Shohei Ohtani second-half MLB props, odds: Angels' AL MVP favorite could challenge for 62 homers, opens second half on mound vs. Astros
Shohei Ohtani pitches against Houston on Friday as MLB's second half begins.
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The biggest story out of Tuesday night's All-Star Game wasn't the National League ending a nine-game losing streak in the Midsummer Classic, but the rousing welcome Seattle fans gave Angels star Shohei Ohtani, chanting "Come To Seattle" the two times the pending free agent came to bat. The possibility of the Angels trading the superstar by the Aug. 1 MLB trade deadline will loom over the sport for the next two plus-weeks, and Ohtani will be on the mound Friday vs. Houston as the second half begins.
Most experts agree that Ohtani will not be traded, simply because Angels owner Arte Moreno, already not very popular with his fanbase, doesn't want to be known as the man who traded his generation's Babe Ruth. Former Red Sox owner Harry Frazee never lived down shipping Ruth to the Yankees in a salary dump. Moreover, Ohtani is a cash cow for the Angels, single-handedly bringing millions of dollars in revenue from Japanese advertising deals, ticket sales and more. And while there seems to be a slim chance of Ohtani re-signing in Anaheim this offseason, a trade would all but shut the door.
Perhaps the only way Ohtani is moved by Aug. 1 is if the Angels completely fall apart in the next two weeks and bomb out of playoff contention – not out of the question with Mike Trout not expected back from injury until as late as mid-August. The Angels enter the break having lost five straight and nine of 10 to fall to 45-46. They are now in fourth place in the AL West, seven games behind first-place Texas. Los Angeles is five games back of the final wild card spot and is +750 to make the playoffs, with No at -1000.
At the plate, Ohtani leads the majors with 32 homers and is +100 to win that crown at DraftKings, just ahead of Atlanta's Matt Olson (+200), who has 29 dingers. DK gives Ohtani an Over/Under HR total of 62.5, which is silly because the Over is +3000 and the Under is -20000. We should note Ohtani is just one homer off Aaron Judge's pace through 91 team games last season when Judge finished the season with an AL-record 62 homers, which helped him win the AL MVP award.
FanDuel has a more realistic O/U total of 48.5, with the Over a slight favorite. This is the second time Ohtani has hit 30 HRs before the All-Star break, making him one of just seven players to do that more than once. Overall, he's batting a career-best .302 and is third in the majors with 71 RBI -- he's +500 to pace the league in that category. Ohtani even leads the majors in triples with six and has stolen 11 bases. Absurd.
Ohtani bats lefty and throws right-handed, and on the mound he's 7-4 with a 3.32 ERA and 132 strikeouts (tied fourth in MLB) in 17 starts. To win a second MVP, Ohtani is -800 and the field is +500. To win his first Cy Young and the first for an Angels pitcher since Bartolo Colon in 2005, Ohtani is +1200. He's +2000 to lead the majors in strikeouts, but is well behind leader Spencer Strider of Atlanta (-225), who has 166.
To sum up: Ohtani leads the majors in home runs, triples, total bases, slugging percentage and OPS, and he has allowed the lowest batting average of any qualified pitcher (.182). A total of 32 players in MLB history have hit at least 30 homers before the All-Star break and a total of 105 pitchers have had at least 105 strikeouts pre-break. Ohtani is the only player in both groups and has done it in the same season.
He is 3-5 with a 3.75 ERA in 12 career starts vs. Houston and 0-2 with a 4.85 ERA this year – although the Astros are currently without two of their best hitters in the injured Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez. Ohtani is +160 to record win on Friday and -215 for to not. His O/U totals are 5.5 strikeouts, 17.5 outs, 4.5 hits, 1.5 walks and 1.5 earned runs.
At the plate, Ohtani is 0-for-3 off Astros rookie starting pitcher JP France (4-3, 3.26 ERA). To go yard against any pitcher tonight, Ohtani is +290. He's batting .310 with a homer in 29 at-bats against Houston pitching in 2023.
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