Shohei Ohtani, after a sensational, largely unprecedented 2021 season, was crowned Baseball Writers of America by the Baseball Writers Association of America on Thursday.
NS Angel of Los Angeles the star was a unanimous choice, receiving all 30 votes in the first place overtaking his peers to the final round Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Marcus Semien, both Toronto Blue Jays.
Ohtani delivered on his promise as a two-way star and somehow exceeded the overwhelming expectations he had brought with him from Japan four years earlier. He became the first player in baseball history to hit at least 30 home runs in a year when he also made at least 10 pitches – and that doesn’t come close to his excellence. widespread.
Ohtani, 27, accumulated 46 home runs and has 23 starts for another lowly Angels team. Unfairly, he posted a 0.965 OPS (second highest in the AL), tripled (tied with the major league lead) and stole 26 bases (a point held by just seven players. head). He became the sixth player in history to have at least 45 home players and at least 25 bases stolen in the same season, joining a decorated list of names including Alfonso Soriano, Chipper Jones , Jose Canseco, Larry Walker and Barry Bonds.
Of course, none of the others actually threw the ball.
Ohtani also compiled 130 thirds on the mound, and boasts an ERA of 3.18 with 156 strikes and 44 walks. Of those with at least 120 innings in 2021, Ohtani ranks in the highest 14% in terms of strike rate, 19% in opponent’s miss rate, and 16% in the highest in projected independent pitching. All told, Ohtani is worth 9.1 Baseball-Reference wins over substitution, more than anyone else in the sport.
Ohtani, who gave up a promising career in Japan early on to become a two-lane player at the highest level in his sport, showed his potential from the start of his first season. in U.S.A. In the first two months of 2018, he posted an ERA of 3.18 on the mound and 0.929 OPS in the hitter’s box. But he sprained his posterior cruciate ligament in his first game in June and made just one more appearance for the rest of the year.
Tommy John had surgery in late September, leaving Ohtani to spend most of the next 15 months rehabilitating his right elbow. Ohtani has proven to be a formidable offensive weapon in the meantime – hitting .286 / .351 / .532 with 40 home runs in 210 games from 2018 to 2019 – but making it many doubted he could become the first on a two-star line-up since a young Babe Ruth briefly juggling hits and pitches in the early years. 1900.
The shortened 2020 season COVID-19 only exacerbated concerns. Ohtani posted a 1.90 batting average and made just two pitches – allowing seven runs and scoring just five starts – before stopping to throw again due to muscle strain.
A positive season followed. Ohtani changed her diet, sought advice from third-party establishments, engaged in more game-like situations as both pitcher and hitter, and appeared in Spring training in 2021 looks like a completely different player. His quick tackles exploded in the upper ’90s, his shots frequently passed the hitter’s eye in the center area, and in the midst of that, Angels coach Joe Maddon decided intend to let Ohtani dictate the terms of his season. He lifted the previous restrictions, allowing Ohtani to hit the mark the day before, the day after, and most notably the day he started. On some nights, he even moved Ohtani from the mound and out onto the field to keep his batman in the lineup.
In July, Ohtani competed in the Derby Home Run, then led the All-Star Game as both pitcher and header. In October, Junior Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred presented him with the Commissioner’s Historical Achievement Award meant to “recognize achievements and historic contributions to the game,” according to an MLB release. Throughout, Ohtani captivated audiences with his unprecedented combination of power, speed, and pitching skill. His fast orb is electric, but his splitter is devastating. He hit the moon 500 feet, but he also eliminated regular ground ones.
Fans lined up outside the gates of Angel Stadium to receive his gifts, people around the world watched his starting days and the most respected people in his sport – bridge players, coaches, executives – were stunned by his unsurpassed talent.
Now, rather, he’s the MVP.
