Shohei Ohtani has made quite the impact in Monday night’s game against the Chicago Cubs with 46 home runs and 46 stolen bases. Each game, he continues to break records and is currently the favorite to win the National League MVP.
Despite rehabbing his second Tommy John surgery and being a designated hitter, Ohtani has been dominating the season. His signing of a 10-year, $700 million contract in the offseason immediately put him in the spotlight, and his performance on the field has only magnified the attention he’s receiving as he nears baseball’s first 50-50 season.
Baseball Hall of Famer David Ortiz has also taken notice of Ohtani, but in a somewhat unexpected way.
In recent comments reported by Marca.com, Ortiz expressed some jealousy, mentioning how he was never awarded an American League MVP as a designated hitter. He highlighted Ohtani’s achievements in home runs and RBIs, with Ohtani surpassing 100 RBIs in a season for the first time, while Ortiz’s best was 148 RBIs in 2005.
However, Ortiz falls short in stolen bases, having only 17 in his career. He also criticized the media’s focus on Ohtani’s historical achievements and argued for fair treatment in MVP consideration.
Ohtani’s performance has been unmatched as he has a Wins Above Replacement (bWAR) of 7.0 as of Sept. 6, surpassing Ortiz’s career-high of 6.4 from 2007. Despite Ortiz’s concerns, it’s hard to deny Ohtani’s impact and potential MVP candidacy.
Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
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