The Los Angeles Angels left-handed hitter Shohei Ohtani has been named the MLB’s best-designated hitter for a third consecutive season. He joins David Ortiz as the only two players to win the Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award three times in a row.
Ohtani hit .304 with an AL-high 44 homers, 96 RBIs, eight triples, and 20 stolen bases, all while ending his season early on September 3 due to suffering an oblique injury. He tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow on August 23, at which point he was 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA in 23 starts, striking out 167 and walking 55 in 132 innings.
The Japanese DH beat the likes of Atlanta’s Marcell Ozuna, Houston’s Yordan Alvarez, Philadelphia’s Bryce Harper, and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ J.D. Martinez, winning by way of voting by broadcasters, writers, and public relations departments. Beyond his DH award, Ohtani was also the first player to become a two-time unanimous MVP, winning in 2021 and this year. He became a free agent after the World Series.
