Shohei Ohtani of Dodgers Secures Third MVP Award

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani, who joined the team in December 2023, has secured his third Most Valuable Player award. He was unanimously voted the National League’s top performer. The 30-year-old previously claimed the American League MVP award in both 2021 and 2023 while playing for the Los Angeles Angels. Major League Baseball is composed of the American League and the National League, each of which presents a distinct MVP award. Ohtani, who became a Dodger in December 2023, is now one of only 12 players to have earned three or more MVP awards. He is also the first player to achieve consecutive MVP wins across both the American and National Leagues. All 30 members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America cast first-place votes for Ohtani, who triumphed over the New York Mets’ Francisco Lindor for the distinction. Ohtani stated, “I wouldn’t have been able to receive this award if it weren’t for my team-mates.” He further commented, “I didn’t go into the season trying to strive to get the MVP award. I was more focused on being one of the guys with the new team, with the Dodgers.” Ohtani added, “I wanted to obviously embrace the fans as well and kind of let them know who I was, and that was my main focus heading into this season.” His contributions were instrumental in the Dodgers’ victory in the 2024 World Series, marking their eighth championship overall and their first since 2020. Throughout that successful season, Ohtani achieved a historic milestone, becoming the first player in MLB history to both hit 50 or more home runs and steal 50 or more bases in a single season. Meanwhile, in the American League, New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge secured the top honor, prevailing over his team-mate Juan Soto and the Kansas City Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr.