Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani had another incredible season of two-way prowess and is a finalist for the American League MVP award.
New York Yankees star Aaron Judge may be the favorite to win that award, but Ohtani still has a chance to take home his second straight MVP.
When it comes to another individual award, however, Ohtani was snubbed, and you could very well argue he did deserve to be considered.
“Shohei Ohtani is not a finalist for the AL Cy Young Award. The three finalists are Justin Verlander, Dylan Cease and Alek Manoah,” Angels insider Rhett Bollinger tweeted.
Shohei Ohtani is not a finalist for the AL Cy Young Award. The three finalists are Justin Verlander, Dylan Cease and Alek Manoah.
— Rhett Bollinger (@RhettBollinger) November 8, 2022
Ohtani, despite pitching “just” 166 innings, managed to qualify as a pitcher and finished with the third-highest Wins Above Replacement (WAR) output in the American League, with 5.6.
The Numbers Say Ohtani Should Have Been, At The Very Least, A Finalist
His 2.33 ERA was fourth in the junior circuit (behind the three finalists), but he had more strikeouts than Verlander and Manoah with fewer innings pitched.
He won 15 games and was a consistently great ace all year long.
He had a case to win the award, but Verlander might have had the better season.
At the very least, however, he should have been named a finalist.
After all, what he did on the mound was very important to his MVP case.
Ohtani performed like an accomplished, dangerous slugger with the bat, but he was the Angels’ ace at the same time.
Voters apparently are making the Cy Young award an ERA competition without placing too much weight on other stats and indicators.
If that’s the case, Ohtani will likely have a hard time ever winning the Cy Young.
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