Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani had one of the finest seasons of his career, even though it was cut short by a couple of untimely injuries.
He is the favorite to win his second AL MVP award as well as other individual accolades: Silver Slugger, Hank Aaron Award, you name it.
However, he just got his first individual recognition of the year, given to him by the folks at Baseball America.
“Shohei Ohtani redefined what is possible this season. We’re proud to name him our 2023 MLB Player of the Year,” they tweeted.
Shohei Ohtani redefined what is possible this season.
We’re proud to name him our 2023 MLB Player of the Year pic.twitter.com/S1e2qLVK4G
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) October 2, 2023
Baseball America are specialists in evaluating and scouting talent, so they clearly know what they are talking about when they say Ohtani redefined what’s possible on a baseball field.
He was just as good as his 2021 version as a pitcher, throwing 132 frames this year and posting a 3.14 ERA with 167 strikeouts.
If pitching like one of the best starters in the American League wasn’t enough, he posted his best offensive season to date, with a 1.066 OPS.
That’s even higher than the .965 mark he had two years ago.
In 2023, Ohtani hit 44 home runs, drove in 95 runs, and even stole 20 bases for good measure.
He was well on his way to shatter his career-high of 46 round-trippers before an oblique issue forced him out in September.
Any time Baseball America says you are the best of the best, it should be seen as an important recognition and a huge compliment.
The award wasn’t just given to Ohtani for the sake of it: he truly deserves it as the most unique performer in baseball.
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