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This year's race for the American League MVP is as fierce as it has ever been, and Shohei Ohtani is at the forefront. Ohtani took no steps back from his brilliant 2021 season, which ended with him being named MVP. After repeating the historic numbers, he proved that it was not simply a fluke; he really is just that good.
This year's MVP discussion was made more complicated by the performance of New York Yankees' superstar, Aaron Judge. Judge is on pace to set the Yankees record for single-season home runs while leading the team to one of the best records in the MLB. Both of these seasons are worthy of the MVP award, but it can only go to one player, and that player should be Shohei Ohtani.
This graphic tweeted by the MLB does a great job of contextualizing how good Ohtani and Judge have been in 2022.
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"Two special players having special seasons" - MLB
These are the three key reasons why Ohtani will be named AL MVP at the end of the 2022 season.
#3 Individual performance despite his team’s record
It is no secret that the Los Angeles Angels have failed to live up to expectations again this season. With yet another losing record and little to no hope in making the playoffs, the season did not go the way they hoped. Despite that, and the distractions of a new manager, Ohtani has been his usual dominant self amidst all the chaos.
This tweet from Sporting News MLB shows that Ohtani is the Angels leader in nearly every category.
"The Angels' team leaders page is just Shohei Ohtani" - Sporting News MLB
With the second All-Star selection of his career, Shohei Ohtani has proved to be one of the best players in the league, even with little support from his team.
#2 Ability and drive to constantly improve
Shohei Ohtani was not content after winning MVP in 2021, and added to his arsenal. This video from Rob Friedman on Twitter shows how Ohtani developed a 100 MPH sinker into his pitching repetoire.
"Pitch Design 101: Shohei developing his 100 mph Sinker. It's that easy" - Rob Friedman
This desire to step up his already impressive game is part of what makes him the MVP in 2022.
#1 Shohei Ohtani is the most dominant two-way player in baseball
No other player in the MLB is capable of doing what Ohtani does. Being a genuine offensive threat while being one of the top starting pitchers in the league is almost unheard of. After the 2021 season, it seemed like Ohtani had peaked. He repeated that incredible season in 2022, with even more dominance from the mound.
With 33 home runs so far this season and a .267 batting average, he is the best offensive player on his team. With a 2.58 ERA and a WHIP of 1.044, he is also the top pitcher on his team.
This video on YouTube highlights the incredible moments that Ohtani has had thus far in 2022.
In terms of value added to the team, no player brings more to the table than Shohei Ohtani.
