MLB Star Ohtani
By Marc Gordon - August 8, 2022

Shohei Ohtani is still eye-popping figures a season after an unprecedented MVP campaign. The great pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels is now dominating baseball while excelling as a batter. Ohtani pitched seven innings without allowing a run on Wednesday night, winning his sixth consecutive start. He also fanned ten hitters. Ohtani became the only MLB player to record ten strikeouts, two RBI officially, and a stolen base in a single game in the 5-2 victory over the Miami Marlins.

Getty images/Boston Globe/Boston Globe / Contributor

Ohtani increased his stretch by 28.2 innings without allowing a run. The two-way standout pitcher is only the fifth in the previous 50 seasons to start four straight games with at least 40 strikeouts and no runs scored against him. Ohtani has pitched twice as many innings as hits during his five-start winning streak. Ohtani is among the leading candidates for the Cy Young Award in 2022 because of his outstanding performance on the mound. The majority of Ohtani’s worth in his 2021 AL MVP season came at the plate when he blasted 46 home runs with a .965 OPS.

Ohtani has put up statistics that have never been seen in MLB history, yet he is not the favorite to win the MVP award for a second time. At the halfway point of the season, New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge is the front-runner, leading a squad on track to break the record for most wins for a season. Of course, other players are deserving of MVP consideration. As we approach the All-Star break, Jose Ramirez, Rafael Devers, Yordán Alvarez, and Trout are still up for review. Trout, a three-time winner, has shown that voters would reward players on poor Angels teams. But perhaps by the time voting occurs, the story that Ohtani is the only thing saving his team from completely imploding will seem worn out.