Angels News: Shohei Ohtani Reacts to Third All-Star Selection

Baseball's only two-way player has been selected each of the past three years.

Perhaps the most-discussed player in baseball, Angels pitcher and designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, was elected Thursday as the American League's starting DH for the All-Star Game.

Because he earned the most votes in the AL, Ohtani bypassed the second phase of voting to secure his spot in the All-Star Game, which is set for July 11 in Seattle.

"I would like to thank all the fans that voted for me," Ohtani said in a statement released by the Angels. "This is a huge honor. I will use this as motivation and will continue to give it my all on the field."

(Via

The Orange County Register

)

Ohtani still has a chance to be selected as a pitcher, as the player votes for starting, and reserve pitchers will be released on July 2. Ohtani became the only player in history to be selected as both a pitcher and a hitter in 2021, following it up with another double selection in 2022.

Ranking among the top ten for the AL Cy Young award, one would predict that Ohtani will earn the honor once more — yet another addition to his quickly-growing resume as the best player in the major leagues.

Angels centerfielder Mike Trout is also en route to an All-Star selection, having made it to Phase 2 of voting. Although he is hitting at a lower clip than in previous seasons, Trout is still having a strong season with a .250/.358/.466 stat line.

The past three seasons have seen Ohtani rise in the ranks of baseball's most desired players. Set to become a free agent at the conclusion of this season, the bidding war for Ohtani will be nothing short of epic and will likely result in a record-breaking contract with "Shohei Ohtani" signed at the bottom.