The American League MVP chase is a two-horse race at this point, with Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani and New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge leading the way. Judge, who is an offensive supernova on the precipice of American League home run history, would seem to have the edge. However, Ohtani reminded everyone of his greatness on Thursday night, carrying a no-hitter into the eighth inning while extending his hitting streak to 14 games.
After the game, Ohtani made a bold MVP statement that will make Judge look over his shoulder, per Sam Blum of The Athletic.
“I know I won MVP last year,” Ohtani said, “but I feel like I’m having a better season this year.”
Shohei Ohtani acknowledged his MVP season last year but said that he feels like he's “having a better season this year.” Now, that's a bold statement. Your take, Aaron Judge?
The scary part is, Ohtani might have a point. In 2021, the Angels star wowed fans as he clobbered 46 home runs while also pitching to a 3.18 ERA in 130 1/3 innings.
Somehow, Shohei Ohtani has authored a worthy sequel to that magical season, clubbing 34 homers while raising his batting average to .273.
But it's his mind-boggling dominance as a pitcher that gives him a legitimate case as an MVP candidate. The Angels star has 14 wins, a 2.47 ERA and 203 strikeouts in just 153 innings.
And he has flirted with MLB history just about every time he takes the field. Judge will most likely win the MVP. But it shouldn't take away from the fact that Shohei Ohtani has arguably been better than he was last year.
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