Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani had one of the finest seasons of his career, even though it was cut short by a couple of untimely injuries.

He is the favorite to win his second AL MVP award as well as other individual accolades: Silver Slugger, Hank Aaron Award, you name it.

However, he just got his first individual recognition of the year, given to him by the folks at Baseball America.

“Shohei Ohtani redefined what is possible this season. We’re proud to name him our 2023 MLB Player of the Year,” they tweeted.

Shohei Ohtani redefined what is possible this season.

We're proud to name him our 2023 MLB Player of the Year pic.twitter.com/S1e2qLVK4G

— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) October 2, 2023

Baseball America are specialists in evaluating and scouting talent, so they clearly know what they are talking about when they say Ohtani redefined what’s possible on a baseball field.

He was just as good as his 2021 version as a pitcher, throwing 132 frames this year and posting a 3.14 ERA with 167 strikeouts.

If pitching like one of the best starters in the American League wasn’t enough, he posted his best offensive season to date, with a 1.066 OPS.

That’s even higher than the .965 mark he had two years ago.

In 2023, Ohtani hit 44 home runs, drove in 95 runs, and even stole 20 bases for good measure.

He was well on his way to shatter his career-high of 46 round-trippers before an oblique issue forced him out in September.

Any time Baseball America says you are the best of the best, it should be seen as an important recognition and a huge compliment.

The award wasn’t just given to Ohtani for the sake of it: he truly deserves it as the most unique performer in baseball.

The post Shohei Ohtani Takes Home First Major Offseason Award appeared first on The Cold Wire.

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The Texas Rangers have been an organization that has gone “all-in” in recent years.

They have been aggressive in free agency and on the trade market to build the best roster possible.

Now the time has come for the Rangers to show what they can do in October.

Even after a disappointing end to the regular season, the Rangers found themselves as the second seed in the AL Wild Card standings.

They are set to face the Tampa Bay Rays for a three-game series.

This is the first time in seven years that the Rangers will be in the postseason.

You can bet the organization wants to make sure the fans are excited about this opportunity.

The Rangers released a hype video as they get set for the playoffs to begin on Tuesday.

October is here. #GoAndTakeIt pic.twitter.com/QXGnypsEl6

— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) October 3, 2023

If you are a Rangers fan it is hard to not get excited about this team.

They have a good balance of great hitters and starting pitchers.

But their one Achilles heel is their bullpen.

Down the stretch their bullpen has failed them, which led to them losing the AL West crown.

It is time to see what this team is capable of with everything on the line.

One player to keep an eye on is shortstop Corey Seager.

He will be a finalist for the AL MVP and has plenty of postseason experience under his belt.

The team should rely on Seager to make sure everything is in order as the postseason gets ready to begin.

The Rangers are not the favorites to win the AL pennant.

But, they have a lineup that can get hot and carry them all the way.

The post Rangers Release Must-See Playoff Hype Video appeared first on The Cold Wire.

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How did perhaps the NBA’s tightest superstar-GM partnership sour so quickly and publicly? FOX Sports spoke to nearly a dozen people connected to James Harden, Daryl Morey and the 76ers to find out.



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