Another historic season wrote itself for Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani, as he was named the winner of the Edgar Martínez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award on Monday.
This marked the second straight year Ohtani captured the award, and the first player to win it in back-to-back seasons since Hall of Famer David Ortiz won it five straight years.
After finishing runner-up in the American League Most Valuable Player race to New York Yankees slugger, Aaron Judge, Ohtani had a season that will go down as one of the greatest of all time considering his incredible statistics at the plate and on the mound. He posted a .273/.356/.519 slash with 34 home runs, 30 doubles, and six triples, while driving in 95 runs in 2022.
Houston Astros Yordan Alvarez finished in second, batting .299/.410/.593 with 19 homers and 52 RBIs, but only served as the DH in 77 games. Ohtani was far and away the best DH in the field of Giancarlo Stanton, Bryce Harper, J.D. Martinez, and Nelson Cruz, and the ballots reflected that.
Fellow Angels running-mate, Mike Trout, said he’s never seen anything like Ohtani, and at the peak of his career, the award cabinet for Ohtani is quickly filling up.
Angels would only consider moving Shohei Ohtani at the trade deadline
It’s been a busy offseason for the Angels in 2022 with the addition of Tyler Anderson to the starting rotation via free agency and a few new additions to the starting lineup, but the question of Ohtani’s future will undoubtedly be on the top of everyone’s mind in the upcoming season.
What isn’t certain is the team’s ability to keep him long-term. There are multiple factors that’ll go into that decision, including how competitive the team forecasts to be, where the roster stands, and frankly if Ohtani wants to stay with the Angels.
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