Superstar Shohei Ohtani was named MVP of the 2023 World Baseball Classic following his outstanding two-way performance during Japan's championship run.
Shohei Ohtani receives his gold medal and his 2023 WBC MVP trophy!
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 22, 2023
🥇🏆 pic.twitter.com/XddzKOb7ZR
Ohtani was a force to be reckoned with over the tournament on both sides of the ball. Offensively, he led Japan's lineup by hitting .435/.606/.739 with a homer, eight RBIs, 10 walks, four doubles, and nine runs scored.
In three appearances (two starts) on the mound, he went 2-0 with a 1.86 ERA, a 0.72 WHIP, 11 strikeouts, and one save while holding opponents to a .152 average. Ohtani did not allow a home run in 9.2 innings and struck out Los Angeles Angels teammate Mike Trout for the title-clinching save.
Mark DeRosa on Shohei Ohtani: ‘He is a unicorn in the sport.’
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) March 22, 2023
The 28-year-old joins Daisuke Matsuzaka as the only Japanese players to win WBC MVP. Matsuzaka claimed the honor in each of the first two tournaments in 2006 and '09.
Ohtani was also named to the All-WBC team as both a pitcher and DH. He was joined by teammate Masataka Yoshida and fellow Angels Trout and Patrick Sandoval.
Here's the full All-WBC team:
