The Los Angeles Angels' Shohei Ohtani, selected as on the finalists for the major leagues' American League MVP. (Mainichi/Hojin Fukunaga)

       The Mainichi Shimbun answers some common questions readers may have about the Los Angeles Angels' Shohei Ohtani, who has been named a finalist for Major League Baseball's American League MVP.

       Question: What is the MLB's MVP Award?

       Answer: The award is given to one outstanding player in the American League (AL) and one in the National League (NL). It is MLB's highest annual honor, given to the player judged to have provided the most value to their team of anyone in their league that season.

       Ohtani was hugely successful as a two-way player during his fourth season in the major leagues, with nine wins and two losses as a pitcher and 46 home runs, 100 RBIs and 26 stolen bases as a batter for the LA Angels. He was named one of the three finalists for the AL MVP, and is widely considered to be the favorite. The other two finalists are Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Marcus Semien, both infielders for the Toronto Blue Jays. In the NL, the three finalists are the Philadelphia Phillies' Bryce Harper, the Washington Nationals' Juan Soto and the San Diego Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr.

       Q: Who has won the MVP in the past?

       A: Baseball legend Ty Cobb won the first MVP award in 1911, and Babe Ruth, called a "god of baseball" in Japan, won it in 1923. Barry Bonds, who owns the record for most career home runs with 762 homers, has been named MVP more than any other player in major league history, at seven times. Among Japanese players, Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners was 2001's MVP, and an Ohtani win would give Japan two MVPs in 20 years.

       Q: How is the MVP chosen?

       A: Ballots are distributed to 30 reporters covering MLB. They can write in up to 10 names, in order of priority. First-place votes are worth 14 points, second place nine points, third place eight points, and so on, with 10th place receiving just one point. The player with the highest total will be the MVP. Voting is closed after the end of the regular season, and does not reflect playoff results. The results will be announced at 6 p.m. on Nov. 18 Eastern Standard Time.

       Q: Is it possible for Ohtani to win even though the Angels didn't make the playoffs?

       A: Players on teams that won the season championship tend to be selected in Nippon Professional Baseball, but MVPs have been chosen from the lowest-ranking teams in the major leagues. Eleven pitchers have been selected as MVPs since 1956, when the Cy Young Award for the best MLB pitcher in each league began. We look forward to Ohtani becoming the 2021 AL MVP for his unique accomplishments as a two-way player.

       (Japanese original by Shohei Oshima, Sports News Department)

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