Shoehei Ohtani
Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels was announced as the American League’s Most Valuable Player on Nov. 18.
Ohtani is the second Japanese-born player honored. The other was the Seattle Mariners’ Ichiro Suzuki in 2001. Ohtani is the 11th former AL Rookie of the Year Award winner (2018) to go on to win an MVP Award.
“I’m extremely happy,” Ohtani said through his interpreter on MLB Network’s award show telecast. “It’s something I was shooting for, obviously. I think any player is as long as they’re playing baseball professionally.”