Ohtani Shohei (LA Angels), who failed to become MVP for two consecutive years, is known to have expressed great disappointment at the voting results of the BBWAA.
It was November 18th (hereinafter Korean time) that the MVP of both leagues was announced last year. Aaron Judge, who set the American League record for most home runs in a single season with 62 homers, defeated Ohtani with an overwhelming majority. Twenty-eight of the 30 BBWAA journalists with voting rights gave Judge the number one vote. Ohtani only got two first-place votes and 28 second-place votes.
As a hitter, Ohtani had a batting average of 0.273, 34 homers, 95 RBIs, 90 runs scored, an OPS of 0.875, and a pitcher who threw 166 innings, recording 15 wins and 9 losses, an average ERA of 2.33, and 219 strikeouts, respectively. The total bWAR of pitching was 9.6, which was higher than in 2021 (9.0), when he was unanimously named MVP. Moreover, for the first time in history, he vomited the spirit of filling both the prescribed at-bat and the prescribed innings at the same time, realizing a true pitching double career.
However, the vote was focused on Judge. It was unavoidable. Not only did Judge break Roger Maris’ record in 1961 after 61 years, but unlike Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, and Sammy Sosa, who were helped by steroids, Judge added value to the record with clean self-management. Moreover, bWAR was 10.6, which was better than Ohtani. 메이저놀이터
Regarding this, Angels manager Phil Nevin said in a recent interview with MLB Network Radio, “All I can say is this. Ohtani is very disappointed that he couldn’t win the MVP.” “I’m happy with the improvement and looking forward to the start of the season.”
Ohtani appears to have expressed his feelings about his MVP failure to coach Nevin recently. Ohtani also expressed his disappointment with the team that failed in the postseason in an interview at the airport in Japan in October of last year, saying, “I think my season was better than last year,” and expressed his expectation for MVP.
Before the BBWAA voting results were released, the prevailing expectation was that the difference between Judge and Ohta would not be large. It wouldn’t be strange for either of them to be the MVP. However, it was a one-sided victory for Judge. Ohtani seems to have expressed his disappointment over the difference in votes rather than the failure to become MVP.
Local media responded to this by saying, “Obviously, Ohtani is upset that he was ignored in the MVP vote. I think he had a much better season than Judge on the mound and at the plate.”
MLB Network said, ‘Ohtani still has the idea that he should have been the MVP. With one more season with the Angels, he wants to prove why he is unquestionably the greatest player in the major leagues.”