A unicorn is usually defined as “a mythical animal generally depicted with the body and head of a horse with long flowing mane and tail and a single often spiraled horn in the middle of the forehead.”
Or, they could’ve just gone with “A unicorn is Shohei Ohtani.”
In this space, we’re going to discuss (and try to analyze) what mind-boggling efforts and accomplishments the Los Angeles Angels’ two-way star puts together on a week-to-week basis — because it’s the right thing to do.
Yes, we must highlight the greatness that is unfolding before our eyes. The world doesn’t deserve Shohei Ohtani, but he somehow exists — and we should be talking about him as much as possible.
What did Shohei Ohtani do on Tuesday? Hit another 115 mph home run
If you want to know what 115 miles per hour off the bat sounds like, please turn your volume on and behold:
It was Ohtani’s third such home run this season. He’s second to only Giancarlo Stanton on the list of 115+ mph home runs. Ohtani came out of Tuesday’s games hitting .267/.348/.606 with 18 bombs and a .954 OPS, and he needed to keep mashing with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. turning things up a notch in the MVP race. And let me tell you …
What did Shohei Ohtani do on Wednesday? Hit a homer for a second consecutive day
It’s like he heard me.
19 home runs on the season, good for third behind Vladdy Jr. and Fernando Tatis Jr. (who hit his 20th on Wednesday).
Oh, and in his very next at-bat, Ohtani successfully laid down a bunt single lol. And he stole a base.
Just another do-it-all day for the unicorn.
What did Shohei Ohtani do on Thursday? Toss a six-inning gem
Ohtani threw 78 pitches at the Detroit Tigers on Thursday (while also hitting second in the lineup), securing the victory by way of 6 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, and 5 Ks. He got more than enough run support (although his bullpen almost blew it), and contributed a pair of walks in his at-bats.
When you look at Ohtani’s seasonal numbers after the outing, you wonder if the bar he’s setting will ever be reachable for another two-way player: As a batter, Ohtani is now slashing .270/.354/.615; as a pitcher, he sports a 3-1 record with a 2.70 ERA and 1.16 WHIP.
What did Shohei Ohtani do on Friday? Make a headline-grabbing announcement
You would think Ohtani wouldn’t play on Friday, taking a day off after pitching and hitting in the same day. Not so — not only did he play, but he grabbed headlines before and during the game.
Early Friday afternoon, the unicorn announced that he would be taking part in the 2021 Home Run Derby at Coors Field in July.
I don’t have much to say on that account, except the following:
via GIPHY
And then, during the Angels’ 11-3 drubbing of the Tigers later that night, Ohtani homered twice, collecting three RBIs in the process and moving to third on the HR leaderboard.
Almost as if he was warming up for the Derby.
What did Shohei Ohtani do on Saturday? Hit ANOTHER home run
OK, for real this time — he has to be warming up for the Derby:
It boggles the mind to consider what Ohtani’s numbers could look like by season’s end if he keeps this up.
What did Shohei Ohtani do on Sunday? Oh, homered AGAIN
Ohtani completed his totally bonkers week by pulling into a tie atop the MLB homer leaderboard, crushing long ball No. 23 to match Guerrero Jr.
The latest home run also eclipsed his personal career-high for a season, set in his 2018 Rookie of the Year campaign.
Well, to the terror of everyone who locked in Ohtani odds back before the season or at season’s start, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is now the favorite to take home the American League MVP award. It’s hard to argue why — Vladdy Jr. is threatening to win the Triple Crown.
But maybe this is secretly good news for those who still expect Ohtani to win. His odds are a lot prettier at +130 than they were a couple of weeks ago.
More from Yahoo Sports: