Until now, no Designated Hitter has ever won a league MVP award in MLB. Throughout its existence, most experts have believed that a DH’s chances of winning that accolade aren’t ever high. Partly because of no defensive contribution, the voters don’t seem to rate that position as highly as others. But then, Shohei Ohtani’s a unicorn and he has turned that notion upside down. And now, with Bryce Harper’s unexpected injury, Ohtani looks closer than ever to making history.

The pain of losing 7-2 to the Miami Marlins wasn’t enough for the Philadelphia Phillies. They had to experience something much more disastrous; first with Kyle Schwarber feeling tightness in his groin and then the last play of the game bringing sheer panic. Bryce Harper was limping with his hands on his left hamstring, visibly shaken and in deep pain. Thus, unlike Ohtani,(who miraculously got saved by an injury), Harper is at risk of missing games.

“It hurts,” said Bryce Harper later to the interviewers. The star then described how he felt his lower hammy: “Just a little bit.”  While the Phillies fans await his imaging results, Harper shared that he’s “never really had a soft-tissue injury,” before this game. Before this game, the Phillies star was going through a red-hot form (.306/.402/.585/.987) and had just been elected to play first base for the NL in the All-Star game. More importantly, he was Shohei Ohtani’s closest competitor for the MVP race.

After Mookie Betts’ injury, it looked like Ohtani had no peer. But then, Harper’s June shenanigans completely changed the situation. Before his injury, Harper was second only to Ohtani in MVP odds (-140 to Ohtani and +200 to Harper). However, as of now (per Odds Checker), Ohtani’s odds have increased to -200 while Harper is now third at +800 with Freddie Freeman rising above him (+750). 

Shohei Ohtani’s extraordinary performances since shifting to leadoff have paid dividends for him. But while the MVP award is still quite far away, what else can the Los Angeles Dodgers star lift anytime soon? 

Amidst MVP run, Shohei Ohtani’s ESPY nomination shows his growing impact

Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly – ESPY has nominated the Dodgers star was two awards this year. The annual ceremony aims to honor professional and collegiate athletes and celebrate their important moments. Unsurprisingly, they’ve declared Shohei Ohtani as a nominee for two awards – Best MLB Player and the Best Athlete, Men’s Sport. 

The Los Angeles Dodgers star will compete against Ronald Acuna Jr. and Gerrit Cole for the MLB award. Interestingly all three of the nominated athletes have faced health-related issues this year. Ohtani isn’t pitching due to his elbow surgery, Acuna Jr’s season has ended after another knee injury. Cole, on the other hand, has just returned from an elbow injury and isn’t doing particularly well. 

In the case of Best Athlete, Ohtani’s competition is Patrick Mahomes, Scottie Scheffler, and Connor McDavid. The fans can vote for their favorite athlete till 2 pm PT on July 11. Could Ohtani win the ESPY to start a series of award wins? What do you think? Share your take in the comments below.