NEW YORK – By unanimous vote, Shohei Ohtani earned the distinction as the AL Most Valuable Player Thursday after a sensational season as a pitcher and slugger, something not seen since the Babe Ruth era.
In the National League, Bryce Harper won the award for the second time in his career.
Ohtani received 420 points, after grabbing 30 first-place votes from the Baseball Writers Association of North America (BBWAA). Toronto’s first baseman Vladimir Guerrero placed second.
Guerrero received 29 votes for second place, for a total of 269 points. His teammate Marcus Semien, an infielder, placed third with 232 points.
The other second-place vote went to Venezuelan Salvador Pérez, a Kansas City catcher.
Ohtani hit .257 with 46 homers, 100 RBIs and a .965 OPS, as the Los Angeles Angels’ top designated hitter. He was 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA in 23 starts with 156 strikeouts and 44 walks over 130 1/3 innings.
It was his first full season on the mound, after the 27-year-old Japanese right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery in 2019.
Harper also makes history
Harper beat two young Dominican players, Juan Soto and Fernando Tatis Jr., in the vote.
The BBWAA awarded Harper 17 out of 30 votes for first place, for a total of 348 points. Soto was second with six first place votes and 274 units.
Tatis was placed in third place, with two votes for the place of honor and 244 points.
Harper overcame a 97 mph fastball that hit him in the face this season to hit .309 with 35 homers for Philadelphia. He led the majors with a .465 slugging and a 1.044 OPS.
He tied for first with 42 doubles and posted 84 RBIs.
But the Phillies missed the playoffs for the third straight season since Harper signed a 13-year, $ 330 million deal with them. Harper received a unanimous vote to be the Most Valuable Player in 2015 with Washington.
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Ohtani and Harper named MVP of 2021