Shohei Ohtani nicknamed, Shotime is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher designated hitter, and outfielder for the Los Angeles of Major League Baseball. Los Angeles two-way star Shohei Ohtani was officially recognized as the best player in the American League winning his first MVP award.
The Tokyo Tower was scheduled to be lit up in Los Angeles Angels colors to celebrate Ohtani becoming the 19th unanimous MVP in major league history. Ohtani said I don’t have any special plans to celebrate I’m probably gonna spend a lonely night by myself at home. Othani said, I watched Ichiro and he also won MVP and was someone I looked up to and got me actually wanting to play in the Big Leagues one day.
Ohtani charmingly ordinary amid extraordinary accomplishment claimed all 30 first-place votes from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America and became the fifth unanimous MVP since 2000, joining Mike Trout (2014), Albert Pujols (2009), Barry Bonds (2002), and Bryce Harper, who won unanimously in 2015 and was named the National League MVP on Thursday. Vladimir Guerrero Jr, the young star for the Toronto Blue Jays, captured 29 of the 30 second-place votes by the BBWAA, with the remaining vote going to Salvador Perez of the Kansas City Royals. Guerrero’s teammate Marcus Semien received 24 third-place votes.
The 2021 season saw Ohtani fulfill his promise as a two-way star and somehow exceed the outsized expectations he carried with him from Japan four years earlier. I watched Ichiro and he also won MVP and was someone I looked up to and got me actually wanting to play in the Big Leagues one day, said Ohtani. I’ve always dealt with a lot of doubters especially from my days in Japan. Ohtani said, But I try not to let that get to me. I just wanted to have fun and see what kind of numbers I could put up. Hopefully, I can be that type of figure to the kids watching me right now, and hopefully one day I could play with one of those kids watching me. That would be really special. The MVP was just the latest in a season packed with honors for Ohtani also named the 16th recipient of the special Commissioner’s Historic Achievement Award.
The honor goes to a group or person who has made a major impact on baseball and is presented at the commissioner’s discretion. It’s been something special to witness what you’ve accomplished as a teammate. You have put together a season of your own… WELL DESERVED, #SHOTIME!!! #MVP” tweeted Trout immediately after the announcement. In October, Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred gifted him with the Commissioner’s Historic Achievement Award meant to recognize accomplishments and contributions of historical significance to the game, according to an MLB release. Ohtani captivated audiences with his unprecedented combination of power, speed, and pitching prowess. His fastball was electric but his splitter was devastating.
He hit 500-foot moon shots, but he also legged out routine grounders. Fans lined up outside the Angel Stadium gates for his giveaways people all over the world tuned in on his start days and the most respected members of his sport – players, coaches, executives were left stunned by his overwhelming talent.
