Shohei Ohtani's Pitching and Hitting Performance Reminds Bettors Why He's an MVP Candidate

We all know about the terrible run for the Angels of late.

After losing a franchise-record 14 straight games, firing their manager Joe Maddon, and losing Mike Trout to a groin injury, the Angels got back in the win column behind an MVP-like performance from the reigning MVP Shohei Ohtani.

The dual threat tossed 7 innings of 1 run baseball, striking out 6 batters, but also hit a 2 run home run to put them out in front.

Ohtani has been surpassed in the AL MVP odds by Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, but this is a reminder that the second choice to win the award is still a threat with dominant performances like this.

He is off pace in terms of season long metrics, and now +300 to win the award at WynnBET Sportsbook but a showing like this can jumpstart his campaign in early June. If anything, this is a sign that Judge is not a runaway candidate.

Shohei Ohtani Stats

Ohtani has 12 home runs and 34 runs batted in and is hitting just .247 on the year, down from his MVP form of .257. The two-way star's pitching numbers are off a bit as well, but they hint that he may be in line for a big leap with performances like Thursday gem on the way.

Ohtani has a 3.64 ERA, down from last year's 3.18, but his FIP is far lower than last year's mark, sitting at 3.22. He is walking nearly 1 less batter per 9 innings and is striking out more than 5 batters for every walk.

Overall, Ohtani has some work to do to make up ground both in hitting and pitching, but he is a unicorn player that can't be replicated, so any slight uptick will keep him in lockstep with Judge for the award.