LA Angels: 3 pleasant surprises in the 2021 season

No. 1 pleasant surprise for the 2021 LA Angels: Shohei Ohtani emerging as MVP favorite and Ace

Many LA Angels fans did see Shohei Ohtani having a big year this season, but very few expected this.

Ohtani is having arguably the greatest season in Major League Baseball history. His 7.2 fWAR has him as the AL MVP favorite.

He’s hitting .255/.357/.588 (.945 OPS) with 44 home runs, 94 RBI, and 93 runs scored. It got him the nod to start the All-Star Game as the DH.

He’s also posted a 9-2 record as the Angels Ace, with a 3.28 ERA and a 10.65 K/9 rate. It got him the nod to also start the All-Star Game as the starting pitcher.

He even played seven games in the outfield. He truly can do it all, and not only fulfilled his potential in this league, but surpassed it.

He’s going to earn himself a huge payday maybe as early as even this offseason. Nobody has done what Ohtani has done on both sides of the ball in this game for over a century.

He’s drawn plenty of Base Ruth comparisons, and rightfully so.

This team disappointed this year, but Ohtani, as well as the other two, kept this season fun to watch.