MLB analyst's bold remark over $500,000,000 valued Shohei Ohtani's incredible 2023 - "Could've stopped playing at the All-Star break and still be MVP"
Shohei Ohtani absence from the Los Angeles Angels starting lineup suggests that the baseball community might want to reconsider his unanimous MVP. However as per MLB Insider Ben Verlander, there's no doubt about Ohtani's MVP credentials.
Ohtani was removed before the first game of the series against the Baltimore Orioles last Monday. He was there for the batting practise, but after a few clumsy swings, he slunk into the clubhouse.
Ohtani was dealing with a torn UCL after leaving the game against the Cincinnati Reds early last month. His agent Nez Balelo predicted that he would need "some kind of procedure." The Japanese superstar remained in the lineup as a batter even though it's unlikely that he will pitch in some time.
His stat line as a pitcher stands at .304 average, 95 RBIs and 44 home runs and 10-5 record. Nevertheless, Verlander says that the 29-year-old has been good enough to win the AL MVP if he stopped playing at the All-Star break.
"What I think is so super cool for Shohei this season is if he didn't throw a single pitch all year long, he is still the MVP just offensively. ... Could've stopped playing at the All-Star break and still be MVP," Ben Verlander said.
Going into the All Star break, Shohei Ohtani had played 89 games and recorded 71 RBIs, including 32 dingers with an average of .302. On the mound, he had a 7-4 record with 132 strikeouts and 3.32 ERA from 17 games he started.
Shohei Ohtani misses another game
When Shohei Ohtani didn't take the field against the Orioles, initial reports indicated that there was only moderate inflammation brought on by stiffness in his right oblique.
He was expected to return to the lineup shortly, but the Halos management opted to give him a few more days of rest.
Ohtani was expected to make a return in the current series aganst the Seattle Mariners, but that hasn't happened. The DH has now missed his ninth straight game.