(New York) Shohei Ohtani, who captivated the baseball world with his unprecedented combination of batting and mound skills, became the first player to win unanimous team MVP twice , THURSDAY.
Atlanta Braves player Ronald Acuna Jr. won the National League honor, also by unanimous decision. They were the 20e and 21e time the Most Valuable Player title has been won unanimously since it was first awarded in 1931.
Ohtani, who became a free agent after completing his contract with the Los Angeles Angels, received 30 first-place votes in the American and 420 points in voting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
He was also the unanimous winner in 2021 and finished second to New York Yankees player Aaron Judge last year.
Corey Seager finished second with 24 second-place votes. His Texas Rangers teammate Marcus Semien took third. The votes were cast before the playoffs.
Ohtani led the American with 44 home runs and posted a .304 batting average with 96 RBIs, eight triples and 20 stolen bases during a season that ended September 3 at bat due to an injury to an oblique muscle.
On the mound, he boasted a 10-5 record and a 3.14 ERA in 23 starts. He struck out 167 batters and allowed 55 walks in 132 innings before injuring his right elbow ligament on August 23.
He underwent Tommy-John surgery on September 19. The Angels then indicated that he would not pitch again until 2025.
PHOTO JOHN BAZEMORE, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES
Ronald Acuna Jr.
Acuna, for his part, became the first major league player to combine 40 home runs and 70 stolen bases in a single season.
Mookie Betts earned all the second-place votes, followed by Los Angeles Dodgers teammate Freddie Freeman. Betts won the American title in 2017 with the Boston Red Sox, and Freeman with the Dodgers in 2020.
Acuna finished second in the National League with a .336 average, leading major league baseball with 149 runs scored, 217 hits, 386 total bases and 73 stolen bases. He hit 41 long balls and produced 106 points.