What did Shohei Ohtani do this week? Just make history (again)
A unicorn is usually defined as "a mythical animal generally depicted with the body and head of a horse with long flowing mane and tail and a single often spiraled horn in the middle of the forehead."
Or, they could've just gone with "A unicorn is Shohei Ohtani."
In this space, we're going to discuss (and try to analyze) what mind-boggling efforts and accomplishments the Los Angeles Angels' two-way star puts together on a week-to-week basis — because it's the right thing to do.
Yes, we must highlight the greatness that is unfolding before our eyes. The world doesn't deserve Shohei Ohtani, but he somehow exists — and we should be talking about him as much as possible.
What did Shohei Ohtani do on Monday? Walk three times for the second consecutive game
Sure, so maybe taking a free pass to first base isn't the most exciting thing on earth, but doing it two games in a row? That deserves further attention, especially when you consider that Ohtani has been known to swing and miss a lot.
Boosted by those six walks in two games, however, Ohtani's walk rate is now 10.4 percent, and his OBP has risen to .353. If you combine an increased interest in walking along with a BABIP that is lower than his career mark, then Ohtani's current .269 batting average could actually be on the lower end of what he could deliver by season's end.
The last thing opposing pitchers want to see is an Ohtani with improved plate discipline.
What did Shohei Ohtani do on Tuesday? Blast a monstrous 470-foot home run
Part of the appeal of a Shohei Ohtani AL MVP bet is that, aside from all his two-way ability, he has been a consistent member of the home run leaderboard. He's now tied for third with 17 bombs on the season, the latest one a gigantic blast that was lost to the sky almost instantaneously:
4⃣7⃣0⃣ FEET.
OMG, SHOHEI. 😱 pic.twitter.com/o3Fs3jBQ39— MLB (@MLB) June 9, 2021
He went 2-for-3 on the day with that homer and a double. Watching his average the rest of the season — especially how his strikeout-to-walk ratio affects it — will be interesting as well.
What did Shohei Ohtani do on Friday? 2-for-4, 1 RBI / 5 IP, 2 ER, 8 Ks
I mean, what can you say?
A quality outing at the plate, a quality outing on the mound. Ohtani's been enjoying the double of late too, as he's now entered the top-20 list of doubles leaders. He's also gotten some of his control issues ... well ... under control, as he's walked two batters or less in four out of his last five pitching starts.
Oh, and because Ohtani is literally a walking historical moment, we'd be remiss if we didn't mention:
Shohei Ohtani is the first starting pitcher since at least 1901 to bat in one of the top 4 spots of a lineup in an NL ballpark.
h/t: @Angels pic.twitter.com/yzOxVovbvz— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) June 11, 2021
UPDATED SHOHEI OHTANI AL MVP ODDS: +125 via BetMGM
After a couple of weeks at +115, Ohtani's odds have edged a little higher at +125. It's hard not to notice Vladimir Guerrero Jr. gaining on him though. Vladdy is now +175 to win the prize, and he has a strong claim to it too, when you consider that he's coming for the triple crown.
This race could be neck and neck until the very end.
There's still some value in placing a wager on Ohtani, however, especially with Mike Trout pretty much out of the race. Make sure to get those in before Ohtani's odds depart the plus-money landscape.
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