Ohtani, 27, is coming off a historic season that saw him starring on both the mound and at the plate for the Los Angeles Angels, a feat that has drawn comparisons to the Hall of Famer Babe Ruth.
He is the second Japanese-born player to be voted MVP, following on Ichiro Suzuki, who was voted the AL MVP in 2001 when he played for the Seattle Mariners.
As a starting pitcher, Ohtani made 23 appearances, winning nine games while suffering two losses. The Japanese hurler struck out 156 batters.
As a hitter, he crushed 46 home runs — second only to the 48 HRs struck by Salvador Perez of the…