Mike Trout may still be the betting favourite to earn the AL MVP, however an Angels teammate is quickly closing the gap. When Shohei Ohtani took the mound last night against the Rangers, he became the first pitcher to start a game while simultaneously leading the league in homeruns since Babe Ruth in 1921.
Despite the outing being his worst statistical performance of the year, Ohtani still managed to collect the win, and fan 9 batters across 5 innings (4ER, 3H, 2BB). Offensively, Ohtani helped his cause by going 2 for 3 at the plate with 3 runs scored and 2 RBIs in the process. He now sports a sterling .300/7HR/18RBI/17R/3SB slash line which is amongst the league leaders in every category.
Earlier this season the Japanese superstar managed to throw a pitch over 100mph and hit a homerun 115mph in the same inning against the White Sox, showing just how unique his particular skill set is in the modern game. As Shohei’s manager Joe Maddon succinctly put it, “If you weren’t entertained by watching him tonight, you can’t be entertained by watching the game of baseball.” Which is why if you’re thinking of putting any kind of futures bet on Ohtani, now might be your last chance to get decent odds on him at +1000, as the line seems to move for him every start.
To be fair, Mike Trout has essentially become the baseball equivalent of LeBron’s “voter fatigue” in basketball. There’s a case to be made that he’s the MVP every season, yet writers choose to fall in love with a storyline and mix it up by giving it to another player instead. Currently hitting an absurd .426/.539/.820/1.359 at the plate, there’s a reason Ohtani is still a distant second amongst AL MVP odds. While his numbers will undoubtedly come down as the grind of a 162 game takes its toll, catching him will be no easy feat. Luckily for Ohtani, Trout isn’t also trotting out to the mound once a week and tossing 100+mph gas. If ever there was going to be a storyline voters were going to get behind, a two way star doing something that hasn’t been done in 100 years could very well be it.
After winning the rookie of the year award in 2018, the only thing that seems to be able to slow down the 26 year old phenom is injuries. Whether it was Tommy John surgery, or another procedure to repair a bipartite patella, Sho Time hasn’t had the smoothest of transitions into the major leagues health wise. This injury history may prove a significant factor in his quest for a 2021 MVP crown as well, as the Angels have adopted a particularly cautious approach to his playing time.
Several times in the Angels victory over the Rangers Ohtani (already with 3 SB’s on the season and 32 total over his short career) could have made an attempt to swipe a bag but was given the hold sign by his manager. Madden would also remove Ohtani after the 5th inning due to a “hot spot” on one of his fingers and fear that it may turn into a blister. This coupled with some additional days of rest here and there not usually afforded to other players may end up costing the star some Wins, Stolen Bags and other stats voters will review at year’s end. But if he manages to remain healthy while posting somewhere in the vicinity of 8-10 wins, 100+Ks and his above average offense at the plate, will that be enough to wrestle the crown away from his talented teammate? Hard to say. One thing for certain though is that the Angels are can’t miss baseball for the first time in a long time.
-Kyle Skinner
Twitter: @dynessports