No opposition. In the American League (AL), Shohei Ohtani (29-LA Angels) is virtually alone in the MVP race.
Ohtani hit a two-run home run off Zack Greinke in a road game against the Kansas City Royals on May 19 (ET). It was Ohtani’s 24th home run of the season, and he’s now hit eight home runs in his last 10 games.
Having already led all of Major League Baseball (ML) with a home run the day before, Ohtani added two more RBIs to give him 58 on the season, which also puts him in the ML lead in that category. He also leads the ML in slugging percentage (.632) and OPS (1.016). A triple-digit on-base percentage (0.300) and double-digit stolen bases (10) are a bonus.
In terms of batting average alone, he’s unrivaled in the AL so far. While bitter rival Aaron Judge (New York Yankees) has hit 19 home runs and landed on the disabled list (IL) for the second time this season, Ohtani has taken over the MVP race.
Ohtani has been just as good on the mound this year, if not better than last year (15-9 with a 2.33 ERA). In 14 starts, he is 6-2 with a 3.29 ERA. After winning four games in April, he hasn’t had much luck in May, but he’s still within striking distance of 10 wins on the season. Ohtani has been dominant this season, leading the AL in batting average (.178) and striking out the most batters (105).
At this rate, Ohtani is mathematically capable of 53 home runs. If he wins 10 games as a pitcher and hits 50+ home runs as a hitter, it’s virtually impossible to take the MVP away from him. Considering he won his first MVP in 2021 with 46 home runs, 100 RBIs, and an OPS of .964 as a hitter and a 9-2 record with a 3.18 ERA as a pitcher, he’s a lock for a second if he keeps his pace this season and doesn’t suffer a sudden injury or long slump.스포츠토토
Ohtani, who won the first-ever two-hitting MVP in 2021, took a step up as a pitcher in 2022, only to be blocked by the 62-homer Jeter, preventing him from winning a back-to-back MVP. At the World Baseball Classic (WBC) to kick off the new season in 2023, Ohtani made up for his disappointment by leading Japan to the title and earning MVP honors. Now, he is preparing to be crowned “Baseball Emperor” once again in the spring and again in the fall.