Surprising nobody, Shohei Ohtani was named the unanimous winner of the National League Most Valuable Player Award for the second straight year on Thursday, November 13.
The Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter/pitcher therefore became the first player in MLB history to be named MVP in both leagues twice.
Before joining the Dodgers and helping them win back-to-back World Series titles in 2024 and '25, Ohtani was the American League MVP in 2021 and '23 while playing for the Los Angeles Angels.
He was unanimously selected all four times. No other MLB player has been a unanimous choice for the MVP Award in either league more than once.
With four MVP Awards in his illustrious MLB career, Ohtani trails Barry Bonds' all-time record of seven. Bonds received the prestigious accolade in 1990, 1992 and '93 while with the NL's Pittsburgh Pirates, and then collected four in a row when he played for the San Francisco Giants (2001-04).
The Baseball Writers' Association of America selects the MVPs in each league, and voting is conducted before the start of the playoffs. Thirty voters (two BBWAA members in each NL city) submitted ballots for the NL MVP Award. And the same process determined the AL MVP (see below).
In 2024, Ohtani became the first 50-50 player in MLB history (54 home runs, 59 stolen bases). A year later, he appeared in 158 games, finishing with a .282 batting average, 55 home runs, 102 RBIs and 20 stolen bases for the World Series champion Dodgers. He led the NL in runs (146), total bases (380) and slugging percentage (.622).
Shohei Ohtani Reacts After Being Named MVP Again
"If I'm playing well as an individual, that means I'm helping the team win, so in that sense, hopefully I can end up with a couple more MVPs," Ohtani said through an interpreter, according to The Associated Press. "But at the end of the day, it's all about winning games."
In 2026, the Dodgers will try to become the first MLB team with three consecutive World Series titles since the New York Yankees (1998-2000).
Before the focus shifts to next year, Ohtani commented on the success of his team and his accomplishments.
"The biggest thing is obviously being able to win the World Series," Ohtani said, according to Kyodo News. "Winning the MVP was my final hurdle and it's a great honor."
During the playoffs, Ohtani's skills as a batter and as a pitcher were crucial for the Dodgers during their quest to defend their World Series title.
In the National League Championship Series, he bashed three homers and struck out 10 batters in six-plus innings of shutout ball in Game 4 against the Milwaukee Brewers on October 17. It was an amazing all-around performance that sealed the NLCS MVP Award for him.
Back to Work as a Pitcher
After not pitching in the majors since August 2023, Ohtani worked his way back following elbow surgery and physical rehabilitation.
Starting in June, he appeared in 14 regular-season games on the mound for the Dodgers. In 47 innings, he struck out 62 batters, demonstrating again and again that with a blazing fastball and an assortment of other pitches he remains an elite-level hurler.
MVP Candidates in the NL
Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber, who led the NL with 56 homers and had 132 RBIs (tops among all MLB players), finished second behind Ohtani in MVP voting. Schwarber received 23 second-place votes.
Veteran outfielder Juan Soto, who had 43 homers and 105 RBIs in his first season with the New York Mets, placed third, getting four second-place votes.
Judge Repeats as the AL MVP
Also Thursday, Yankees superstar Aaron Judge won his second consecutive American League MVP Award.
The 33-year-old slugger hit .331, leading MLB in batting. He smacked 53 homers and had 114 RBIs this past season. Judge received 17 first-place votes.
Runner-up Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners got 13 first-place votes. The switch-hitting catcher/designated hitter belted an MLB-leading 60 homers and drove in 125 runs in his career-best season.
The Last Word
"It was a great year. Like I said, I'm very grateful to my teammates [and] the coaching staff. But not only them, the fans, you know, the fans were the ones who really rooted us on and supported us. I think after I retire and I do look back at these special years, I can definitely say the fans played a big part in the support."
—Ohtani, on the 2025 MLB season, according to MLB.com.
RELATED:
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- Shohei Ohtani Becomes MLB's 1st 3-Time Unanimous MVP Award Winner
Author: Ed Odeven
Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
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