“West Coast bias? Are you freaking kidding me?” - MLB fans lash out at Jon Heyman’s comment featuring Shohei Ohtani and Francisco Lindor’s MVP debate

MLB insider Jon Heyman recently received some backlash from baseball fans across the country for his take on the apparent West Coast bias in regards to the MVP race between Shohei Ohtani and Francisco Lindor.

In the ongoing debate about who will win the NL MVP award, Heyman suggested that there is no East Coast bias, rather, the public are biased towards the West Coast. He argued that while Ohtani is having yet another record-breaking season, Lindor stands on equal footing but will not land the award because of a bias against the New York Mets. Subsequently, several fans took the chance to ridicule Heyman's opinion on Twitter:

"West Coast bias? Are you freaking kidding me? The only thing that exists in sports is East Coast bias. Most of you go to bed before Ohtani plays," wrote one MLB fan.

"West coast bias? If Ohtani played in New York there would be a parade after every damn game," added another.

"A guy goes for a historic and 1st ever 50-50 season and wins the MVP because of "West Coast bias"?" questioned @mjc1217 on X.

"Jon funny how you misspelled east coast," quipped @danjulio1942.

"West cost bias? Lol 3 words no human has ever put in the same sentence before." added @jumbojaxncdylax.

Despite taking a year off from pitching as he recovers from a Tommy John surgery, Shohei Ohtani is putting up record-breaking numbers as a designated hitter. He has already become the first MLB player to record a 45-45 (home runs and stolen bases) season and is well on his way to reach 50-50. His versatile base running has transformed the role of a DH and could be the first time a player playing that role wins a MVP award.

On the other hand, Fransico Lindor has carried the New York Mets to second in the NL East. The Puerto Rican infielder has notched up 30 home runs and 26 stolen bases, four shy of achieving two consecutive 30/30 seasons. While most baseball fans have ridiculed Heyman's statement, no Mets player has ever won the award since the team's inception.

Shohei Ohtani ties MLB career-high home run record with 46th HR of the season vs Guardians

Regardless of whether Shohei Ohtani wins the NL MVP season or not, he is already on course for a record-breaking season in the MLB. The Los Angeles Dodgers star blasted his 46th home run against the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday to tie his career-high tally from 2021.

Ohtani's solo homer in the fifth helped the Dodgers to a comfortable 4-0 victory over the Guardians and also marked a career-high 101 RBI. His pursuit of a 50-50 season looks increasingly like a formality than a possibility this year.