Was there ever a question?
At some point, there are simply not enough words to describe how amazing the 2023 season was for two-way Angels phenomenon Shohei Ohtani. There is no historical comparison in baseball, and the closest one is Babe Ruth.
So it came as no surprise that when Frank Thomas announced the winner of the American League MVP on Thursday night, it would not only be Ohtani, but it would be by unanimous vote.
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The unanimous victory made him the 19th player in the history of the American Baseball Writers Association MVP award to receive all first-place votes. Here is a full list of the company you are joining.
| Year | Player | Team | League | Position |
| 1935 | Hank greenberg | Tigers | Alabama | 1 B |
| 1936 | Carl hubbell | Giants | NL | LHP |
| 1953 | Al Rosen | Indians | Alabama | 3B |
| 1956 | Mickey Mantle | Yankees | Alabama | FROM |
| 1966 | Frank Robinson | Orioles | Alabama | FROM |
| 1967 | Orlando cepeda | Cardinals | NL | 1 B |
| 1968 | Denny McLain | Tigers | Alabama | RHP |
| 1973 | Reggie jackson | Athletics | Alabama | FROM |
| 1980 | Mike schmidt | Phillies | NL | 3B |
| 1988 | Jose Canseco | Athletics | Alabama | FROM |
| 1993 | Frank thomas | white sock | Alabama | 1 B |
| 1994 | Jeff Bagwell | Astros | NL | 1 B |
| nineteen ninety six | Ken Caminiti | Parents | NL | 3B |
| 1997 | Ken Griffey Jr. | Sailors | Alabama | FROM |
| 2002 | Barry bonds | Giants | NL | FROM |
| 2009 | Albert pujols | Cardinals | NL | 1 B |
| 2014 | Mike trout | Angels | Alabama | FROM |
| 2015. | Bryce harper | Nationals | NL | FROM |
| 2021 | Shohei ohtani | Angels | Alabama | DH / RHP |
MORE: Shohei Ohtani Winning AL MVP Cost Sportsbook Over $ 1 Million
And if that wasn’t history enough, Ohtani also became the 29th player to win both MVP and Rookie of the Year. Among that group, he is only the seventh to be unanimously named MVP and win the Rookie of the Year award.
| Player | Rookie of the Year | Mvp |
| Jackie Robinson | 1947 | 1949 |
| Don newcombe | 1949 | 1956 |
| Willie mays | 1951 | 1954, 1965 |
| Frank Robinson | 1956 | 1961, 1966 |
| Orlando cepeda | 1958 | 1967 |
| Willie McCovey | 1959 | 1969 |
| Pete rose | 1963 | 1973 |
| Dick allen | 1964 | 1972 |
| Rod Carew | 1967 | 1977 |
| Johnny bench | 1968 | 1970, 1972 |
| Thurman Munson | 1970 | 1976 |
| Fred lynn | 1975 | 1975 |
| Andre dawson | 1977 | 1987 |
| Cal ripken | 1982 | 1983, 1991 |
| Jose Canseco | 1986 | 1988 |
| Jeff Bagwell | 1991 | 1994 |
| Albert pujols | 2001 | 2005, 2008, 2009 |
| Ichiro suzuki | 2001 | 2001 |
| Ryan howard | 2005 | 2006 |
| Justin verlander | 2006 | 2011 |
| Ryan braun | 2007 | 2011 |
| Dustin Pedroia | 2007 | 2008 |
| Buster posey | 2010 | 2012 |
| Bryce harper | 2012 | 2015, 2023 |
| Mike trout | 2012 | 2014, 2016, 2019 |
| Jose Abreu | 2014 | 2020 |
| Kris bryant | 2015. | 2016 |
| Cody bellinger | 2017 | 2019 |
| Shohei ohtani | 2018 | 2021 |
MORE: 2023 MLB Awards Finalists, Winners
Ohtani, who joins a storied company with the award, is a fitting cap for an unprecedented campaign. He was third in the American League with 46 home runs and finished the season with a .257 / .372 / .592 line and was fifth in the American League with 26 stolen bases.
On the mound, he pitched 130 1/3 innings in 23 starts with a 3.18 ERA, a 29.3 percent strikeout rate and an 8.3 percent walk rate. He is the only player in MLB history to have at least 30 home runs and 30 strikeouts in a season, and he finished with 156 strikeouts.
