Shohei Ohtani News: Sportsbook Already Declared Angels Superstar AL MVP, Paid Out Bets

You don't see this happening too often...

According to PointsBet, an online sportsbook in the United States, the race for the Most Valuable Player in the American League is over.

The sportsbook has already declared Angels pitcher/designated hitter Shohei Ohtani the winner even though the award is scheduled to be announced in November.

Ohtani opened the season as a +175 favorite and by June his odds decreased to +125. After the Angels decided to hold onto Ohtani despite rumors of a potential trade, Ohtani's odds decreased to -10000, implying an 87.5% chance that Ohtani wins the award.

Ohtani has broken records and brains this year, as the 29-year-old has repeatedly given mindblowing performances all season.

In a doubleheader versus the Detroit Tigers, Ohtani threw a complete game and only let up one hit. he followed it up by hitting two home runs in the second game only hours later.

Ohtani holds a 3.32 ERA with a 1.07 WHIP from the mound and leads Major League Baseball in slugging percentage with .672 and home runs with 40. With Ohtani set to be a free agent after the 2023 season, he is predicted to sign one of the largest, if not the largest, contracts in MLB history.

Despite Ohtani's blistering success, the Angels have been on a skid recently. In fact, they have lost each of their six games since the trade deadline, falling seven games behind in the AL Wild Card race. Ohtani has been dealing with a blister on his throwing hand that has forced him to exit games early but is admittedly still performing at a high level.