Two-way star Ohtani, Harper named MVPs
NEW YORK — Shohei Ohtani was unanimiously voted American League MVP on Thursday for a two-way season not seen since Babe Ruth, and Bryce Harper earned the National League honor for the second time.
Ohtani received all 30 firstplace votes and 420 points in voting by members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was second with 29 seconds and 269 points, and Blue Jays infielder Marcus Semien was third with 232 points. Royals catcher Salvador Perez received the other second-place vote.
Ohtani hit .257 with 46 homers, 100 RBI and a .965 OPS as the Angels’ full-time designated hitter, and he went 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA in 23 starts with 156 strikeouts and 44 walks in 130„ innings. It was the first full season on the mound for the 27-year-old right-hander following Tommy John surgery in 2019.
Ohtani won AL Rookie of the Year in 2018 after leaving the Pacific League’s Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters to sign with the Angels. This year, he became the first two-way starter in the history of the AllStar Game, which began in 1933.
Ruth had just two seasons in which he thrived at the plate while pitching regularly. He batted .300 with 11 homers and 61 RBI in 1918 while going 13-7 with a 2.22 ERA for Boston, then hit .322 with 29 homers and 113 RBI in 1919 while going 9-5 with a 2.97 ERA. Ruth was sold to the Yankees that December and made just five mound appearances in his final 16 seasons.
Ohtani became the second Japanese MVP winner after Seahawks outfielder Ichiro Suzuk in 2001.
Guerrero, 22, tied for the major league lead with 48 homers, batting .311 with 111 RBI. His father, Vladimir, won the 2004 AL MVP award with the Anaheim Angels.
Semien batted .265 with 42 homers and 102 RBI. The 31-year-old is among this offseason’s top free agents.
Harper received 17 of 30 firstplace votes and 348 points from a separate panel. Natioinals outfielder Juan Soto was second with six firsts and 274 points, and Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. was third with two firsts and 244 points.
Harper hit .309 with 35 homers for the Phillies and led the majors with a .465 slugging percentage and 1.044 OPS, tied for the lead with 42 doubles and had 84 RBI.
But the Phillies missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season since he signed a $330 million, 13-year contract. He earned a $500,000 bonus for winning MVP.
Harper, who was voted a unanimous MVP with the Nationals in 2015, became the fifth player to win MVPs for different teams after Jimmie Foxx, Frank Robinson, Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez.
Soto, a first-time All-Star at age 23, hit .313 with 29 homers and 95 RBI.
Tatis, 22, led the NL with 42 home runs, hitting .282 with 97 RBI.