‘World’s best’ Ohtani, 2023 MLB player ranking 1st place… 0 Korean players in TOP 100
MVP Shohei Ohtani (29), who led the Japanese baseball team to victory in the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC), also ranked first in the active major league player rankings.
On the 24th (Korean time), ESPN, an American sports media outlet, ranked the TOP 100 through experts’ votes ahead of the opening of the 2023 major league season.
1st place was occupied by Ohtani, who proved world class through this WBC. Ohtani, who entered the major leagues by joining the Los Angeles Angels in 2018, won the American League (AL) Rookie of the Year Award in his debut season, and in 2021, he was named AL MVP for his incredible performance as a pitcher.
Ohtani aimed for back-to-back MVP in 2022, but unfortunately, he was pushed by Aaron Judge (New York Yankees), the “home run king,” and took second place in the MVP vote. Instead, in the 2023 WBC, both pitchers performed outstandingly and won the MVP.
ESPN said, “Ohtani is a player with the most special talent in baseball history,” and “through this WBC, he proved that he is the best player in the world.”
Second place went to Mike Trout (Angels), Ohtani’s teammate and regarded as the best hitter in his career.
ESPN said, “If you pick one player to challenge Ohtani, it’s a healthy Trout,” and predicted, “If Trout is healthy, he will be able to take first place in the main batting category.” 메이저놀이터
Third place went to Aaron Judge, who hit 62 home runs last year, setting the record for most home runs in an AL season in 61 years. Manny Machado (San Diego Padres) took 4th place, and Freddie Freeman (LA Dodgers) took 5th place. Darvish Yu (San Diego), who participated in the WBC as a member of the Japanese national team, ranked 80th.
Meanwhile, Korean major leaguers such as Ryu Hyun-jin, (Toronto Blue Jays), Choi Ji-man (Pittsburgh Pirates), and Kim Ha-seong (San Diego) did not make it into the 100-man ranking.