Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani couldn’t finish a healthy 2023 season yet his work at the plate before injuries took their toll made the AL MVP race all but a formality by July.
The Japanese superstar will likely add another MVP to his trophy case in just a few weeks but his offensive production also warranted another award nomination in recent days — the Hank Aaron Award.
Shohei Ohtani is a Hank Aaron Award finalist! 🏆
The Hank Aaron Award is presented annually to the best overall offensive performer in each league. Vote for Shohei now through October 13th at https://t.co/VZalRA6Htw. pic.twitter.com/QFNXj9ATjD
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) October 6, 2023
Ohtani missed most of September with an oblique strain and still managed to produce these insane numbers in just 135 games.
Had he played the full 162, it’s very likely the WBC MVP could have hit 50 home runs for the first time in his career.
An elbow tear forced Ohtani off the mound from late August until his eventual shutdown before the regular season ended.
The franchise cornerstone opted to play through his elbow tear and still hit from August 25 until he simply couldn’t in early September thanks to an oblique injury.
With the team far out of the playoff race and a bad oblique, Ohtani shut his season down, cleaned out his locker and left the team with plenty of speculation.
Though he returned for a few regular season games to end the year, many eyes now point toward his impending free agency.
Ohtani’s elbow surgery will keep him from pitching until 2025 and could impact what contract he will earn this winter due to one aspect of his two-way ability now compromised.
Doctors cleared the superstar for hitting on Opening Day to start next season, but the question now remains about where that might be.
Ohtani saw firsthand what a healthy team with his, Mike Trout’s and Anthony Rendon’s combined abilities could do, albeit for a very short period.
Analysts have already said that Ohtani is as good as gone, but with his injury and rehab on the table, he could very easily come back to Anaheim in 2024.
