Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Angels), who emerged as a world-class star by lifting the championship cup at the World Baseball Classic (WBC), was rated as the best major league player in the 2023 season.
On the 24th (Korean time) ahead of the opening of the 2023 season, ESPN, an American sports channel, selected and released the 1st to 100th player rankings by voting by experts such as major league reporters and analysts.
1st place was occupied by Ohtani Shohei, who stood tall as a baseball icon with a double-tapping job.
ESPN pointed out that “Ohtani is a player with the most unique talent in baseball history,” and was able to win the MVP award for two consecutive years, but Aaron Judge’s historic offensive season prevented it. “Ohtani, who is still only 28 years old, is baseball’s most dominant starting pitcher, one of the most feared hitters, and one of the fastest runners. I think there will be)” and highly evaluated.
MLB expert Alden Gonzalez, who participated in the vote, said, “From 2021 to 2022, Ohtani had a higher wRC+ (adjusted scoring power generation) than Jose Ramirez, Mookie Betts, and Manny Machado, and a lower xFIP (adjusted scoring rate) than Max Scherzer, Max Fried, and Sandy Alcantara. average earned run regardless of defense). Except for Babe Ruth, who was briefly a two-way player 100 years ago, no one has ever attempted to achieve both characteristics at this level, let alone a player who has achieved both.”
“As the years go by, Ohtani seems to be getting more and more used to the two roles. His command on the mound—the ability to drive a game by throwing a variety of pitches where he wants—continues to develop, and his familiarity with opposing pitchers is growing. Watching Ohtani’s performance in the World Baseball Classic, it became clear that Ohtani is the best baseball player in the world. With a contract worth more than 500 million dollars, let’s look forward to another MVP-worthy season.”
Second place went to Ohtani’s teammate Mike Trout.
ESPN said, “Perhaps the only player who can challenge Ohtani for the best player is a healthy Trout,” and “but health has become an issue recently. Trout has played in less than 70% of the Angels’ games over the past five years and has missed the last four and a half months of the 2021 season, most notably with a calf injury. But when he’s playing, he’s like the best player in the world (Ohtani).”
“Last year, Trout only played in 119 games, but hit 40 homers and a .999 OPS to win his ninth Silver Slugger,” said MLB expert Gonzalez on his outlook for the season. Since the first full season in 2012, the fangraph WAR (contribution to win over substitute) 81.4 is a figure that no one can surpass (Max Scherzer is second with 60.1). The 31-year-old Trout is still years away from his prime. He just needs to be taken off the injured list,” he said.
Third place was Aaron Judge (New York Yankees), who broke the American League record for most home runs (62) last season.
ESPN said, “Now armed with a massive contract (9 years, $360 million), Judge is entering the second phase of his career. He is one of baseball’s most recognizable faces and one of its greatest stars, but he has yet to win the World Series. Judge will forever be remembered for his historic 2022 season, but his legacy will be determined by his success with the Yankees during this contract.”
“Judge will continue to be a key player in the Yankees lineup and live up to his new contract,” said MLB expert Jun Lee. The Yankees lineup is no different from last season. The moment he struggled, the entire offense faltered. As he burned, the Yankees lineup also exploded.바카라 The outfielder has been healthy for two seasons in a row, and his performance should continue, especially in New York, where the rotation is plagued by injuries.”
They are followed by Manny Machado (San Diego Padres) at 4th, Freddie Freeman (Los Angeles Dodgers) at 5th, Juan Soto (San Diego) at 6th, Julio Rodriguez (Seattle Mariners) at 7th, and Trey Turner (Philadelphia Phillies) at 8th. Above, Mookie Betts (LA Dodgers) ranked 9th and Nolan Arenado (St. Louis Cardinals) ranked 10th.
Japanese starting pitcher Yu Darvish (San Diego) ranked 80th, and Clayton Kershaw (LA Dodgers), who once commanded the mound in the major leagues, ranked 87th.
Meanwhile, neither Korean nor Korean-American major leaguers made it to the top 100.