Angels News: LA's Manager Believes Shohei Ohtani was Robbed of 2022 AL MVP

Ohtani's 2022 season was insane

The Los Angeles Angels 2022 season started on a high note but went off the rails quickly. They started 27-17 through the first 44 games but then went on a 14-game losing streak that they couldn't recover from and finished the season 16 games under .500. 

It was a season to forget, but it wasn't from an individual standpoint by Halos two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani came off a 2021 MVP season and put up numbers worthy of repeating; however, Yankees superstar Aaron Judge popped off and took home the AL MVP award instead. 

Ohtani has a great shot at winning his second MVP this season, but Halos skipper Phil Nevin believes he should be going for his third straight MVP. 

“I said this last year, and Aaron Judge is like a son to me, but until somebody does it on both sides of the ball, [Ohtani] should be MVP,” Nevin said. “I mean, what was the difference between two years ago [when Ohtani won MVP] and last year? Somebody has to explain that to me because he was even better last year and didn’t win it.

(via MLB.com)

Ohtani was elite on the mound and batter's box, as he slashed .273/.356/.519 with a .875 OPS and 34 home runs, and 95 RBIs. He was even better on the mound as he went 15-9 with a 2.33 ERA, 219 strikeouts, a 1.01 WHIP, and batters averaging .203 against him in 166 innings. 

Ohtani made a great case for himself, but Judge's historic 2022 season was too much for the voters. He recorded an AL season-high 62 home runs along with 131 RBIs and a 1.111 OPS. 

What could've been? But this year is new, and Ohtani is even better on both sides of the ball. It won't be easy, but Ohtani remains the favorite to win AL MVP at -400, according to Vegasinsider.