Will Shohei Ohtani Win MVP Again in 2023?

The highly anticipated MLB award week has arrived. The prolonged suspense for the Cy Young awards concluded as Blake Snell secures the NL honor and Gerrit Cole claimed the AL title on Wednesday morning. On the same note, the AL and NL MVP winners will be announced in a couple of hours. For the third time, Shohei Ohtani is selected for the AL MVP award with two Texas Rangers counterparts, Marcus Semien and Corey Seager. The competition is tough, but Ohtani is the fan favorite to take this award home for the second time. Why is Shotime getting the preference while fighting with the World Series champions?

Despite his UCL tear and premature season-ending, the two-way phenom has shown his magic on the field. Though he missed several games, his performance raised him to a new height. The result is yet to be out, but let?s check the reasons why he is the best choice for the AL MVP award this season.

Shohei Ohtani?s Strong Claims for AL MVP

The Most Valuable Person award result can be anything, as the top 3 contenders are almost equally good. But the Japanese star is simply leaving behind everyone in popularity and talent. While he has missed games in the regular season due to injuries, he still has made it to the top three contenders, leaving behind renowned names.

He had two injuries this season. First, he had torn UCL in his right elbow in August, and then he had a strained right oblique in September that wasted much of his season. However, still he had an amazing season with .304/.412/.654 slash record and 44 home runs. That’s not all. He also possessed a 3.14 ERA and 4.0 WAR. Also, he had an iconic home run this season where the ball lasted for seven seconds in the air.

Though it seems that Ohtani will almost win the award without competition, Corey Seager is just behind him. Interestingly, Seager also had spent his time on the injury list this season, just like Ohtani, and missed games. But still, they both are giving each other a tough competition.

A Bleachers’ Report article recently explored the odds of these two players getting the AL MVP. Per them, the odds for the Japanese pitcher is -20,000, while Seager has +2,000 odds. Surprisingly, the odds for the Shotime are going beyond all the scales. These are currently all assumptions. But, if the Japanese star really got this award, he will join an elite list of MLB.

Shohei Ohtani On His Way to Join A New Elite List

Fans and insiders are hoping their best that Shotime will earn his career second AL MVP. If it really happens, then the two-way star will join an elite list of players who have multiple MVPs. Starting from Barry Bonds’ seven MVPs, the list contains Jimmy Fox, Joe DiMaggio, Stan Musial, Mickey Mantle, etc., several players. With the 2023 AL MVP, the Japanese pitcher will become the 32nd on the list.

Read More: Shohei Ohtani Free Agency: Why Are the San Francisco Giants a Big Threat To LA Dodgers To Sign Two-Way Superstar?

That’s not the only record he will achieve with his second MVP award. He will also become the second Los Angeles Angels player to have multiple MVPs. Prior to him, only Mike Trout had this record. He had three MVPs in 2014, 2016, and 2019.

The result for both AL and NL MVP will be published on MLB Network at 6 p.m. ET.

Watch the Story: Young Shohei Ohtani?s Journey To Elite Hitting Proving His Little League Coach Wrong