Ohtani had a historic campaign in 2021 that saw him excel in both hitting and pitching. The 27-year-old played in 155 games as a hitter and finished the season with a .257 batting average and 46 homers while adding 100 RBIs. He also made 23 starts as a pitcher, compiling a 9-2 record with 3.18 ERA and 156 strikeouts.

Ohtani got the AL MVP honors unanimously, finishing first on all 30 ballots from Baseball Writers’ Association of America voters. The Toronto Blue Jays’ first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and shortstop Marcus Semien finished second and third respectively.

Harper, on the other hand, had his best season in the Phillies uniform. In 141 games, he had a .309 batting average, hit 35 home runs, and had 84 RBIs. The 29-year-old also led all of MLB with 42 doubles.

Harper had a total of 348 points, receiving 17 first-place votes and nine second-place votes. The Washington Nationals outfielder Juan Soto had 274 points behind him while the San Diego Padres’ phenom Fernando Tatis Jr. rounded up the top three with 244 points.

The post Angels’ Shohei Ohtani and Phillies’ Bryce Harper Win MVP appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

“Of course, I’ll be very open to negotiation,” Ohtani said via ESPN. “The team is supporting me for this whole four years, and I’m really appreciative of that. Whether or not there’s any contract extensions I just want to, like I said earlier, be ready and be ready for next season.”

This comes after Ohtani previously said that his future with the franchise would depend on the Angels’ ability to win games. The 27-year-old superstar joined the team in 2018 and still hasn’t experienced a winning season in MLB.

Ohtani has one year left on his deal, which will pay him $5.5 in 2022. He’s set to have salary arbitration in 2023 and would then be a free agent after that.

The Angels are probably extremely motivated to lock down Shohei Ohtani after he enjoyed one of the best individual seasons in MBL history. As a designated hitter, Ohtani finished third in the league in home runs with 46 while adding 100 RBIs. As a pitcher, he posted a 9-2 record with a 3.18 ERA and 156 strikeouts.

The post Shohei Ohtani “Very Open” to New Deal with Angels appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

During a press conference on Thursday, Maddon revealed that Ohtani felt discomfort in his pitching arm while playing catch on practice. If the issue continues to bother the AL MVP favorite, he will only see action as a designated hitter moving forward.

“If there’s any kind of lingering soreness, you may not see him pitch,” said Maddon.

Ohtani, who hasn’t pitched since September 10th, is 9-2 as a starter for the Angels this season and has a 3.36 ERA with 136 strikeouts. And while Maddon would like to see the Japanese phenom get his 10th win in 2021, the team will prioritize his long-term health.

“You can’t let that be the driving factor,” he added.

The soreness in his arm isn’t expected to slow down Shohei Ohtani at-bats, however. He currently ranks second in the league in home runs with 44, trailing only the Toronto Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who has 45. Ohtani also boasts a .254 batting average and has 94 RBIs.

The post Angels Considering Shutting Down Shohei Ohtani Due to Sore Arm appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

This made Ohtani the first two-way All-Star in MLB history. No other player received two selections for the same game since the league created the All-Star contest in 1933.

“It’s my first time, so I just want to enjoy everything. There’s also the Home Run Derby, so I’m looking forward to taking it all in and enjoy everything,” said Ohtani in a quote shared by the Angels.

Getting two All-Star nods is a testament to Ohtani’s dominant run in the 2021 season. As a pitcher, the 27-year-old player has a 3-1 record while posting a 3.60 ERA and totaling 83 strikeouts.

Ohtani is performing even better at-bats, hitting .278 with 67 RBIs. His 31 home runs this season are the most in the entire league.

Besides Ohtani, the Angels have two more All-Stars. Mike Trout was selected as a starting outfielder, while Jared Walsh made the reserves as a first baseman. Only Ohtani and Walsh will take part in the game, however, since Trout is currently out with a right calf strain.

The 2021 MLB All-Star game will take place on Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies, on July 13th.

The post Shohei Ohtani Becomes First Two-Way All-Star in MLB History appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Hitting and pitching in the same MLB game for the first time in his career, Ohtani started off with a fastball that clocked in at 100.6 mph and was the fastest pitch by any starting pitcher in the MLB this season. He followed that up with a home run, which, according to MLB’s official stats, traveled 451 feet and had an exit velocity of 115.2 mph.

Ohtani continued to terrorize Chicago until the fifth inning when a collision with the White Sox’s Jose Abreu forced him to exit the game. The 26-year-old player covered the plate after one of catcher Max Stassi’s drops when Abreu slid into him and made contact with his ankle.

Ohtani finished the night striking out seven, while nine of his pitches went over 100 mph. He was one for three at the plate, becoming the first pitcher in the MLB since 1903 to bat second in the lineup.

Angels manager Joe Maddon said that Ohtani’s exit was just a matter of precaution and that he is doing “fine” after the collision.

“What he did tonight was pretty special,” Maddon said about Ohtani’s performance. “You’re going to see a lot more of that season-in-progress. It was fun to watch and had everybody entertained. It’s what he signed up to do, and he had a chance to do it tonight.”

The post Shohei Ohtani Impresses Against Chicago But Forced to Leave Early appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Ohtani had a historic campaign in 2021 that saw him excel in both hitting and pitching. The 27-year-old played in 155 games as a hitter and finished the season with a .257 batting average and 46 homers while adding 100 RBIs. He also made 23 starts as a pitcher, compiling a 9-2 record with 3.18 ERA and 156 strikeouts.

Ohtani got the AL MVP honors unanimously, finishing first on all 30 ballots from Baseball Writers’ Association of America voters. The Toronto Blue Jays’ first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and shortstop Marcus Semien finished second and third respectively.

Harper, on the other hand, had his best season in the Phillies uniform. In 141 games, he had a .309 batting average, hit 35 home runs, and had 84 RBIs. The 29-year-old also led all of MLB with 42 doubles.

Harper had a total of 348 points, receiving 17 first-place votes and nine second-place votes. The Washington Nationals outfielder Juan Soto had 274 points behind him while the San Diego Padres’ phenom Fernando Tatis Jr. rounded up the top three with 244 points.

The post Angels’ Shohei Ohtani and Phillies’ Bryce Harper Win MVP appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

“Of course, I’ll be very open to negotiation,” Ohtani said via ESPN. “The team is supporting me for this whole four years, and I’m really appreciative of that. Whether or not there’s any contract extensions I just want to, like I said earlier, be ready and be ready for next season.”

This comes after Ohtani previously said that his future with the franchise would depend on the Angels’ ability to win games. The 27-year-old superstar joined the team in 2018 and still hasn’t experienced a winning season in MLB.

Ohtani has one year left on his deal, which will pay him $5.5 in 2022. He’s set to have salary arbitration in 2023 and would then be a free agent after that.

The Angels are probably extremely motivated to lock down Shohei Ohtani after he enjoyed one of the best individual seasons in MBL history. As a designated hitter, Ohtani finished third in the league in home runs with 46 while adding 100 RBIs. As a pitcher, he posted a 9-2 record with a 3.18 ERA and 156 strikeouts.

The post Shohei Ohtani “Very Open” to New Deal with Angels appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

During a press conference on Thursday, Maddon revealed that Ohtani felt discomfort in his pitching arm while playing catch on practice. If the issue continues to bother the AL MVP favorite, he will only see action as a designated hitter moving forward.

“If there’s any kind of lingering soreness, you may not see him pitch,” said Maddon.

Ohtani, who hasn’t pitched since September 10th, is 9-2 as a starter for the Angels this season and has a 3.36 ERA with 136 strikeouts. And while Maddon would like to see the Japanese phenom get his 10th win in 2021, the team will prioritize his long-term health.

“You can’t let that be the driving factor,” he added.

The soreness in his arm isn’t expected to slow down Shohei Ohtani at-bats, however. He currently ranks second in the league in home runs with 44, trailing only the Toronto Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who has 45. Ohtani also boasts a .254 batting average and has 94 RBIs.

The post Angels Considering Shutting Down Shohei Ohtani Due to Sore Arm appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

This made Ohtani the first two-way All-Star in MLB history. No other player received two selections for the same game since the league created the All-Star contest in 1933.

“It’s my first time, so I just want to enjoy everything. There’s also the Home Run Derby, so I’m looking forward to taking it all in and enjoy everything,” said Ohtani in a quote shared by the Angels.

Getting two All-Star nods is a testament to Ohtani’s dominant run in the 2021 season. As a pitcher, the 27-year-old player has a 3-1 record while posting a 3.60 ERA and totaling 83 strikeouts.

Ohtani is performing even better at-bats, hitting .278 with 67 RBIs. His 31 home runs this season are the most in the entire league.

Besides Ohtani, the Angels have two more All-Stars. Mike Trout was selected as a starting outfielder, while Jared Walsh made the reserves as a first baseman. Only Ohtani and Walsh will take part in the game, however, since Trout is currently out with a right calf strain.

The 2021 MLB All-Star game will take place on Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies, on July 13th.

The post Shohei Ohtani Becomes First Two-Way All-Star in MLB History appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Hitting and pitching in the same MLB game for the first time in his career, Ohtani started off with a fastball that clocked in at 100.6 mph and was the fastest pitch by any starting pitcher in the MLB this season. He followed that up with a home run, which, according to MLB’s official stats, traveled 451 feet and had an exit velocity of 115.2 mph.

Ohtani continued to terrorize Chicago until the fifth inning when a collision with the White Sox’s Jose Abreu forced him to exit the game. The 26-year-old player covered the plate after one of catcher Max Stassi’s drops when Abreu slid into him and made contact with his ankle.

Ohtani finished the night striking out seven, while nine of his pitches went over 100 mph. He was one for three at the plate, becoming the first pitcher in the MLB since 1903 to bat second in the lineup.

Angels manager Joe Maddon said that Ohtani’s exit was just a matter of precaution and that he is doing “fine” after the collision.

“What he did tonight was pretty special,” Maddon said about Ohtani’s performance. “You’re going to see a lot more of that season-in-progress. It was fun to watch and had everybody entertained. It’s what he signed up to do, and he had a chance to do it tonight.”

The post Shohei Ohtani Impresses Against Chicago But Forced to Leave Early appeared first on yoursportspot.com.