Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani had one of the most remarkable seasons of all-time in 2021, which earned him the honor of Male Athlete of the Year from the Associated Press.
Ohtani did everything well, throwing some of the fastest pitches on the mound, hitting some of the highest exit velocities at the plate, and being one of the fastest players on the basepaths.
His skills across the board made him one of the best hitters in baseball, winning the American League Silver Slugger Award at the designated hitter position with 46 home runs and 26 stolen bases, and one of the best pitchers in the AL, posting a 3.18 ERA with 156 strikeouts.
While it’s one thing to put fans in awe of your ability, Ohtani did something else not many other players can do: he put other players in awe of his ability.
Teammate Mike Trout said it was incredible to watch Ohtani play and compared it to being back in Little League where the best players would be able to do everything well before they were no longer able to perform at such an elite level in all phases of the game by high school or college.
The significant contributions on the mound and at the plate also made him the unanimous choice for the AL MVP Award.
“He can check it off his list,” Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner recently said. “That was on his list. He wanted to be an MVP. He can check that one off. Obviously what he did was special. Happy for him. That was awesome.”
It was truly a remarkable season for Ohtani and the baseball world can’t wait to see what he has in store for 2022.
Turner defends Ohtani as the face of baseball
Earlier in the season, Ohtani drew criticism from ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith who said it is harmful to have him as the face of baseball because he uses an interpreter. Smith drew criticism for his opinion and later apologized.
Turner was among those criticizing the opinion, calling it an “awful take” and pointing out baseball is played all over the world. He went on to say Ohtani is “the greatest player on the planet” and “the face of baseball right now.”
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