Injuries and underwhelming performances from some main contributors ultimately derailed the Los Angeles Angels in 2021. Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon missed nearly the entire season, but two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani carried the load in a historic way.
Ohtani was dominant as a hitter and as a pitcher, compiling 46 home runs and a .965 OPS at the plate while securing a 3.18 ERA and 156 strikeouts over 130.1 innings on the mound. He was the first player in MLB history to start the All-Star Game as both a pitcher and hitter, and was unanimously named AL MVP.
His historic 2021 season and the accolades that came with it were nominated for Top Sports Moment at the 2021 L.A. Sports Awards. Voting runs through Tuesday, March 8, when the Sports Awards will be broadcast on SportsNet LA, Spectrum News 1 and Spectrum SportsNet.
Additional awards that will be selected are Sportsman of the Year, Sportswoman of the Year, Coach of the Year, Executive of the Year, Mayor’s Community Athlete of the Year and Greatest Moment of the Year.
The only previous Angels winner of an L.A. Sports Award in recent years was Mike Trout, who won Sportsman of the Year in 2019 alongside L.A. Dodgers MVP Cody Bellinger. The Top Sports Moment award is the only one that can be voted on.
Ohtani hopes to bring his season of excellence into 2022, where a healthy Angels roster and new-look pitching staff could change the fortunes of the franchise.
Nominees for Top Sports Moment at 2021 L.A. Sports Awards
• Allyson Felix overtakes Carl Lewis as eh USA’s most decorated track and field athlete in Olympic history
• Angel City FC sign USWNT striker Christen Press as their first player
• Dodgers advance to NLCS by defeating the Giants, who had MLB’s best regular season record in 2021
• Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is named NFL offensive Rookie of the Year
• Clippers eliminate the Utah Jazz in Game 6 to advance to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history
• Dodgers eliminate the Giants to advance to the NLCS
• Kobe Bryant inducted into Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
• Rams defeat Seattle Seahawks in the Wild Card Game
• UCLA reaches NCAA Final Four
• USC advances to Elite 8 for the first time since 2001