Where were you when it happened? Yesterday, Shohei Ohtani hit 50 home runs and stole 50 bases, an accomplishment that transcends baseball—it’s one of the greatest feats in sports history. I was on my way to San Diego when I heard it on the radio, and it brought up so many emotions. As a huge Shohei fan, I’ve followed him since he signed with the Angels, and while I hated seeing him go to the Dodgers, I’m glad he’s now with a team that can get him into the playoffs.
Let’s be real: The Angels were a dumpster fire, and watching Shohei and Trout waste their talents there was painful. But Shohei’s now with a team that can actually give him a shot at a deep postseason run to continue to cement his legacy in the sport.
Honestly, though, I feel like this historic moment didn’t get the recognition it deserved. The only thing comparable in my lifetime was Kobe’s 81-point game. When Ohtani hit that grand slam against Tampa Bay, the whispers of a 50/50 season started, and sure enough, he pulled it off. Absolutely amazing.
If you’re not watching Shohei’s every at-bat, you’re missing out. I swore I wouldn’t watch a Dodgers game as an Angels fan, but here I am, glued to the TV. This guy is transcending the sport like Tiger Woods in golf or MJ in basketball. He’s making people care about baseball again.
Yet somehow, some people are already downplaying his accomplishments with things like “the bases are bigger” or “it’s an offensive league.” We’re so spoiled by his greatness that we’re starting to normalize it, and that’s a mistake. Shohei should’ve won three MVPs in a row. His 2022 season (2.33 ERA, 219 Ks, 34 HRs) was unreal, and yet people gave the MVP to Judge for hitting 62 home runs. WAR doesn’t even begin to capture what Shohei does. He’s elite as both a hitter and a pitcher, and the way we measure value right now just doesn’t do him justice. We will see in the future that WAR completely undervalued Shohei because there isn’t any one else to compare to except Shohei himself. Which if you know anything about machine modeling, you need a large enough data set to pull from and that’s impossible when your only comp is yourself.
And please, let’s stop moving the goalposts with the “no championships” or other B.S. that is going to come. Shohei Ohtani is doing things no one else has ever done, and we should be celebrating it, not nitpicking. I’ll say it now: Shohei is coming for the HR title in 2024 (looking at you Aaron Judge), and don’t be surprised if he’s eyeing 60/60 with a few games left.
For the MVP voters who won’t vote for Shohei just because he’s a DH, shame on you. This is one of the greatest seasons in sports history, and if you can’t recognize that, maybe your vote should be revoked since you’re not living in reality.
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