David Ortiz calls Shohei Ohtani a 'pretty girl' and slams MLB for looking to give him the MVP award

Things have gotten interesting around Shohei Ohtani, as former Red Sox legend David Ortiz has been harshly critical of MLB, alleging apparent favoritism toward the Japanese star. In his recent remarks, Ortiz questioned the special treatment he says the league is giving to Ohtani.

'Big Papi' never won an MVP award in his two-decade career in the majors and that is part of the reasons behind his words. He expressed his frustration at seeing Ohtani emerge as the favorite to win the award this year, despite being used primarily as a designated hitter by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"They always had a 'issues' not to give me the MVP because I was a designated hitter. I'm going to see what they're going to say this year when Ohtani, the 'pretty girl' of MLB, is in the race," Ortiz said in a recent broadcast.

'Big Papi' blamed many more

David Ortiz also pointed to a media campaign that, according to him, pushes Shohei Ohtani to reach historical achievements, such as potential 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases season.

"Every day they are encouraging Ohtani to reach 50-50, while players like Francisco Lindor are being held back," Ortiz said. This criticism reflects a perception of inequality in the way MLB and the media promote their stars.

As of September 6, Ohtani had a Wins Above Replacement (WAR) of 7.0, suring Ortiz's career-best of 6.4 set in 2007. Despite this, Ortiz insists that promotion of their baseball players should be equitable and that the MVP should not be awarded just because of Ohtani's media impact.