined the former Seattle Mariners star outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, the 2001 A.L. M.V.P., as the only Japanese players in Major League Baseball history to earn the award.
Ohtani received all 30 of the first-place votes for the award, which is presented annually by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. He beat out his fellow finalists, Guerrero, who received 29 second-place votes, and second baseman Marcus Semien, also of the Blue Jays, who received 24 third-place votes.
