Watch: Shohei Ohtani hits his second homer of the Spring Training; Can the reigning MVP retain his crown
Reigning American League MVP Shohei Ohtani smashed an opposite-field home run in the 5th inning of their encounter with the Colorado Rockies in Spring Training. The game finished 8-2 in favor of the Halos at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick near Scottsdale, AZ. It was Ohtani's second home run of the preseason.
Is it Opening Day yet???
#LAASpring https://t.co/ZK1zq7DgKR
"The Halos are starting to heat up just as Opening Day gets closer."-@Angels
The Japanese sensation ended with 1 HR, 2 R, 1 H, 2 RBIs, and 1 BB in two plate appearances.
Shotime is coming off a historic season wherein he has amassed a plethora of awards and distinctions. He was uninanimously named the AL MVP and became the first MLB player to be named in both the first team and second team in the same season (as a DH and pitcher, respectively).
Besides that, he won the Silver Slugger Award as a DH, and became the first player to start the MLB All-Star game as a pitcher and a designated hitter. All of that is only a small portion of the things he accomplished and was recognized for during his breakout campaign.
Unanimous MVP and #AllMLB.
Shohei Ohtani is your 1st Team All-MLB DH! https://t.co/Sk3McUXTYK
As great as Shohei Ohtani was, the LA Angels offense and batting power struggled massively in the 2021 season. Mike Trout's absence due to an injury didn't help the cause of the team. So it was just up to Shohei Ohtani to produce from the batter's box. He finished the year with 46 home runs and 100 RBIs on .592 SLG and and OPS of .965. It would be interesting to see if the reigning king can keep his crown this season given that Mike Trout is coming back healthy and the Angels haven't loaded up on offensive firepower this campaign.
Can Shohei Ohtani lift the Angels to the promised land?
After a record-breaking season, Shohei Ohtani will once again be called upon to steer his team to the playoffs. The LA Angels finished the 2021 season with a disappointing 77-85 record, mainly due to an anemic offense and even worse pitching rotation that finished in the bottom half of almost all team pitching metrics.
The Angels front office addressed the concerns that haunted them last season by loading up on the pitching side. They added two key starters for the rotation. Former All-Star Noah Syndergaard from the New York Mets and serviceable pitcher Michael Lorenzen from the Cincinnati Reds. They also added some key pieces to the bullpen in the form of Ryan Tepera and Aaron Loup.
If the pitching staff led by Shohei Ohtani proves to be a difference maker, and fellow (former) MVP Mike Trout stays healthy, the LA Angels will have a legitimate shot to enter the playoff picture in the 2022 campaign.