LOS ANGELES, Nov 14 (Keydo/APP): Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani was a unanimous winner Thursday for his third straight MVP Award and fourth of his Major League Baseball career following another stellar season culminating in back-to-back World Series championships.
Ohtani, who hit a career-high and Dodgers franchise-record 55 home runs this year, claimed his second consecutive National League MVP Award to go with the two American League MVP titles he won as a member of the Los Angeles Angels in 2021 and 2023.
The 31-year-old returned to two-way duties this year after playing solely as a designated hitter in the 2024 season, his first for the Dodgers, while rehabilitating from surgery on his pitching elbow.
He batted .282 with 102 RBIs this year and led the league in slugging (.622), on-base plus slugging (1.014), on-base plus slugging plus (179) and total bases (380), logging an MLB-best 146 runs scored. In 14 games on the mound, he went 1-1 with a 2.87 ERA.
Ohtani, who hails from the small city of Oshu in northeastern Japan’s Iwate Prefecture, earned his third unanimous MVP Award last year after becoming the first player in MLB history to record 50 or more home runs and stolen bases in the same season.
With his fourth MVP Award, he is second all-time behind only seven-time winner Barry Bonds, having moved ahead of three-time MVPs, including Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle and former Angels teammate Mike Trout.
“The biggest thing is obviously being able to win the World Series,” Ohtani said. “Winning the MVP was my final hurdle and it’s a great honor.”
Ohtani recorded 20 steals this year, down from his career-high 59 in 2024, as he apparently sought to conserve energy for his return to the mound. He was also coming back from a procedure on his non-throwing left shoulder after last season
“This year was a year of rehabilitation for my pitching side after surgery, so that’s what I focused on the most,” Ohtani said.
“At the beginning of this season, I was worried about my left shoulder’s rotation. As the season progressed, I was able to reduce the time I spent on pregame massages and other things.”
This year’s two other NL MVP finalists were Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber and New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto.
The winners were selected by a vote of 30 members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, conducted before the playoffs.
“Soto and Schwarber also had great seasons,” Ohtani said. “I’m glad I was able to compete with such great players.”
Ohtani’s two-way contributions in the postseason proved crucial to the Dodgers winning their first back-to-back championships in franchise history, hitting eight home runs and going 2-1 on the mound.
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge won AL MVP for the second year in a row, making history with Ohtani as the first MVPs from the respective leagues to repeat at the same time.