The Japanese Shohei Ohtani, of the Los Angeles Angels, was selected this Thursday as the Player of the Year in the Major Leagues by the specialized magazine Baseball Digest and eBay.
Right-hander Max Scherzer, who played in the regular season with the Nationals and Dodgers, was voted Pitcher of the Year, while left-hander Josh Hader of the Milwaukee Brewers was voted best reliever.
Ohtani received 16 first-place votes from a 19-member panel of baseball writers and announcers that included various former players, managers and executives.
At the plate, Ohtani hit 46 home runs, the third-best mark in the majors, and had 100 RBIs while compiling a fifth-place .965 OPS.
Ohtani also scored 103 runs, stole 25 bases and even tied for the major league lead with eight 3-pointers.
He became the only player in history with at least 45 home runs, 25 doubles, 25 steals and eight triples in one season.
From the mound, the Japan right-hander was 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA in 23 starts. He struck out 156 batters and walked 44 in 130 1/3 innings.
Toronto Blue Jays slugger first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. got two first-place votes and came in second, 14 points behind Ohtani.
Guerrero Jr. along with Venezuelan catcher Salvador Pérez of the Kansas City Royals each hit 48 home runs and shared the Major League Baseball lead.
Washington Nationals outfielder Juan Soto was third, and Perez, who received the other vote for first place, finished fourth.
Scherzer, traded by the Nationals to the Dodgers on July 30, was 15-4 with a 2.46 ERA and 236 strikeouts in 179 1/3 innings. He was a perfect 7-0 with a 1.98 ERA in 11 starts with the Dodgers.
The three-time Cy Young Award winner received eight first-place votes and beat Milwaukee Brewers ace Corbin Burnes, who led the majors with a 2.43 ERA and was chosen first in four votes.
Scherzer also won the 2013 Baseball Digest Pitcher of the Year award with the Detroit Tigers.
Hader was a big winner with 16 first-place votes after converting 34 of 35 save chances for NL Central champion Milwaukee this season.
The star left-hander was 4-2 with a 1.23 ERA and 102 strikeouts in 60 appearances that covered 58 2/3 innings. Hader did not give up a run in his last 21 starts.
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