NEW YORK -- Shohei Ohtani was named Most Valuable Player in the American League on Thursday, becoming the second-ever Japanese player to win Major League Baseball's top award and cementing a historical season playing as both a pitcher and outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels. He won by unanimous vote -- just the 19th player ever to do so.
Ohtani is the latest Japanese superstar to break through in the MLB, following in the footsteps of players like Hideo Nomo and Ichiro Suzuki, who became the first Japanese player to be named MVP in 2001.
