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Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani is in the running for a third MVP title after a historic first season with the NL West champions. The Japanese slugger's MVP candidature is built on his historic 50-50 season this year.
Despite being restricted to a designated hitter role after undergoing elbow surgery last year, Shohei Ohtani displayed remarkable power-hitting ability for the Dodgers following a $700 million move in the offseason.
The Japanese slugger's power was highlighted by the fact that nine of his home runs traveled more than 450 feet this season. No other player come close to this stat and only the Colorado Rockies, as a team, beat his tally by hitting 11 450+ feet home runs.
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MLB analyst Tom Verducci compared Ohtani to power hitters like Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Juan Soto.
"He has got more than Judge, Stanton and Soto combined."
The MLB analyst broke down the NL MVP contender's hitting, comparing his powerful swing to Hall of Fame golfer Phil Mickelson:
"I think the key is that Shohei Ohtani has the fastest hips in baseball. Most power hitters think about the bottom hand, Ohtani uses two hands for extension like another lefty who hits the ball a mile, Phil Mickelson."
Shohei Ohtani racks up Silver Slugger award as history beckons for Dodgers star
The Japanese two-way star won the Silver Slugger award on Tuesday. He was one of three Dodgers players to win the accolade, along with Mookie Betts and Teoscar Hernandez.
It came on the back of Ohtani's remarkable 50/50 season, the first in MLB history. Although he fell short in the home run race to the Yankees' Aaron Judge, who won the AL Silver Slugger award, Ohtani is the front-runner to win the NL MVP accolade.
Shohei Ohtani was named one of the three finalists for the prize alongside Ketel Marte and Francisco Lindor. The Dodgers star is the odds-on favorite to win his third MVP title, which would make him only the second MLB player to win the prestigious award in both the AL and NL. Hall of Famer Frank Robinson is the only other player to achieve that feat in MLB history.
