The Los Angeles Angels two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani has received a rare honor for his historic 2021 MLB season. Ohtani was named the recipient of the Commissioner’s Historic Achievement Award, which has been handed out just 15 times before.
The award was incepted in 1998 to “recognize the accomplishments and contributions of historical significance to the game.”
Ohtani’s accomplishments this season were definitely of historical significance as he delivered a season that wasn’t seen in baseball since legendary Babe Ruth and the early 1900s. Playing as a pitcher, the 27-year-old made 23 starts and posted a 9-2 record with a 3.18 ERA and 156 strikeouts. At the same time, he served as the team’s designated hitter and had a .257 batting average with 46 home runs and 100 RBIs.
Despite doing all this, Ohtani told the media during the ceremony that he doesn’t know whether he deserves the Commissioner’s Historic Achievement Award. For MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, on the other hand, there was no doubt.
“He deserves it,” Manfred added after Ohtani’s comments. “I’m pretty sure about that!”
Shohei Ohtani previously became the first player in the history of the MLB All-Star Game to both serve as the starting pitcher and hitter. He is also expected to pick up the NL MVP award for 2021.
