A unicorn is usually defined as “a mythical animal generally depicted with the body and head of a horse with long flowing mane and tail and a single often spiraled horn in the middle of the forehead.”
Or, they could’ve just gone with “A unicorn is Shohei Ohtani.”
In this space, we’re going to discuss (and try to analyze) what mind-boggling efforts and accomplishments the Los Angeles Angels’ two-way star puts together on a week-to-week basis — because it’s the right thing to do.
Yes, we must highlight the greatness that is unfolding before our eyes. The world doesn’t deserve Shohei Ohtani, but he somehow exists — and we should be talking about him as much as possible.
What did Shohei Ohtani do this week? Deliver one of his best pitching performances of the season
Yeah, it’s just August, but would it be going too far to say that maybe this outing on the mound solidified Ohtani’s place as the MVP favorite? Six innings of four-hit, one-earned-run, six-strikeout ball by the guy who also leads the majors in home runs and who also was hitting second on the day? The victory gave Ohtani a sterling 2.93 ERA on the season with 106 strikeouts in 86 innings, good for a 29.9 K%.
Oh, and he’s also slashing .270/.362/.655 with 37 home runs (first in MLB), 15 stolen bases (15th in MLB), and a 1.014 OPS (third in MLB).
C’mon.
Earlier this season, the biggest obstacle to Shohei Ohtani’s MVP chances was Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Now, it seems like the only thing standing in Ohtani’s way is Ohtani himself; specifically, his health. Ohtani didn’t play Friday or Saturday this week, getting some well-deserved days off (save for a couple of pinch-hit appearances) but also time to nurse a sore finger. Here’s to hoping soreness is as bad as it will get on the injury front for the unicorn.
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