Each time Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani steps to the plate or takes the mound, there is a really good chance he is about to do something that has never been done before.
Such is life when you are two-way phenom capable of hitting like Mookie Betts and pitching like Shane McClanahan.
The sport has never seen something like it on a sustained basis, yet Ohtani is proving that a man can dominate as both a pitcher and a hitter in the same season for two years in a row.
With the good health he has enjoyed this season and his excellent performance in both roles, he just achieved something unique.
“Shohei Ohtani is now officially the first player to qualify as both a pitcher and a hitter in the same season (based on current qualification rules),” MLB stats expert Sarah Langs tweeted.
Shohei Ohtani is now officially the first player to qualify as both a pitcher and a hitter in the same season (based on current qualification rules)
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) October 5, 2022
Can Ohtani Win The Cy Young Award?
He reached 162 innings pitched, the only obstacle left for him to qualify as a pitcher.
This could actually help him get some Cy Young votes, and he is more than deserving of those.
On the mound, Ohtani posted a 2.33 ERA in 28 starts.
He pitched 166 frames, striking out 219 hitters and posting a 1.01 WHIP.
That performance is very similar to the ones posted by Dylan Cease, Justin Verlander, Shane McClanahan and other Cy Young candidates in the American League.
Because of Aaron Judge‘s historic season, Ohtani is not as likely to win the AL MVP award, but people fail to understand that what he is doing is historic, too.
In the end, we can say Ohtani is making it look easy in both roles, which is unprecedented in MLB play.
He is a true stud.
