Shohei Ohtani, 29, ended the first half leading the Most Valuable Player (MVP) race. His chances of joining the Los Angeles Angels are looking increasingly unlikely.

Ohtani was on fire in the final game of the first half before the All-Star break. He started at first base and went 3-for-4 with a double, home run, three RBIs and one run scored in a Major League Baseball (MLB) game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, USA on 9 September.

After hitting a clean single up the middle off Dodgers starter Alex Vecchia in his first at-bat in the top of the first inning, Ohtani continued his hot hitting in his second at-bat in the top of the third, taking advantage of a four-seam fastball (fastball) from reliever Michael Grove for a three-run triple to right-centre field.

There was no follow-up hit in this situation. The Angels gave up five runs in the second and two in the fourth. After going silent at the plate in the top of the sixth, Ohtani took matters into his own hands. With the Angels trailing 2-7 and one out, he smashed a mid-month two-run home run off Grove, who was once again the opposing pitcher.바카라사이트

It was Ohtani’s 32nd home run of the season. It extended his lead over second-place Matt Olson (Atlanta Braves) to three. It was Archie’s first home run of the season.

Ohtani was two hits away from his second career hit for the cycle. But in his final at-bat in the top of the ninth, with the bases loaded and the Angels trailing 4-10, he hit a sacrifice fly. The Angels were unable to score another run and lost 5-10.In the first half, Ohtani batted .302 with 32 home runs, 71 RBIs and a .663 slugging percentage in 89 games as a designated hitter. He led the league in home runs and RBIs and was second in slugging percentage. In the first half of the 2021 season, when he was named the American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP), he batted .0279 with 33 homers, 70 RBIs and a .698 slugging percentage. He led the league in home runs and RBI, and was third in slugging percentage.

Tutani (pitcher) was even better in 2021. In 17 starts this season, Ohtani went 7-4 with a 3.32 ERA. He struck out 132 batters. In 2021, he was 4-1 with a 3.49 ERA. He struck out 87 batters.

At the time, Ohtani was well ahead of MLB top prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the MVP race with an unprecedented two-hitter.

Ohtani is said to be more comfortable in the two-hitter role than he was two years ago. His stock is soaring as he approaches free agency. He could command an average annual salary of $60 million, according to local media.

His future with the Angels remains to be seen. The Angels are 45-46 on the season and are in fourth place in the AL West. They are 7.5 games behind the first-place Texas Rangers. While this is better than in previous years, they are still unlikely to make the postseason. The AL East teams have a higher winning percentage overall, so it’s hard to see the Central and West teams making a run at the wild card.

On top of that, the Rays lost slugger Mike Trout to a fractured metacarpal in his left hand. Starting third baseman Anthony Rendon is also out after being hit in the knee by a foul ball he hit. Power has been sapped.

Trout is not expected to return until mid-August. Autumn baseball is far away for the Angels. Ohtani wants to play for a team that can win. The Dodgers, who played the Angels in the final game of the first half, have already made their intentions known.

Some say the Angels didn’t trade him because of the marketing value of having him. Others argue that it’s just business to be pragmatic when it comes to a pre-ordained breakup.

Ohtani became the centre of attention in world baseball at the World Baseball Classic (WBC) and immediately followed it up with a dominant first half of the MLB regular season. The trade deadline (31 July) is right around the corner after the All-Star break.