‘Hitter’ Shohei Ohtani (29, LA Angels)’s slugging power in the last 15 games is unusual. In the last 8 games, he had a 4.88 ERA, which is the exact opposite pace of "pitcher" Ohtani. On top of that, on the day Ohtani hit a home run, news that wasn't bad for him came along, and his MVP potential is burning again.
On the 12th (Korean time), Ohtani started as the second and designated hitter on the final day of the 2023 Major League Home Series between the Seattle Mariners and Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, USA, and recorded 3 hits in 5 at-bats, 1 run and 1 strikeout.
As a result, Ohtani, who recorded more than 3 hits in one game for the 7th time of the season, raised his batting average from 0.281 to 0.287 and OPS from 0.925 to 0.930. Although he failed to hit a home run for 3 days in a row, thanks to Ohtani, who hit 7 hits including 2 home runs during the 3 consecutive days, the Los Angeles Angels won 9-5, giving Seattle a winning series.
Looking at only the last 15 games, there is no American League (AL) hitter who can match Ohtani. With 6 home runs in 14 games, a slugging percentage of 0.772, and an OPS of 1.185, he is the sole leader in home runs, slugging percentage and OPS among AL hitters during the same period. In the meantime, the batting average of 65 games was 0.287, 18 homers, 46 RBIs, and OPS 0.930, and the pitcher's performance was 5-2 in 13 games, 3.32 ERA, and 102 strikeouts in 76 innings.
Shohei Ohtani hit the 18th gun of the season with 2nd out and 1st base at the end of the 3rd inning against the Seattle Mariners at home on the 11th (Korean time)./AFPBBNews=News 1
Shohei Ohtani (right) hit home with the 18th gun of the season from 2nd out and 1st base in the bottom of the 3rd inning against the Seattle Mariners on the 11th (Korean time)./AFPBBNews=News 1
Although he is a two-way player, his batting performance is on par with those of players who only enter the plate, and the possibility of MVP is rising again. Looking at Ohtani's batting performance by category, he ranked 13th in batting average, 13th in on-base percentage, 3rd in slugging percentage, and 4th in OPS with a wRC+ (Adjusted Run Score Production) of 151, showing the AL's highest level of batting productivity.
In order to stop Ohtani, who produces A-class results in pitching, from winning the MVP award, he has no choice but to produce overwhelming results as a hitter like Judge last year. Last year, while playing right fielder, Judge had a batting average of 0.311 in 157 games, 62 homers, 131 RBIs, 133 runs scored, 16 stolen bases, and an OPS of 1.111 wRC+ 207, stopping Ohtani from winning two consecutive MVP awards.
Ohtani's strong rival again this year was Judge. Despite going to the injured list (IL) with a right big toe bruise on the 7th and going to the IL only twice this season, he boasts the best hitting productivity in the league with a batting average of 0.291, 19 homers, 40 RBIs, an OPS of 1.078, and wRC+ of 189 in 49 games. Due to injuries, he is behind other competitors in cumulative stats, but is unrivaled in OPS and wRC+ categories. This is also the reason why the local media in the US still picks Judge as a strong MVP candidate despite frequent injuries.
However, as Jersey's recovery has been sluggish, this year's AL MVP race is also getting fun. 핑크돌핀슬롯 On the 9th, Judge left an ambiguous answer, saying, "It could be a few weeks longer or shorter. I guess it depends on how I feel." The next day, Aaron Boone, manager of the New York Yankees, also said in a public inquiry, "I think Judge's condition has improved a little bit." updated the news.
If Ohtani and Judge have similar batting records, Ohtani, who has good records as a pitcher, will inevitably have an advantage. With Ohtani's performance in chasing the home run leader by one car, the predictions of the final home run between the two men predicted by Fan Graph, an American baseball statistics media, were similar. Even at their lowest, Ohtani and Judge were expected to hit 21 homers each for the rest of the season (according to Steamer, a fan graph statistical prediction program). In the end, it was expected that Ohtani would hit at least 39 home runs and Judge would hit 40 home runs.
The maximum was 27 (final 46) predicted by ZiPS, another prediction system from Fangraph, which still has a higher judgement. Ohtani predicted that THE BAT X program would hit 24 more (final 42) of the remaining season, which is the maximum. However, the four gap is a figure that can be reversed if Judge's injury lasts longer and Ohtani's current batting pace is maintained. Ohtani's recapture of the MVP, Judge's click here attempt to win the MVP for the second consecutive year, what results await in October.