While many are focusing on the offensive outburst of Aaron Judge this season, one can’t simply take for granted the fact that Shohei Ohtani is making a case to repeat as the American League MVP.
While Judge is the likely favorite, it’s worth noting that Ohtani is still hitting plenty of home runs, while also dominating on the mound.
He’s a complete player on both sides of the ball, being able to both pitch and hit affectively at the Major League level.
MLB insider Joon Lee expressed on Twitter that there may be a shift in the MVP race towards the Los Angeles Angels‘ two-way star, especially since the New York Yankees have been on a slide since late July.
Especially with the Yankees slow collapse, the MVP conversation should tip back towards Ohtani
We cannot take for granted how unprecedented what he's doing on a daily basis. Our grandchildren's children are going to be talking about what Ohtani's doing 100 years from now. https://t.co/wdMYo91lkx
— Joon Lee (@joonlee) September 6, 2022
Why Ohtani Could Be MVP
One thing to also consider is that Ohtani doesn’t have much of a supporting cast out in Los Angeles.
It’s essentially just him and Mike Trout.
Yes, it is hard to imagine Judge not winning the MVP this season, but at least he’s had somewhat of a supporting cast behind him, which recently has fallen a little bit, but Ohtani has basically been carrying the Angels on his back all season long.
Without him, things would be a whole lot worse, even with how bad things have gotten this year.
It’s definitely at least worth considering that there might now be a shift in the race.
While the Yankees are likely a postseason team this year and the Angels are already essentially eliminated, Ohtani at least deserves some consideration, considering that he can pitch and hit and do both effectively.
This is something we may never see again once his career is over, so it’s worth taking a look at him as a possible MVP.
NEXT: Graphic Shows How Shohei Ohtani Is A One-Man Team