Starting 2023 as the WBC MVP, the first two-time unanimous MVP award in history. “Rehabilitation training is going smoothly compared to the first surgery” The next destination is of utmost interest

Shohei Otani

‘Baseball icon’ Shohei Ohtani (28, free agent)’s 2023 begins like a cartoon and ends like a movie.

This year, Ohtani wrote numerous new histories on the mound and at bat, and finished off by being unanimously selected as the American League (AL) winner in the Major League Baseball (MLB) Most Valuable Player (MVP) vote announced on the 17th (Korean time). .

Ohtani led Japan to victory at the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) held earlier this year.

He performed well as a batter with a batting average of 0.435, 1 home run, and 8 RBIs in 7 games, and as a pitcher in 3 games with 2 wins, 1 save, and an ERA of 1.86.

The final against the United States on March 22 was the highlight.Ohtani, who appeared as the last pitcher in the bottom of the 9th inning, ended the game by striking out Mike Trout, the best current hitter and former Los Angeles Angels teammate.

After receiving the WBC MVP, Ohtani immediately joined the Angels and set various records in the MLB regular league.

On May 4, against the St. Louis Cardinals, he struck out 13 batters and became the first pitcher since Babe Ruth to achieve 500 strikeouts and 100 home runs for a batter.

Afterwards, Ohtani piled up home runs with explosive slugging power, and developed a dominant system while Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees, the 2022 MVP winner, slowed down due to injury.