Shohei Ohtani, following a magnificent 2021, is having another splendid season. Markedly, Ohtani won the American League MVP award in 2021, and also made it to the Home Run Derby, thereby becoming the first Japanese and pitcher to do so.
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Similarly, Ohtani’s form has continued to 2022 as he continues to impress the realm of baseball. This year, Ohtani has batted at 0.266 with 34 homer runs. In addition to that, he has pitched at an ERA of 2.43 with 196 strikeouts.
All in all, Ohtani’s form hasn’t been the only constant since 2021. Despite the presence of two superstars, Trout and Ohtani, the Angels have maintained a poor streak with zero postseason appearances since 2014.
Shohei Ohtani creates havoc against the Seattle Mariners
Ohtani only continued his absolutely splendid form into the game against the Seattle Mariners. As the game reached the seventh innings, Ohtani remained still at the pitching mound after producing seven scoreless innings and eight strikeouts. Now, he’s only four strikeouts behind 200 in 2022.
Ohtani does it all! pic.twitter.com/W0PIMCLZHX
— MLB (@MLB) September 18, 2022
Moving on, Ohtani also contributed with the bat. He smashed a fastball to left-field that narrowly missed the top of the ball. Regardless, his shot helped Trout score from first base.
In total, Ohtani scored an RBI, and one run and pitched in an extremely economical manner.
Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani with an RBI double off the wall after a scoreless first inning with a couple punch outs 🔥🔥🔥
— Ben Verlander (@BenVerlander) September 18, 2022
Eventually, crediting Ohtani’s performance, the Los Angeles Angels beat the Seattle Mariners 2-1.
Who will win the MVP award in 2022?
In the American League, outfielder and star slugger, Aaron Judge, is competing with pitcher, slugger, and outfielder, Shohei Ohtani. Markedly, Ohtani won the AL MVP award in 2021 as well. However, this year, the award is not about who is performing better. Cause evidently, Ohtani’s all-round performance with pitching and hitting makes him the obvious choice. But, the Angels stand no chance for the postseason and are currently at number four in the West Division.
On the other hand, Aaron Judge, who has 57 homers to his name, has carried the Yankees to their number one position in the East Division. That being said, according to recent MVP polls, Judge stands on top with 36 first-place votes while Ohtani has only 14.
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Who deserves the MVP award? Judge or Ohtani? Let us know your valuable opinions in the comments below.