Japanese star earns unprecedented honor after remarkable season
By now you’re probably familiar with the story of Shohei Otani. The 22-year-old superstar absolutely dominated Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball this past season.
We’re not just talking about as a pitcher or a hitter. Otani dominated on both sides of the field, which led to him achieving a first in Japanese baseball history.
NPB Best Nine teams. Shohei Otani the first-ever to be named at pitcher and DH in the same season. #NPB pic.twitter.com/cSSsxEsQn8
— Jason Coskrey (@JCoskrey) November 25, 2016
On Friday, Otani was not only named the Pacific League’s top pitcher, he was also named the top designated hitter. And it turns out the voting for both honors wasn’t particularly close.
Here’s more from the Japanese Times’ Jason Coskrey:
The Fighters star excelled in both areas this season and benefited from a rule change, that had him in mind, earlier this season that permitted voters to choose a pitcher in the DH spot.
He received 111 votes at pitcher, beating out the Chiba Lotte Marines’ Ayumu Ishikawa, who was second with 69. Otani’s selection was far more comprehensive at DH, where he garnered 190 votes to the 47 cast for second-place finisher Alfredo Despaigne of the Marines.
Not since Babe Ruth has a professional baseball player dominated as both a pitcher and hitter to this extent.
On the hill, Otani made 21 appearances, posting a 10-4 record with a 1.86 ERA over 140 innings. His 174 strikeouts ranked third in the Pacific League, and were complimented by a sparkling a 0.96 walks per nine innings. It’s also noted his numbers would likely be even more impressive if not for a blister issue that limited his pitching appearances for several weeks.
No blister or opposing pitcher could stop Otani at the plate. In 382 plate appearances, he hit .322 with 22 home runs, 18 doubles, one triple and 67 RBIs. He ended the season with 54 walks and a staggering 1.004 OPS.
Otani’s remarkable numbers and versatility have caught the attention of MLB scouts and executives. Though it’s unlikely he’ll be posted by the Nippon Ham Fighters this offseason, his day will come eventually. When it does, he will immediately become the most fascinating player on the market. The buzz surrounding his arrival would likely exceed that of any other player to come over from Japan.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
