Los Angeles Angels pitching and hitting star Shohei Ohtani and Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. were named Major League Baseball’s Rookies of the Year on Monday.
Ohtani, a 24-year-old Japanese sensation, became the first player in major league history with 20 home runs and 50 strikeouts as a pitcher in the same season, a two-way effort unseen since iconic Babe Ruth a century ago.
Acuna, a 20-year-old Venezuelan who became the youngest major leaguer when he joined Atlanta in April, hit .293 with 26 homers and drove in 64 runs over 111 games to win the National League award.
Ohtani captured the American League rookie award over New York Yankees infielders Miguel Andujar and Gleyber Torres, while Washington outfielder Juan Soto and Los Angeles Dodgers right-handed pitcher Walker Buehler lost out in the National League.
Attention was on Ohtani from the moment he arrived in the Angels’ pre-season training camp after five seasons with Japan’s Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters, helping them win the 2016 Japan Series crown before leaving after last year’s campaign.
Ohtani was attempting something unseen in the major leagues since Ruth in 1919 with Boston, a starting spot in the pitching rotation and as a full-time batter, serving as the Angels’ designated hitter.
A torn ligament in his right elbow in June cut short dreams of a full season in both roles, but the work that he produced before the injury and in a late-season comeback as a hitter with a brief mound return showed his amazing dual-role skill.
Ohtani went 4-2 with a 3.31 earned-run average and 63 strikeouts over 51-2/3 innings in 10 right-handed pitching starts, while batting .285 with 22 homers, 10 stolen bases and 61 runs batted in.
In September, doctors said Ohtani needed Tommy John tendon replacement surgery and he underwent the operation to repair his right arm, knowing that it might cause him to miss next year’s entire major league season.
Only Ruth in 1919 and Ohtani have had 10 pitching appearances and 20 homers in the same season.
Acuna also came from another continent to enjoy a magical debut run, helping the Braves reach the playoffs for the first time since 2013. He is among only five players in major league history with 26 homers before his 21st birthday and just the 10th player with 25 homers and 15 stolen bases as a rookie.
Ohtani and Acuna were the only major league rookies with at least 20 homers and 10 stolen bases each this year.
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