MLBfans have to feel grateful for the opportunity to watch Shohei Ohtani play baseball each night.
He is the best player in the sport by a wide margin and continues to do things no one has ever seen.
When he first came over to MLB, not many people thought he could be a two-way player for a full 162-game season.
Not only is he doing it but he is elite at both hitting and pitching.
The most recent achievement for Ohtani has to do with him in the batter s box.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, Ohtani has played 80 games this season and leads MLB in homers and is tied for first in triples.
This is the latest in a season that one player has ever led both categories since Jim Rice did so in 1978.
Shohei Ohtani has played 80 games in 2023. He leads MLB in home runs (28) and shares the lead in triples (5).
It’s the latest into a season that a player has led in both categories since 1978, when Jim Rice played 163 games and finished the season leading in HR (46) and 3B (15). pic.twitter.com/U49IW4op7R
ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 29, 2023
You just do not see this type of power/speed combo much in baseball anymore.
He is doing all of this at the plate while still performing like one of the best pitchers in baseball.
Ohtani is the overwhelming favorite for AL MVP and there are still three months to play in the regular season.
At this point, everyone just wants to see what Ohtani can do on the biggest stage.
He has yet to make the playoffs in his MLB career.
Many hope the Angels can change that this year.
They are 44-38 on the season and sit six games behind the Texas Rangers in the AL West.
But they are only 0.5 games out of a Wild Card berth.