Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani continued to see the accolades roll in Thursday as he was named the Players Choice Awards Player of the Year.
The Major League Baseball Players Association awards the honor and several other awards voted on by the players themselves.
Ohtani posted the best numbers of his major league career at the plate while also having a breakout season on the mound. His 46 home runs ranked third best in the majors, he led the majors with eight triples, and he added 26 doubles, 100 RBIs and 26 stolen bases while appearing in 155 games.
In 23 pitching starts, Ohtani went 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA and 156 strikeouts over 130 1/3 innings.
He is far and away the favorite to win the American League MVP award, voted on by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
Toronto Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Philadelphia Phillies slugger Bryce Harper rounded out the top three vote recipients, the MLBPA announced.
Ohtani won the Outstanding Player award for the American League while Harper took Outstanding Player for the National League. Robbie Ray of the Toronto Blue Jays and Max Scherzer of the Los Angeles Dodgers earned nods for Outstanding Pitcher in the AL and NL, respectively.
Harper hit 42 doubles, tied for most in the majors, and had 35 home runs and 84 RBIs in his third season with Philadelphia. He also paced the majors with a .615 slugging percentage and a 1.044 on-base-plus-slugging percentage.
“Bryce’s 2021 season was one of the greatest in our franchise’s history,” Phillies owner John Middleton said in a statement. “He put up incredible offensive numbers especially down the stretch, when he started each of the team’s final 72 games. To be selected by his peers and awarded with the 2021 MLBPA NL Outstanding Player Award is one of baseball’s highest honors and only further validates his accomplishments this season. … We couldn’t be happier to have him in Phillies pinstripes as he continues to leave his indelible mark on this great sport.”
–Field Level Media