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Shohei Ohtani is heating things up with Mike Trout and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the MLB American League MVP race. Shohei Ohtani pitched a gem in Boston on Thursday and showed his offensive prowess at the plate in the same game. It turned some heads, including those of MLB oddsmakers for the MVP award.
Ohtani shot up to second place in the rankings, passing Toronto Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Funny enough, Ohtani's teammate Mike Trout is his toughest competition. The pair are now tied at +400 odds to win the AL MVP trophy. There sure is an abundance of value in the Los Angeles Angels lineup.
It's early in the season, but let's have some fun guessing who will come out on top. Will Guerrero Jr. go on another home run tear and force his way into first place? Or will Shohei Ohtani continue his double-threat dominance and separate himself from the competition? And we can't forget about Mike Trout. He's a steady contender who won't go away quietly.
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Let's take an in-depth look at each contender.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Never count out Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The generational talent posted a monster .601 slugging percentage with an equally huge .401 OBP last season. Both stats led the American League. His 48 home runs and 123 RBIs led all the majors. Many thought he had a chance at grabbing the Triple Crown. But he couldn't pull it off, and the MVP trophy eluded him as well. Shohei Ohtani stole it from him. Ohtani's dual-threat capabilities proved too much for Guerrero to overcome.
One thing Jays fans couldn't get past was the massive difference between Guerrero's and Ohtani's batting statistics. Ohtani trailed Guerrero in almost every batting category. He only hit .257, and his 46 home runs were two less than Guerrero's 48. It proved one thing: if Guerrero wants to win MVP, he's going to have to blow Ohtani's batting statistics out of the water.
"Well, that didn’t take long AT ALL. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. home run (+260)" - @Covers
He's capable of doing that. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is in the league's 95th percentiles for exit velocity, hard-hit percentage, extra base hitting percentage, and slugging percentage. He has seven home runs and 19 RBIs so far this season. And he crushes almost every ball he gets a clean swing on. Few players can compete with his combination of contact and power. If he's going to win MVP, that's his key.
But hey, he's got plenty of time. He's only 23 years old.
Shohei Ohtani
It's Sho-time. Shohei Ohtani has gifted the MLB with a new brand of entertainment. He throws 100 MPH off the mound and hits balls with 105+ MPH exit velocity. His otherworldly versatility keeps eyes glued to the screen. It's also probably created baseball fans out of thin air since his 2018 debut.
Ohtani's capability to hit the ball with insane power is a lot like Guerrero Jr. He just doesn't do it as consistently. His average exit velocity is 91.6 MPH. Guerrero's is more than two whole miles faster at 93.7 MPH. But Ohtani evens the score with his pitching.
"Just Shohei Ohtani knocking his own number off the scoreboard" - @SportsCenter
His strike out percentage is in the league's 96th percentile, putting him up there with names like Cy Young-winner Corbin Burnes and Walker Buehler. He has a 1.03 WHIP and a 3.08 ERA over 26.1 innings of work this season. He's got a wicked slider that generates swings-and-misses 54.2% of the time he throws it.
Is it fair that Guerrero Jr. and Mike Trout have to compete with a power hitter whose slider is akin to some Cy Young winners? Maybe not, but that doesn't change a thing. Shoehi Ohtani is gunning hard for his second MVP trophy this year.
Mike Trout
All hail the three-time American League MVP. On the seven years he didn't win MVP, he finished in the top five of voting six times. In four of those years, he was the runner up. Ohtani may have one MVP trophy on his resume, but that pales in comparison to Trout's three.
If the season ended today, Mike Trout would be the clear American League MVP. His batting statistics are insane. He's in the 100% for barrel percentage, meaning he makes contact more than anyone in the league. He somehow balances that with his 90th percentile ranking for hard-hit percentage. His sprint speed is in the league's 98th percentile, and his slugging percentage is in the league's 99th percentile. If that's not dominant, nothing is.
"MICHAEL. NELSON. TROUT." - @Ben Verlander
Mike Trout has already managed six home runs despite being sidelined with an injury for about a week. He's batting .316 and has a 1.118 OPS. With Taylor Ward and Brandon Marsh playing like stars this season, pitchers can no longer afford to give Trout intentional walks. He's going to get more opportunities and he's going to keep crushing the ball.
The only question is this: can Mike Trout stay healthy? If he can't, Shohei Ohtani and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will be off to the races. But if he can, we can wish those two good luck against this guy.
