Shohei Ohtani Hits 35th Homer of the Season, Angels Beat Yankees in Extra Innings

Shohei Ohtani hit a home run in his third straight game and the Los Angeles Angels went on to beat the New York Yankees 4-3 in 10 innings in Anaheim on July 17th. It was Ohtani’s 35th homer of the season; not only does he lead the majors in home runs, it also is a career high for him.

Ohtani is widely regarded as the leader in the race for American League Most Valuable Player, an honor he won in 2021. He’s hitting .306 with 75 RBIs and a 1.068 OPS to go with those 35 homers. Of course, his offensive production is only part of the story. Ohtani is 7-5 with a 3.50 ERA and 139 strikeouts in 18 starts as a pitcher. With the trade deadline looming on August 1st, there is a lot of speculation that he’ll be traded, especially since he will be a free agent at the end of the season. His next contract will almost certainly be the richest in baseball history, and the Angels may feel they won’t have a shot at resigning him.

What the 29 year old Ohtani wants is to play for a winner, preferably the Angels, but the club continues to stumble around every year and fail to make the post season. The win over the Yankees improved L.A.s record to 47-48, five and a half games back of the final Wild Card, currently the Houston Astros. Only a handful of clubs would have a shot at signing Ohtani, limiting the list of meaningful trade partners, but the right trade could bring a great deal of improvement to the Angels over the long term.

One question remains: If he’s traded to the National League, would he still be voted as the A.L. MVP if he’s in the other league for the last third oi the season? He probably wouldn’t care as long as he got to the post season with his new club.