Los Angeles Angels free agent Shohei Ohtani was unanimously named the 2023 American League MVP after his historic season as a hitter and pitcher. The two-way star won the award over Texas Rangers teammates Corey Seager and Marcus Semien, who finished No. 2 and 3 in the voting, respectively.
Ohtani hit a stellar .304/.412/.654 with 26 doubles, eight triples, 44 home runs, 95 RBI and 20 stolen bases in 599 plate appearances this year (135 games). 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 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).
It’s the second AL MVP Award in six MLB seasons for Ohtani; He also earned the honor in 2021. Ohtani is one of two players in Angels franchise history to be named AL MVP (Mike Trout; 2014, 2016, 2019).
The 2023 AL MVP is the latest award Ohtani has won this offseason. He previously took home his second career Silver Slugger and was named the AL Outstanding Player in the 2023 Players Choice Awards.
Next up for Ohtani is deciding where he will be playing next season and beyond. Although he will be sidelined from pitching in 2024, Ohtani is still expected to sign a contract of at least $500 million.
The Angels have not given up hope of bringing their superstar back, but they will face plenty of competition. In the event Ohtani signs elsewhere, L.A. will receive draft compensation since they extended him the qualifying offer.
Many teams expected to show significant interest in Angels free agent Shohei Ohtani
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.
