There is no denying that what Shohei Ohtani has achieved this season is next to historic but it could have been even more if he was able to pull off the Triple Crown he nearly missed out on.
Shohei Ohtani behind San Diego Padres' Luis Arraez
Triple Crown in Baseball is given to a player who leads in batting averages, RBIs and HRS. The Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter already has RBIs and HR on his side and also leads the National League with 130 RBIs and 54 home runs. 30th September, Sunday's game against Colorado Rockies was Ohtani's last chance to finish above first-placed Luis Arraez in terms of batting average.
Ontani entered the clash against the Rockies four points behind Arraez, who is eyeing his third batting title this season. However, as Ohtani went 1-4 against the Rockies, his average remained the same at .310. It was Arraez who capitalized on the situation as he hit his 200th hit against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He sees his batting average at .314.
Someone who has an outright chance of defeating Arraez is Atlanta Braves' Marcell Ozuna. He will play a doubleheader against the New York Mets on Monday, 01st October and his batting average is .304.
Shohei Ohtani thanks his support staff after historic season
For what Shohei Ohtani has achieved this season, it would be difficult for any slogger to have this kind of a season offensively. Ohtani registered 54 home runs, 130 RBIs, 59 stolen bases, 411 total bases and 197 hits.
"First and foremost, I think the most important part of all this is that I was able to play consistently throughout the whole year. I’m very thankful and grateful for all the staff who supported me throughout this year," Ohtani said through an interpreter.
According to Toribio, Roberts said, "Even the Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts spoke highly for Shohei Ohtani and what he has achieved this season. "You’ve seen a superstar. I think the thing that I marvel at is the expectations that are put on him, that he puts on himself, and to still go out there every day and put on a show. I can’t imagine the pressure with all those expectations. But his preparedness, his work, is very, very focused."
