Shohei Ohtani
12:21 JST, Nov 15, 2024
Shohei Ohtani and Chris Sale, who are expected to receive bigger awards next week, were among the winners at the MLB Awards ceremony in Las Vegas on Thursday.
Los Angeles Dodgers star Ohtani, the National League’s presumptive most valuable player, received the Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award.
Sale, the Atlanta Braves left-hander and projected winner of the NL Cy Young Award, was named the NL Comeback Player of the Year.
The AL Comeback Player of the Year award went to Chicago White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet.
Right-hander Emmanuel Clase of the Cleveland Guardians and right-hander Ryan Helsley of the St. Louis Cardinals were named AL and NL Reliever of the Year, respectively.
Ohtani, who didn’t pitch in 2024 after undergoing elbow surgery, still made a big impact from the DH position. He became the first player in Major League history to hit more than 50 home runs and steal more than 50 bases in the same season, finishing with 54 long balls and 59 steals in the NL.
Ohtani also led the league with 130 RBIs, 134 runs, a .390 on-base percentage and a .646 slugging percentage.
Sale won the Triple Crown by leading the NL with 18 wins, a 2.38 ERA and 225 strikeouts after being limited to a total of 31 starts over the previous four seasons due to injuries.
Crochet missed the entire 2022 season and much of 2023 after Tommy John surgery. He rebounded to go 6-12 with a 3.58 ERA and 209 strikeouts over 146 innings in 32 starts this year.
Clase led the AL with 47 saves (in 50 chances) and had a spectacular 0.61 ERA and a 4-2 record in 74 games.
Helsley had a major league-best 49 saves (in 53 chances) with a 7-4 mark and a 2.04 ERA in 65 appearances.
