"Almost like an alien": Ronald Acuna Jr., several MLB stars hail Shohei Ohtani's greatness as Japanese phenom named AL Outstanding Player by peers

In the Players Choice Awards released on Nov. 2, 2023, Shohei Ohtani was chosen by his peers for the second consecutive year as the American League's Outstanding Player.

MLB players Ronald Acuna Jr., Corbin Carroll, Liam Hendriks and others had nothing but wonderful things to say about the Japanese sensation.

Ohtani is nothing short of extraordinary, according to Acuna Jr.:

"A phenomenon. Almost like an alien. It's his nickname for real because he's incredible."

Gunnar described him as, "A Unicorn"

Another unworldly season for the @Angels unicorn Shohei Ohtani recorded 44 home runs, 95 RBIs, and 78 extra base hits, and led the majors in slugging (.654), OPS (1.066) and bWAR (10.0). Congrats, Shohei, on being named 2023 #PlayersChoiceAwards AL Outstanding Player! - MLBPA

In addition to finishing 10-5 on the mound with a 3.14 ERA this year, Ohtani became the first player from Japan to lead a major league in home runs in the United States with 44.

On Nov. 16, when the winner is announced, the 29-year-old is the front-runner to be awarded AL MVP. He is also a candidate for the AL Silver Slugger at designated hitter.

Shohei Ohtani is a free agent as of now

Now that the World Series is over, Shohei Ohtani may join with any team he wants as a free agent, depending on his choice. Ohtani will be able to return to his role as designated hitter in time for the 2024 season after undergoing surgery on Sept. 19 to repair a rupture in his right ulnar collateral ligament. It won't be possible for him to pitch until the 2025 campaign.

Ohtani is a player that every squad would like to have. A lot of teams are eyeing for him. Many people rank Ohtani's prime as one of the best in baseball history. Notably, the American League Most Valuable Player Award for 2021 went to him. He then set a modern-era record in 2022 by being the first player to be eligible for both the batting and pitching leaderboards in a single season.

With 10 wins and 40 home runs in a season, Ohtani became the first player in MLB history to achieve the feat as a pitcher. He also became the first Japanese-born player to win a major league home run title, leading the American League with 44 home runs, and he became the first Japanese player to have the most popular Major League Baseball jersey sales. Ohtani finished off another historic season in 2023.