Shohei Ohtani continues to field accolades. On Thursday, MLB announced Ohtani as the 2023 Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award recipient. This was his third consecutive win with the honor.
Following a campaign where he slashed .304/.412/.654, Ohtani also ranked first in the league with hits, runs, total bases (325), triples, home runs, walks (91), stolen bases, and slugging among designated DH’s with 100 at-bats.
Additionally, Ohtani accumulated 102 runs scored, 151 hits, 26 doubles, eight triples, 44 home runs, 95 RBI and 20 stolen bases across 135 games as a designated hitter for the Los Angeles Angels.
This is also partly why the two-way phenom earned American League MVP honors. Ohtani went 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA in 23 starts.
According to MLB in a press release, Ohtani became the first player in baseball history to win the MVP Award unanimously more than once, after previously winning the 2021 AL MVP Award unanimously.
He also became the second player to win the award in three consecutive years. Hall of Famer David Ortiz won it five consecutive times from 2003-2007.
The Edgar Martinez ODH Award has been awarded annually to the top designated hitter since the DH was implemented in 1973. It was renamed in honor of Martinez in 2004 after he retired.
Ballots for the ODH Award are cast by club beat writers, broadcasters, and public relations departments, with nominees including all players with a minimum of 100 at-bats as designated hitters.
[MLB]
About Jessica Kleinschmidt
Jess is a baseball fan with Reno, Nev. roots residing in the Bay Area. She is the host of "Short and to the Point" and is also a broadcaster with the Oakland A's Radio Network. She previously worked for MLB.com and NBC Sports Bay Area.