Shohei Ohtani Joins Elite Company With Unanimous MVP Selection | Latest News Headlines

Has there ever been a doubt?

At one point, there just aren’t enough words to describe how amazing the 2021 season has been for Angels two-way phenomenon Shohei Ohtani. There is no historical comparison in baseball – and the closest is Babe Ruth.

So it was no surprise that when Frank Thomas announced the winner of the MVP AL on Thursday night, not only would it be Ohtani, but it would be unanimously.

MORE: Sporting News 2021 MLB Awards, as voted on by players

The unanimous victory made him the 19th player in Baseball Writers’ Association of America’s MVP award history to receive all votes for first place. Here is a full list of the company he is joining.

MORE: Shohei Ohtani Won AL MVP Cost Sports Betting Over $ 1 Million

And if that wasn’t enough of the story, Ohtani also only became the 29th player to win both MVP and Rookie of the Year. Among this group, he is only the seventh to be unanimously named MVP and to win the title of rookie of the year.

MORE: 2021 MLB Award Finalists and Winners

Ohtani joins historic company with the award crowning an unprecedented campaign. He was third in the American League with 46 home runs and finished the season with a .257 / .372 / .592 slash line and he was fifth in the AL with 26 goals stolen.

On the mound, he pitched 130 1/3 innings in 23 starts with a 3.18 ERA, 29.3% strikeout rate and 8.3% walk rate. He’s the only player in MLB history to total at least 30 homers and 30 strikeouts in a season, and he finished with 156 strikeouts.