The very nature of sports played at the highest level is that injuries are going to get in the way sometimes and likely at the worst time. Consider the timing of Aaron Rodgers’ recent and likely season-ending injury.

I’ll leave it to others to find examples of MVP’s having their season cut short by injury, but I can’t recall one in recent MLB history. That’s why Shohei Ohtani’s season-ending oblique injury is so hard to stomach. His unique skill set seemed to be the sole reason he was going to continue to play after an elbow injury ended his pitching earlier this season. As the premier two-way star (without compare), he was going to continue as DH.

While my interest in the Angels has waned in recent years, my desire to see Shohei has increased 100-fold. I’m so happy that I finally got to see him in person earlier this year in Milwaukee with friend David. It was most disturbing to see pictures of him cleaning out his locker in Anaheim recently. Understanding that there is no reason to stick around a team out of contention, I can imagine how Angel fans must feel as he’s likely to play elsewhere next season.

Spending far too much time in kindergarten and first grade the past four years, I’ve been overwhelmed by all things unicorn. However, I completely understand why folks refer to Ohtani as being a unicorn,

And for the love of Diego Segui, I don’t want to hear about Judge as AL MVP or any other false pretender. It’s Shohei or nobody. His numbers are ridiculous: 23 starts, 1CG shutout, 10-5 3.14 ERA, 1.06 WHIP in 132 innings, 167 strikeouts, and a .184 batting average against. And even if he were only being considered based on his offense, he’s my choice for AL MVP. His 44 home runs should lead the league, but his other numbers are equally impressive through 135 games, 95 RBI, 2- stolen bases, 8 triples, 102 runs scored, 325 total bases and a slash line of .304/.412/.654.

Were it not for the oblique injury, there’s no doubt he’d add to those numbers. The pursuit of Ohtani and what teams are willing to pay for his services is going to be the biggest story in the game this winter. Every other free agent will be waiting to see what happens. Rumors will swirl and fans in major markets will dream about what may be. The Yankees, Padres and Mets have proven that having crazy payrolls does not equal success. The Angels will continue to be derided for not getting something back at the deadline. Ultimately, they’ll have to figure out why they didn’t win a playoff series with two of the best in the game.