On Thursday, Shohei Ohtani was named as the 2023 American League Most Valuable Player, voted on by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
It marked his second career MVP Award, joining Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera as the only foreign-born players with win multiple MVP Awards. He earned all 30 first place votes, 156 points ahead of second place finisher Corey Seager.
He previously won the 2021 MVP Award in unanimously, making him the 20th BBWAA MVP Award winner and the first in the award’s history to do so multiple times. Ohtani’s 2023 MVP gives the Angels their third unanimous winner, Mike Trout also being voted the unanimous winner in 2014.
Ohtani posted a .304/.412/.654 slash with 26 doubles, eight triples, 44 home runs, 95 RBI and 20 stolen bases in 599 plate appearances this past season (135 games). He was the only player in MLB with five or more triples and 35 or more homers. Ohtani became the second player in Angels history to lead the league in home runs, joining Troy Glaus, who led the AL with 47 homers during the 2000 season.
On the mound, he went 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA, 4.00 FIP, 1.06 WHIP and 11.4 strikeouts per nine in 132 innings pitched (23 starts). Ohtani allowed one-or-fewer earned runs in 13 of his 23 starts, notching his first career shutout on July 27 against the Detroit Tigers.
Ohtani wrapped up his 2023 pitching campaign with a 20.2 consecutive innings pitched streak having not allowed an earned run.
Ohtani winning the 2023 MVP Award is the seventh MVP award in Angels history, joining Don Baylor (1979), Vladimir Guerrero (2004), Mike Trout (2014, 2016 & 2019), alongside the two-way star’s 2021 win.
The Angels are the first team since the San Francisco Giants to win five MVP awards in a 10-year span.
Shohei Ohtani league stats & who is interested in the two-way star
Ohtani led the AL in home runs, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, on-base plus slugging (1.066), walk rate (15.2%), wRC+ (180), total bases (325) and rWAR (10.0).
The Los Angeles Dodgers are considered the biggest threat to sign Ohtani away from the Angels due to their geographic location and recent history of winning. The Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners are among the other teams that have been linked to the 29-year-old.
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