This shows how loved Shohei Ohtani is by the other players in MLB

Shohei Ohtani, LA Angels. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Shohei Ohtani, LA Angels. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Shohei Ohtani just had arguably the greatest season of all time in his dominant 2021 campaign with the LA Angels.

Smoking 46 bombs, driving in 100 runs (as a two-hole hitter), scoring 103 runs, and posting a .965 OPS was pretty great in itself. Doing it while also starting 23 games on the mound, and posting a 3.18 ERA to go along with a 9-2 record and a 1.090 WHIP was that much crazier.

Everyone loved Ohtani. Even opposing fans booed their own teams for intentionally walking the best DH in baseball. Everyone wanted to watch ShoTime hit.

It wasn’t just the fans, though. Even the players can’t get enough of Ohtani and the performance he brought to the game this season.

Shohei Ohtani was selected to be up for two 2021 Players Choice Awards Presented by MLB The Show.

Shohei Ohtani was selected for the 2021 Players Choice Award for Player of the Year, and AL Outstanding Player.

Not only is Ohtani a shoe-in for the AL MVP, but he has no competition for either of these awards as well.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bryce Harper are competing with him for Player of the Year, but neither of them are both elite offensive players and Aces of their respective clubs. Something that also gets lost in the shuffle is the fact that Ohtani can play the field too. He played in the outfield several times this season, as he’s a three-way player, and not just a two-way player.

That type of value is found in nobody else around the league.

It’s why Guerrero and Salvador Perez won’t have any shot to beat him out for AL Outstanding Player either. Perez isn’t on Ohtani’s level offensively, and Guerrero’s numbers aren’t significantly better than Ohtani’s despite Ohtani playing in a lineup with no protection for him.

Also, Ohtani has already been crowned the American League’s fastest baserunner by his peers, and swiped 26 bags this season. Both Guerrero and Perez can’t run at all. Guerrero only had four steals and Perez had just one.

Ohtani’s in a different league than the rest of these guys.

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